By Rey Danseco
THE promoter/manager of world rated fighter Juanito Rubillar, is pushing for all-neutral officials when the Filipino champion defends his OPBF light flyweight title during the 45th World Boxing Council (WBC) Annual Convention on November 12 in Manila.
Elorde and his Korean counterpart agreed to use judges from neutral countries and an American judge/referee when Rubillar puts his title on the line in a mandatory defense against top ranked Byung-Joo Lee, the reigning Korean light flyweight champion.
Elorde informed OPBF president Frank Quill of Australia Monday about their request.
Quill, who is the chairman of the WBC ratings committee, immediately agreed and asked Major Lee Won Bok of Korea Boxing Commission, Chairman Eric Buhain of the Games and Amusement Board and the high ranking WBC officials about their decisions.
Quill described the request as “an unusual but not unique request”.
“The OPBF would not object, the decision rests with the Korean and Philippine commissions,” Quill said in his letter on Monday address to Lee, Buhain, and Boxing Division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz of GAB.
Quill’s letter was also sent to WBC officials, president Jose Sulaiman of Mexico, Secretary General Gabriel A. Penagaricano of Puerto Rico, Executive secretary Maurico Sulaiman of Mexico and Ring Officials Committee head Hubert Minn of the United States.
The appointment of officials from other countries will be easy for the OPBF because most respected officials from all over the world are delegates in the WBC convention that sets on Nov. 11-17 at the Manila Hotel.
“In that scenario, perhaps we could make the judging appointments in Manila the day before the fight by appointing two OPBF-zoned judges,” said Quill.
However, in case KBC and GAB wants to have Filipino and Korean judges, then the OPBF will have the power to assign the third official.
“In that case the panel would consist of a Philippine judge (appointed by the GAB), a Korean judge (appointed by the KBC) and a neutral-country scoring-referee (appointed by the OPBF),” said Sulaiman. “If either party declined this direction, then the bout could not be sanctioned”.
Rubillar is ranked No. 3 by the WBC and he wants to use the title defense as his final fight to improve his ranking and strengthen his chance for a another shot for WBC light flyweight championship next year.
The 30-year old native of Barangay Central in Mati town in Mindanao, won the crown in October 2006 with 7th round TKO win over Indonesian champion Irfan Ogah in Trece Martires City and defended it with impressive fifth round knockout win over ex-WBC minimumweight title challenger Ken Nakajima on June 24 in Osaka, Japan.
