Celebrity foe for Saludar
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 08 Sep 2021
Saludar (L) and Rosa (R).
WBA minimumweight “regular” champion Vic Saludar will face No. 1 contender Erick (Mini-Pacman) Rosa of the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo in late November or December with the challenger enjoying a huge hometown advantage as a celebrity despite compiling only four professional fights.
Rosa, 21, is like a cult hero in his country, a daredevil southpaw who started boxing at the age of five and gained national popularity by racking up 356 wins while losing only four bouts in a storybook amateur career. In his pro debut two years ago, Rosa outpointed Mexican Oscar Bermudez Salas to claim the vacant WBA Fedelatin and WBC Latino 105-pound titles. Last July, Rosa bounced back from a fourth round knockdown to score a unanimous 12-round decision over Peru’s Ricardo Astuvilca to win the WBA interim championship. Rosa’s record is 4-0 with one KO and all his fights were held in Santo Domingo.
Rosa’s trainer Angel Castillo said what makes the unbeaten fighter special are his natural skills, mobility and the way he picks his punches. It was Rosa’s manager Belgica Pena who reached out to Saludar’s business manager Bebot Elorde to arrange the match which is a mandatory defense. Pena initially offered a purse of $25,000 and three round-trip flight tickets for Saludar to battle Rosa in Santo Domingo.
Elorde countered by offering Rosa a $10,000 purse with two round-trip flight tickets to challenge Saludar in Manila on Dec. 11. But Pena said Elorde’s bid was “not close to reality (as) it is even less than the $25,000 that we offered for Saludar to come to the Dominican Republic.” The offer was of course less because Rosa is the challenger, not the champion. Pena then raised his offer to $35,000, tax free.
“We appreciate and feel a great respect for the champion,” said Pena. “We consider this to be a very good proposal taking into (account) the global crisis due to COVID-19. We also have the support of the local government and you are welcome to our beautiful homeland. It would be a shame if we had to reach a purse bid but if it is the case, I remind you that the divisions are 55 percent for the champion and 45 percent for the challenger.” Elorde accepted Rosa’s counter proposal and asked for an allocation to pay for swab tests and a 10-day hotel quarantine after returning from Santo Domingo. Pena agreed to Elorde’s terms to seal the deal. Both parties plan to finalize the details of the fight in a few days.
Saludar, 30, is a former WBO minimumweight titlist who took the vacant WBA crown via a split 12-round verdict over countryman Robert Paradero in Binan last February. A 2010 Asian Games bronze medalist, Saludar has a rich amateur background like Rosa but is clearly more experienced in the pro ranks. Saludar totes a 21-4 record, with 11 KOs, winning twice and losing twice overseas. According to Elorde, Saludar’s trainer Jojo Palacios said “kayang-kaya natin si Rosa.”
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