DRAKULICH IS REFEREE FOR MAYOL TITLE DEFENSE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 25 Feb 2010
WBC secretary general Mauricio Sulaiman has kept his word and appointed renowned American referee Vic Drakulich as the third man in the ring for light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol’s first title defense against mandatory challenger and former champion Omar Nino Romero (28-3-1, 11 KO’s) at the Coliseo Olimpico of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico on Sunday Manila Time.
Sulaiman told us that aside from Drakulich, who has also refereed the third fight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao against Erik Morales, the non-title fight against Jorge Solis and the WBC lightweight clash with David Diaz, the WBC which is headed by Don Jose Sulaiman also named three American judges to ensure neutrality in the title fight which is being held in Mexico.
The judges chosen by the WBC are Steven Blea, Nathan Palmer and Gary Ritter.
Sulaiman said there was “great interest” in the fight and Omar Nino Romero is aiming to regain the title he won in 2006 from then champion Brian Viloria, another Filipino.
After Mayol himself and his handlers had expressed a little concern about the judging in the hometown of the Mexican challenger Sulaiman assured us that “all the ring officials are neutral and the one that wins inside the ring is going to be the winner.”
Pacquiao, who handles Mayol along with his adviser Michael Koncz, said Mayol “is ready after a motivational meeting with Manny and myself before he left for Mexico” and they are confident that the hard-hitting champion would retain his title.
Koncz said that Mayol had trained hard for his first title defense and that he would fly to Mexico on Friday and meet with Mauricio Sulaiman over dinner on the eve of the title fight.
Mayol won the title with a stunning 2nd round TKO over talented and highly favored Mexican Edgar Sosa last November in Mexico. Sosa suffered a bad fracture on his cheekbone following a head-butt and was groggy when Mayol dropped him and then unleashed a flurry of punches that forced referee Roberto Ramirez Jr to call a halt at 1:52 of the second round.
Top photo: Vic Drakulich (R) officiates in one of Pacquiao's fights.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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