By Rey Danseco

MILLIONS of fans from Philippines feel bad about the way Juanito Rubillar failed in his sixth attempt to become a world champion.

It was not WBA light flyweight champion Giovanni Segura, or the three judges who were the cause of Rubillar’s loss. The culprit was fight agent Michael Koncz, who is not a member of Team Rubillar, but someone who asked and demanded a 10 percent commission from the Filipino challenger’s $25,000 purse.

The spectator Koncz sneaked near the ring and threw in the towel that got referee Luis Pabon’s attention. Pabon immediately responded with Koncz’s desire to stop the action at 2:04 of round 6 of Rubillar’s pay-per-view debut on Saturday in Grand Mayan, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico.

 Rubillar’s 63-year old Filipino corner man, the former two-time WBC and WBA flyweight champion Erbito Salavarria, got angry and confronted Koncz.

Salavarria said he should pick up the towel, but his sudden reaction was to confront Koncz, who was once called by Freddie Roach, according to Michael Marley "a human leech and degenerate".

“Why did you throw the towel?,” Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr, who is in Manila, quoted Salavarria as saying after they talked over the phone. “Michael Koncz replied ‘you don’t know boxing’”

Salavarria responded,”Okay I don’t know boxing, but you don’t have the right to throw anything in the ring and make a decision for this fight.”

Elorde is angry.

“Michael Koncz is bullshit. He has no right to make any decision in my boxer’s fight. He’s not a trainer or manager, that’s why Erbito confronted him and almost hurt that animal,” the upset Elorde said. “I think Michael Koncz bet for Segura and afraid of losing his money. What he did is not right.”

The “Latin Fury 10” card of Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions was telecast live in the Philippines by two channels – C/S 9 and Solar Sports.

“Segura was tired at that time and Juanito was just making his pace because he knew that he wasn’t acclimatized after he had accepted the offer to become a late substitute with two days to go before the bout,” said Elorde, who wants a rematch.

“Juanito made the weight because he is in shape, although not in his 100 percent fighting form yet,” he added.  “After his controversial lost (last June 6) in Cancun (Mexico) in his rematch against Omar Nino Romero, he gets back in the gym and jogged every morning because I want him to fight for the vacant Philippine light flyweight title fight next month.

In his fight against Romero, Rubillar cut the former WBC light fly champ near the eye early in the fight and referee Curtis Thrasher declared it was due to a legal blow. But Thrasher’s decision was overruled and the WBC declared the wound was made by a headbutt that’s why they consulted the scorecard to determine that Romero was the winner by technical decision in round 8 of their WBC Light Flyweight Title Eliminator.

KONCZ WANTS MORE MONEY AND HOLDS RUBILLAR’S PAYCHECK

Elorde learned from former two-time world champ Gerry Penalosa that Koncz had asked a certain amount of money from Rubillar’s purse despite the fact that he was not the matchmaker and no participation in the negotiation.

Elorde initially resisted but agreed to give Koncz $500, the same amount he intended to give to Penalosa as token of appreciation to his participation in the negotiation.

But Koncz will get $1,000 because Penalosa said he will give his $500 to him “because he wanted to get a bigger share”.

Elorde was the one who negotiated for this fight from the eve of July 23 (July 22 in the morning in the US and Mexico) until around 3 am of the following day after few hours when WBA Executive vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza contacted this writer and suggested Rubillar for the shot, with intention of helping the promoter Bob Arum of having a great show and giving the 32-year old Filipino fighter his last crack at a world title without asking anything in return.

“I asked for $30,000 purse, Gerry told me that promoter told him ‘it’s too much’ and suggested $25,000 plus three airfare,” said Elorde. “I agreed and right away they sent us the plane tickets for Friday’s (Thursday in the US and Mexico) early morning flight with stopover in San Francisco (California) to Nueva Vallarta.”

 According to Filipino manager Aljoe Jaro, Koncz was responsible why his fighter Sonny Boy Jaro failed to make a trip to Mexico when this “shadow” of Manny Pacquiao handed to him the requirements to get the Mexican and US transient visa such as the invitation letters to the Team Jaro and the fight contract on July 16 – 10 days before the fight.

As of press time yesterday, Rubillar has yet get his purse, even a single penny.

Salavarria and Penalosa told Elorde that Koncz has the paycheck.

“Why Koncz took the paycheck? And why they paid [with] a paycheck instead of cash?,” Elorde asked.

 “Maybe Michael Koncz was the matchmaker with Segura versus Jaro, but not in this fight, Segura versus Rubillar,” said Elorde. “I talked directly through telephone with Gerry who’s in Mexico, not with Michael Koncz.”

CALL TO DECLARE MICHAEL KONCZ PERSONA NON GRATA IN THE PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, applicant needs a three to four working days to get the Mexican visa. Sonny Boy, Aljoe and trainer Warren Jaro applied for the Mexican visas on July 17 and because it was weekend, they got the visas on Wednesday.

On July 23, Sonny Boy and Warren were denied by the US embassy of their application for transient visa and they have no more time to repeat their previous itinerary by going a 48-hour around the world Manila-Bangkok-Frankfurt flight before reaching Mexico City when he fought WBC light flyweight king Edgar Sosa last year.

“Juanito may be credited for saving the show in Nuevo Vallarta for accepting this fight in a very short less than a day notice. It’s not right that Koncz treated Juanito that way,” said Elorde, who got numerous phone calls why the illegal towel-throwing happened.

A caller suggested that Koncz must be persona non grata in the Philippines.

Koncz told in another report of BoxingScene.com that he has no comment about the visa brouhaha although he mentioned that he told Jaro what to do.

“It’s not true. How can we apply for visa when he gave the papers on July 16, Thursday, just few days prior to the fight,” said Jaro.

 “Juanito was still in the fight, he was capable of pulling an upset. Obviously he’s in shape and can fight in a distance because Segura looks tired. Throwing towel in the ring is not allowed these days.”