By Rey Danseco
CHEATED Filipino challenger Juanito Rubillar reached Manila before dawn on Tuesday after flying in from Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
He has two Wells Fargo checks as payment for his effort in accepting the opportunity to become a world champion when he agreed to the offer as a last-minute substitute to challenge WBA light flyweight champ Giovanni Segura last Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
One check amounted to $19,800 and comes from Top Rank, Inc of Bob Arum and the other check worth $1,250 from A.D.K. Corporation, believed to be owned and signed by Michael Koncz.
Koncz, alleged to be a disbarred Canadian lawyer, claimed himself as the matchmaker or Rubillar’s agent to justify his attempt to peel off $2,500 or 10% of Rubillar’s $25,000 purse.
But Koncz opted to pocket only 5% of the total purse when he issued the $1,250 check from his Wells Fargo account in Malabar Road, Trabuco Canyon, California branch on July 26 after he learned from former two-time world champ Gerry Penalosa that Rubillar was firm on his decision of not agreeing to his demand but willing to give only $1,000 -- $500 to each of them.
With that, Rubillar took home only total purse of $21,050 in checks and they will be in cleared in the Philippines within the next 30 to 45 days.
However, Penalosa made it clear from the very beginning after Rubillar’s manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr’s negotiation with WBA executive vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza for his fighter’s late substitution on Thursday (Wednesday in Mexico), that he will not accept a single penny and said he will give his $500 to Koncz “because he keeps on insisting to get a bigger amount and asking for [a] 10%” cut.
“Why [does] he have separate check from the Top Rank check?,” said Elorde.
Rubillar and Elorde said they are expecting to receive a total purse of $22,250 after the deduction of $1,500 sanction fee and giving $1,000 to Koncz and Penalosa.
Elorde also questions the $1,200 deduction which Koncz wrote in Top Rank’s check as payment for unknown “WBA mac”.
“What is ‘WBA mac’ or is seems ‘mar’?,” Elorde asked. “They must answer and make it clear what that fee was for?.”
Elorde said he never talked to Koncz.
“My point here my friend is that how will boxer Juanito buy food and needs for his four children, wife and needs inside his house, when he has to wait for 40 days before he can cash the checks that were paid to him by a certain Michael Koncz,” said Elorde. “And Koncz deducted $1,250 USD from Juanito’s purse and said it was for his matchmaker fee without the approval of boxer Juanito Rubillar.
“And this Michael Koncz was the same guy that threw the towel inside the ring illegally and stopped the fight,” he added.
Elorde insisted Koncz is not a member of Team Rubillar and a mere spectator.
Koncz spoke on the record about the reasoning for what many have called illegal actions.
"The fact is the safety of the fighter is what is important and not the ego or pocket book of Elorde,” Koncz told Bagong Tiktik sports and BoxingScene.com. “I can sleep at night knowing that at least one person was concerned about the safety and health of Juanito Rubillar.”
Elorde said, what matters to them is the opportunity of winning a world title.
“We grabbed the opportunity despite the 48 hour notice because Juanito is in shape. He was actually training few days after his fight in Cancun, Mexico against Omar Nino Romero last June 6. He’s preparing for the possible vacant Philippine light flyweight title fight in my show on August 29,” said Elorde. “I don’t allow him to fight if he’s not in shape. No boxer can last six rounds against a world champion if he’s not in shape. You can see, Segura gave his hardest shots but Rubillar kept on moving and was still on his feet. They should review the tape to see what I’m saying. It was Koncz who TKOed Rubillar, not Segura. Okay, let’s put it this way. They say Rubillar was not in shape, this is my answer, how much more if he had more time to train?.”