ELORDE CONFIDENT RP WILL HAVE A NEW WORLD CHAMPION TODAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 30 Nov 2008
Gabriel ?Bebot? Elorde says light flyweight Juanito Rubillar who battles Mexico?s World Boxing Council champion Edgar Sosa later Sunday (Manila Time) is ?going for broke? and he was confident the Philippines ?will have a new world champion.?
Elorde made the comments after the official weigh in when Rubillar came in at 105.8 pounds while Sosa tipped the scales two pounds heavier at 107.8 which was just under the weight limit of 108 pounds.
Rubillar who has trained for three months said ?I know this may be my last chance at a world title. I think that I have never been so determined. I haven?t come this far not to return with the belt to the Philippines.?
Sosa who is making the seventh defense of the title he won in a clash for the vacant crown against Hawaii-based Filipino Brian Viloria said he expects ?a very tough, tough fight. Rubillar says that will is going to determine the outcome. Well I?m really pumped up for this fight. My will is immense. I am fighting for Mexico. I am confident.?
Sosa?s handler Jacques Deschamps believes that his fighter?s technique will prevail, adding ?the thinking fighter is going to win.?
Elorde informed www.insidesports.ph that when they checked Rubillar?s weight on the hotel scale at 9:00 a.m. he was 107 pounds. The official weigh in was 1:00 p.m. WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman was in front when Rubillar stepped on the scales.
Elorde said Rubillar had breakfast around 7:00 a.m. and they all went to the Catholic church right across the hotel at 9:00 a.m.
Elorde reported that when they checked Rubillar?s weight today he was 126 pounds which means he had put on some 20 pounds since the official weigh-in which is way above the 9 percent recommended by nutrition experts such as Dra. Sanirose Orbeta.
However, Elorde said Rubillar was in good condition.
Team Rubillar will leave the hotel for Arena Mexico at 7:00 p.m for the title fight which will begin around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. Mexico Time which will be around 2:00 p.m. Sunday (Philippine Time).
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