WBC ORDERS RUBILLAR-OMAR NINO TITLE ELIMINATOR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 Nov 2007
The WBC has ordered a final elimination bout between OPBF light flyweight champion Juanito Rubillar (41-10-7, 19 KO?s) who is ranked No. 3 by the leading world boxing organization and former champion and No.1 contender Omar Nino (24-2-1, 10 KO?s) for the mandatory position and a crack at world champion Edgar Sosa.
The decision was reached after the WBC board of governors reviewed the situation in the light flyweight division during the recent 45th Annual Convention in Manila.
WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman wrote to the fighters and their handlers stating that the letter ?is the beginning of the free negotiations period and if no agreement is reached, a purse offer will be held on January 7 at 12 noon at the WBC executive offices in Mexico City.?
Rubillar is coming off a rousing fifth round TKO over mandatory OPBF contender Beung Joo Lee of Korea in a fight card attended by several WBC officials headed by OPBF president Frank Quill and including internationally known referee Kenny Bayliss who refereed the fight with referee/judge Malcolm Bulner, a former Olympian, as official supervisor.
Sosa won the vacant title with a majority decision over former champion Brian Viloria last April 14. Viloria had lost the title to Omar Nino on August 10, 2006 by a twelve round unanimous decision and then held Nino to a draw in a rematch on November 18 last year. However, Nino tested positive for a banned substance in a post fight drug test and the title was declared vacant giving Viloria another crack at the top contender Sosa. Sosa ( 30-5, 16 KO?s) won and subsequently defended the title successfully three times, the last being a fourth round TKO over Roberto Carlos Leyva last November 24.
Rubillar?s manager Gabriel ?Bebot? Elorde Jr had earlier promised Rubillar he would get another shot at the world title after the OPBF title defense at which both former world super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios and Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez were present and described Rubillar as ?a good fighter.?
Rubillar twice battled Mexican warrior Jorge Arce for the title over twelve rounds and lost with the decision in the second fight regarded as controversial. The OPBF champion said he is looking forward to one last chance at winning a world title by defeating Nino whose alias is ?giant killer.?
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