By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The WBC has offered mandatory challenger Juanito Rubillar an interim title shot against No. 2 ranked Wandee Singwancha of Thailand while light flyweight champion Brian Viloria recovers from a injured right hand which he sustained in the first defense of his title against Jose Antonio Aguirre.

WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman in an email to Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today said the WBC has “ordered an interim championship due to Brian Viloria’s medical status.” Sulaiman said he had informed Rubillar’s manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr about the WBC decision and had asked him to confirm whether Rubillar was ready to participate in an interim championship as the “free negotiation period is in effect right now.”

Elorde responded by insisting that a medical certificate of Viloria be officially submitted because he was “ordered to fight a mandatory against Juanito but Top Rank promoter Bom Arum interfered and suddenly things changed.”

Elorde said if his request  is complied with he would make an offer for Wandee to fight in the Philippines . Elorde indicated he wanted to make sure that Viloria was really injured and could not fight for the next six months.

This followed earlier reports quoting Aguirre that his handlers had promised him a rematch with Viloria in June or July despite the WBC ruling that Viloria had to defend his title in a mandatory against Rubillar.

Ribillar himself told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today he was getting on in years at 29 and wanted a title shot badly, saying he was confident of wresting the crown from Viloria, a Fil-Am from Ilocos Sur who spent most of his life in Hawaii. Rubillar is a former two-time WBC International champion, a title currently held by Wandee and fought for the world title three times.

Rubillar lost in an IBF title shot against Zolani Petelo of South Africa in 1999 on points and also lost twice to reigning flyweight champion Jorge Arce . His second defeat was a controversial  split decision in a fight which Elorde claimed Rubillar won but lost on the judges scorecards.