By Rey Danseco
World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champion Brian Viloria has no choice, but to face the mandated top ranked challenger Juanito Rubillar with his title on the line, on or before March 10.
When there’s an approved mandatory challenger, the WBC gives the new champion in any weight category a six-month grace period since winning the gold and green belt to put the crown in obligatory title defense against the No. 1 contender.
Viloria captured the WBC 108-lb title on Sep. 10 with a devastating first round knockout in the first title defense of erstwhile champ Eric Ortiz of Mexico.
The Mexico-based WBC let the fight proceed between the Filipino-Hawaiian Punch and the aging former WBC minimumweight champ Jose Antonio Aguirre on Saturday in Las Vegas in order to give Viloria a chance to earn money, which according to a Filipino advisor of WBC was legal and based on by-laws of the organization.
“Business pa rin ang boxing. Kung gustong gumawa ng pera ang kampeon, karapatan n’ya yon unless lalagpas sa six month period (on March 10) of his mandatory defense obligations, mae-strip siya ng title,” said lawyer Dominador Cepeda in an interview before the deal on Viloria-Aguirre tiff had done in December. Cepeda was the former Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman, and currently serves as advisor of the WBC in Asia-Pacific region under the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF).
Cepeda insisted in that interview that he would not hesitate to confront his friend WBC president Jose Sulaiman and the latter's son Mauricio, who is the WBC Executive Secretary, if there will be a move to prevent the championship bout between Viloria and Rubillar.
However, in case Viloria pursue the plan to see action on May 20 under the proposed Manny Pacquiao versus Mexico’s Oscar Larios fight in Manila against another foe, Rubillar may be entitled for sidestep fee.
Cepeda added that Viloria’s camp must also pay Rubillar’s daily training expenses that will be determined by his (Rubillar) manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. while the supposedly challenger is training for the anticipated bout before the 6-month deadline on March 10.
Rubillar was assured of the title shot at the WBC's 43rd Annual Convention in Spain, attended by Games and Amusement Board chairman Eric Buhain, even before the contract in three previous title bouts in the division had been signed.
The WBC confirmed: “world champion Brian Viloria must fight No. 1 ranked official challenger Juanito Rubillar of the Philippines next.”
However, when Mauricio Sulaimán approved Gary Gittlesohn’s request of putting Aguirre as choice challenger of his boxer Viloria on Feb. 18, Rubillar felt the WBC betrayed him and was thinking of duplicating the celebrated million dollar legal battle of former WBC light heavyweight champion Graciano Rocchigiani of Germany against the WBC.
The New York jury awarded Rocchigiani $31 million, forcing the WBC into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003, until they settled for a certain amount. Based on the 6-2 German southpaw’s allegation the WBC stripped him illegally of the light heavyweight championship and returned it to former champion Roy Jones, Jr., without competition and despite he won the fact that he won a bout for the vacant title against Michael Nunn in 1998.
Rubillar insisted that it was the second time the WBC took away a mandatory shot from him in favor of Aguirre.
The WBC installed Aguirre to fight Ortiz for the vacant title on March 11, 2005 in Mexico City. Then to prevent, Rubillar from fighting, the WBC changed Viloria's ranking from flyweight to the No. 1 spot in light flyweight - to give him a crack at Ortiz.
Rubillar (37-9-7, 17 KOs) has remained at the top of WBC light flyweight ratings for at least the last three years, despite attempts by the WBC ratings committee in relegating him to his lowest position in the past few years to No. 4.
Rubillar’s only losses in his 26 fights within the last six years were controversial decisions against champion Jorge Arce in 2001 and 2004, respectively.
