By Ronnie Nathanielsz

 

Former world welterweight champion Morris East says he has signed up both OPBF light flyweight champion Juanito Rubillar and WBO Asia Pacific light flyweight champion Rexon Flores.

 

East informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today about the signings but promoter and boxing manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde immediately challenged East’s actions saying “both fighters have a valid contract until 2011 with my wife Arlene Elorde as manager” and the contracts are on file with the Games and Amusements Board. Elorde added, there was no way East could get the two boxers.

 

Elorde claimed East was capitalizing on the boxers lack of knowledge and had bamboozled them into signing. Elorde said East had allegedly given Flores P24,000 to meet the hospital needs of his wife who gave berth and had “promised to make Rubillar a star.”

 

Elorde said Flores had apparently signed a managerial contract while Rubillar allegedly  “signed a blank sheet of paper.” However, Elorde said he was confident the Games and Amusements Board would not accept these contracts and had been assured of this since both fighters have legitimate “live” contracts filed with the GAB.

 

East who is in Manila called Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today on Monday and said “Rubillar and Flores signed with me.” He also claimed he would start training IBF minimum weight champion Florante Condes at the Main Event Gym in Quezon City in preparation for a scheduled February defense in La Paz, Mexico against Raul Garcia.

 

However, Condes’ co-manager Aljoe Jaro said the fight will not take place amidst a major controversy involving the management team which includes co-manager Dante Ortiz, an American of Puerto Rican geritage and promoter Bobby Bostick and his representative Cezar Trevino.   Aljoe Jaro said he and Bostick had come to an agreement to stage Condes’ first title defense in Manila on February 16.