By Rey Danseco
OSAKA, Japan – Juanito Rubillar plans to move forward and thump his relentless knockout punches from the opening bell. Ken Nakajima knows he must swing for the fences and use the ring.
The two contenders in the World Boxing Council (WBC) promise an all out war in their scheduled 12-round battle for Rubillar’s Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) light flyweight title around 3 pm (2 pm in Manila) at the Nishiwari Center here today.
Rubillar, who is ranked No.4 in the world by the WBC, will put the crown on the line for the first time after he took the vacant title with sixth round stoppage win over Indonesian champion Irfan Ogah in October in Trece Martires City.
“I have nothing much to gain, everything to loss, including my chances for a world title in this fight if I let him win,” said Rubillar, who eyes a shot against WBC light flyweight champ Edgar Sosa of Mexico in November.
“I will try to make this job easily be done. I must cut his (height and reach) advantages from the opening bell.”
“I must get inside to make him feel my power, it might scare him,” said Rubillar, who predicted a knockout win inside round 7.
Nakajima is coming off in a unanimous decision loss to fellow Osaka-native Takashi Kunishige, a southpaw like Rubillar.
With two-inch height advantage and a longer wingspan, Nakajima predicted to win by decision.
This writer, a Japanese official and Thailand’s Sinchai Goonlawong will be the judges. Goonlawong is the scoring-referee.
“We’ll have a new champion on Sunday. Nakajima will beat Rubillar on points I guess,” said Inoue, who last Friday apologized to Team Rubillar after this writer told him what he did.
Rubillar and Nakajima both stripped and weighted 108 pounds in the official weigh in that Japanese Boxing Commission supervised yesterday in their office near the underground arcades with diverse functions of walkways, shops, parking lots and subway entrance of the Tanimachi-4chome station in Chuo Ward’s Tanimachi subway lines.
Nakajima’s Filipino trainer Joven Jorda, who retired two years ago after getting and lost his WBC ranking, will work with him in the corner. In Rubillar’s side, trainers Roel Morata and Nestor Elorde and manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. will join hands to assist him.
Rubillar earns $10,000 in his initial defense of WBC’s regional crown. Osaka's local TV station, Sky-a will tape the fight and telecast on a delay basis at midnight.
Rubillar ate a bowl of ramen and cup of rice and drink several glasses of water after the weigh in and went into shopping with Morata for at least few hours. It was the first time Rubillar went out from his Toyoko Inn’s room since coming to this city on Thursday night from Manila.
