After WBC president Jose Sulaiman revealed yesterday his plan to pit No. 3 Eric Ortiz of Mexico and No. 4 Juanito Rubillar of the Philippines in a final elimination bout, top Filipino promoter Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. immediately made an offer to No. 2 Jose Antonio Aguirre to face Rubillar instead for the vacant WBC light-flyweight title.
Elorde tendered 30,000 dollars purse plus round trip ticket for four for Aguirre to face Rubillar for the vacant belt in the main event of his scheduled March 8 promotion in the Philippines.
The original main event in that date features the non-title bouts of WBF International champions, flyweight Sukarno “Master Showman” Banjao and welterweight Rey Pelonia against former Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) light-flyweight boss Yura Dima and two-time Korean champion Kim Baira, respectively.
Elorde, eldest son of the late Hall-of-Famer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, is very much aware that the original plan of the WBC by pitting Aguirre and top ranked Roberto Vasquez of Panama for the championship bout will not push through.
“I read in the news that Vasquez will not fight Aguirre for the vacant WBC Light-flyweight championship. And instead Vasquez is going for the WBA championship,” Elorde told Sulaiman.
Elorde also learned from Diario de Mexico last Monday, 24 de Enero (Tuesday in the Philippines), that WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaimán, son of Senior Jose, announced that the planned Aguirre-Vasquez fight on March 12 is off.
And in the same report stated that Aguirre is looking for rival.
“Ante esta situación, Aguirre tendrá otro rival por el citado cinturón que dejó vacante Jorge “Travieso” Arce. Entre los más altos clasificados se encuentran el filipino Juanito Rubillar, el mexicano Eric Ortiz, el estadounidense Hill Grigsby y el tailandés Wandee Chor Chareon. Los últimos dos ya fueron monarcas del mundo” (Before this situation, Aguirre will consider another rival for the belt that was left by Jorge “Mischievous” Arce. Among the candidate foes includes Philippine’s Juanito Rubillar, Mexican Eric Ortiz, American Hill Grigsby and Thai Wandee Chor Chareon.)
That is why many Filipino observers wondered why Sulaiman faxed his letter dated January 21, 2005, three days later on Jan. 24 to Buhain.
“What even more, is it appears that Jorge Arce will leave the Lt. Flyweight division to move into the flyweight division, and it is my plan to have Juanito meeting Eric Ortiz in a final elimination bout to fight the winner of Antonio Aguirre and Vasquez for the Lt. Flyweight championship of the world,” Sulaiman told Buhain.
Sulaiman, a former protégée of former WBC president Justiniano Montaño and WBC secretary general Rodrigo Salud both from the Philippines, also agreed with Elorde and GAB to put back Rubillar to No. 3 in February ratings.
“I inform you that Juanito Rubillar will be rated back as number 3 in the WBC Lt. Flyweight division,” said Sulaiman, who also added that Ortiz was able to become the No. 3 for the January ranking is because of his two wins last December.
GAB people tried very hard to search in the Internet who was Ortiz’s foes last month, but they failed. What they found was Ortiz’s latest fight was when Filipino Wyndel Janiola bloodied his face in their 10-round bout under the Arce-Rubillar part II in Tijuana last September. Ortiz escape with the victory via technical decision in round 5.
On the other hand, Elorde said he is very thankful to Sulaiman and to the WBC for the favorable response.
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