By Rey Danseco
FORMER world champion Wandee Singwancha agreed to fight top ranked Juanito Rubillar with the winner earning the right to challenge World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champion Brian Viloria.
Singwancha’s handler Naris Singwancha of Thailand accepted Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr.’s second counter-offer to set the scheduled 12-round fight for the WBC interim light flyweight title in June, in Manila.
However, the Bangkok-based president of Naris Boxing Promotion is requesting an increase of Singwancha's purse to their original asking price of $30,000 from Elorde’s $28,000 purse offer to come and fight Rubillar in Manila.
Elorde hasn’t confirmed or denied yesterday if he would approve the demand of the 26-year-old former WBC interim minimumweight champion or not.
But Elorde said, the reason why he’s moving heaven and earth to stage the fight on RP soil is to give Rubillar a fair chance of retaining his position as the No. 1 contender and realize his long-overdue mandatory fight for Viloria’s title.
The WBC declared Viloria unfit to fight, based on the alibi his American promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank has continuously used to help the Hawaii-raised son of natives of Narvacan town in the Philippine northern province of Ilocos Sur prevents the more experience scientific fighter Rubillar in a mandatory fight.
In the 43rd Annual WBC convention in Spain in 2005, Rubillar was also declared as the mandatory challenger in his division.
It was an official confirmation of WBC president Jose Sulaiman’s declaration on Feb. 22, 2005 that the Parañaque-based native of Davao Oriental must be next in line to fight for the title after Viloria’s bout against the winner of the bout between Mexican’s Eric Ortiz and Jose Antonio Aguirre on March 11, 2005 in Mexico.
Ortiz won the fight with 7th round KO of Aguirre but Viloria knocked him out in the first round with the coveted throne on the line in September of last year. But in compliance with Arum’s request, the Mexican-controlled WBC had allowed Viloria to make a voluntary defense against Aguirre in February, forcing Rubillar to wait instead of taking his shot.
In his defense with Aguirre, Viloria suffered a minor injury in his right hand. His manager Gary Gittelsohn made some statements that they want Viloria to clean up the division up to flyweight and tough guys like Jorge Arce, Vic Darchinyan, Ulises Solis and Ivan Calderon are in his list of future opponents instead of taking his obligation for a fight Rubillar.
Elorde shocked Gittelsohn and Arum, who initially reserved a slot for Viloria in his Madison Square Garden bill in New York City on June 10, when he offered $150,000 purse for Viloria to fight Rubillar on April 4 and later move to May 6 in Manila. His offer included free round trip air tickets with free hotel and meals.
Sulaiman knew Elorde had pushed Viloria to the wall and he boldly gave support for the mandated all-Filipino championship.
"Papa Sarreal (Elorde’s grandfather) was my mentor and one of my all-time greatest friends in boxing and Flash Elorde was one of my greatest boxing heroes. It will always be my pleasure to do everything that I can to support you. I owe that to your ancestors. I am contacting Viloria’s representative with your offer," Sulaiman told Elorde in his letter.
Sulaiman ordered the one-month free negotiation period for the mandatory defense starting last March 6 and if no agreement was made, a purse bid was scheduled to take place on April 7 at the WBC office in Mexico City
But on April 3, Sulaiman approved another petition by Arum to move the scheduled purse bid for the mandated fight between Viloria and Rubillar from April 7 (April 8 in Manila) in Mexico City to April 21.
“Top Rank has received your offer and will communicate with you during this time and if no agreement is reached by April 21, 2006 the purse offer will be conducted in Mexico City at the WBC Offices,” Sulaiman told Elorde.
Sulaiman, in compliance with Arum’s appeal, transmitted two letters - both dated April 18, defying his own early declarations and has denied Rubillar’s right for the fight. The first correspondence with No. 39,069 was informing the WBC Board of Governors of his order for the top two contenders (Rubillar and Singwancha) in the light flyweight division to fight for the WBC interim light flyweight title.
The other letter with No. 39,070 was addressed to Rubillar, the No. 1 contender, and the current WBC International light flyweight king Singwancha, the second ranked from Thailand. He notified the boxers to negotiate for the interim championship and if no agreement is reached, a purse offer will be held on Friday May 5 in WBC’s head office in Mexico City.
In the purse bid, the promoter with highest prize to put on the table will get the right to stage the fight
