Risky proposition for Sabillo

There are six reigning Filipino world champions today and one of them is taking a huge risk in defending his title against a hometowner in Monterrey this morning (Manila time). WBO minimumweight champion Merlito Sabillo is making his third defense of the 105-pound crown and Mexican challenger Francisco Rodriguez stands in the way of the Filipino bringing the belt back home.

Sabillo, 30, is immune to danger so fighting in Rodriguez’ backyard is par for the course. If it’s a risk for others, it’s an opportunity for the Negros Occidental southpaw whom ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer describes as fearless. Sabillo isn’t known to shy away from a big test. Last November, he took on undefeated Nicaraguan Carlos Buitrago and kept his title on a split 12-round draw. Somewhere down the road, their paths are bound to cross again and Sabillo will be armed and ready.

To a certain extent, Sabillo is like a mini-version of Manny Pacquiao. Aldeguer says he likes to go for the kill every time and attacks with reckless abandon. It doesn’t matter whether Sabillo fights at home or on the road. He battles the same way wherever, whenever. That’s why the fans love him. Even WBO president Paco Valcarcel called him a star in the making and said he should reign a long time.

But sometimes, recklessness leads to carelessness and against a hometowner, Sabillo must realize he can’t commit slip-ups because the judges are easily swayed by a hostile crowd. Will he get a fair shake from the judges? The panel is made up of Nevada’s Adalaide Byrd, Connecticut’s Glenn Feldman and Mexican Victor Salomon. Byrd was a judge when Pacquiao was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez two years ago. Feldman was the only judge who scored it for Marquez in Timothy Bradley’s win by split decision last year. Salomon was a judge in Donnie Nietes’ win by unanimous decision over Mexico’s Erik Ramirez in Oaxaca in 2009. He was also a judge in Filipino Eric Jamili’s loss on points to Kermin Guardia in a WBO minimumweight title bout in Miami in 1999.

The referee is Brooklyn’s Eddie Claudio who worked the tumultuous fight between Filipino Johnriel Casimero and Luis Lazarte in Buenos Aires two years ago. Casimero won by a 10th round stoppage and the outcome triggered a riot instigated by Lazarte’s disappointed fans, mostly belonging to a truckers union. Claudio, 58, will be back in the ring with a Filipino.

Sabillo is no stranger to foreign turfs. Last year, he travelled to Cerete, Colombia, to face Luis de la Rosa. Sabillo slept nine hours in the airport during a layover and arrived in Colombia just two days before the fight. He shrugged off 48 tiring hours of traveling to stop De la Rosa in the eighth round. That was for the interim WBO minimumweight title. When Moises Fuentes relinquished the crown to move up in weight, Sabillo was declared his successor by Valcarcel.

Rodriguez, 20, has a 13-2 record, with 9 KOs, compared to Sabillo’s 23-0-1, with 12 KOs. Five of Sabillo’s last six outings were abbreviated wins so he’s hoping to ride on that momentum to score another knockout over Rodriguez. The challenger has lost only twice, once to Salvador Arias in a six-rounder and the other a seventh round knockout to unbeaten WBA lightflyweight champion Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua. Sabillo intends to pin a third loss on Rodriguez.

The five other Filipino world titleholders are WBO lightflyweight champion Donnie Nietes, IBF lightflyweight king Johnriel Casimero, IBO lightflyweight titlist Rey Loreto, IBO superflyweight ruler Edrin Dapudong and IBA superflyweight belt-holder Bruno Escalante.

Nietes, 31, will defend his crown against Fuentes in a much-awaited rematch at the Mall of Asia Arena on May 10. They previously battled to a majority draw. Fuentes has strung up three wins in a row since the first Nietes meeting. Nietes is coming off a third round stoppage of Sammy Gutierrez last November. Casimero, 24, has a 19-2 record, with 11 KOs, and has so far repulsed three challengers Pedro Guzman in Mexico, Luis Alberto Rios in Panama and Felipe Salguero in Makati.

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Loreto, 23, halted Nkosinathi Joyi in the third round to claim the vacant IBO lightflyweight throne in Monte Carlo last February while Dapudong, 27, made short work of Gideon Buthelezi in wresting the IBO superflyweight diadem on a first round knockout in South Africa last June. The IBO was established in 1992 and sanctioned the world lightwelterweight title fight between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton in 2009. Ed Levine is the IBO president.

Escalante, 25, scored a majority 10-round decision over Michael Ruiz to capture the vacant IBA superflyweight throne in Redwood City, California, last December. He went on to halt challenger Lorenzo Trejo in his first defense last February. Escalante, who used to spar with Nonito Donaire, is set to face Victor Ruiz on April 5. The IBA championship bouts are scheduled for 10, not 12 rounds. The IBA was founded in the 1990s by former major league baseball pitcher Dean Chance and once recognized Butterbean, also known as Eric Esch, as world superheavyweight champion.

Last week, Filipino challenger Jether Oliva attempted to win the vacant IBO flyweight championship and lost a split 12-round decision to Moruti Mthalane in Durban, South Africa. Filipino judge Danrex Tapdasan saw it 115-113 for Oliva but British judge Terry O’Connor had it 116-112 and South African Alan Matakane 117-112, both for Mthalane. Oliva, 26, would’ve been the seventh reigning Filipino world champion if he won.

Two former Filipino world champions are bidding to rejoin the honor roll. Pacquiao, 35, is out to regain the WBO welterweight championship as he challenges Bradley in Las Vegas on April 12. Donaire, 31, battles WBA/IBO featherweight king Simpiwe Vetyeka of South Africa in Macau on May 31 and hopes to collect his fourth world title. Another former Filipino world champion Brian Viloria meets Puerto Rico’s Juan Herrera in Las Vegas on March 29 and if he wins, the Hawaiian Punch will get a spot in the undercard of the Donaire-Vetyeka mainer in Macau. Viloria, 33, is two or three wins away from earning another shot at a world title. His career is far from over as he conspires to annex his third world crown.