By REY DANSECO
NEWLY crowned WBC silver super flyweight champion Silvester Lopez
Supervisor Bob Yalen and Queretaro Boxing Commission's Alberto Guerrero Mandojano awarded the WBC silver super flyweight title belt, medal and T-shirt to the new champion Silvester Lopez of the Philippines after knocking out Mexico's Oscar "Ceviche" Ibarra last Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, at Plaza de Toros in Juriquilla, Queretaro, Mexico. REY DANSECO
returned to Manila, Philippines Thursday without his title belt after beating erstwhile champion Oscar Ibarra in Mexico.
But WBC president Jose Sulaiman immediately gave his assurance to the 23-year old Asian that he will send the gold, green and silver belt.
“I am very sorry that he arrived without the belt,” said Sulaiman. “We will send it as soon as possible.”
Lopez, the reigning WBC International champion in the division, dethroned Ibarra with a devastating technical knockout win in the 8th round in their eliminator bout last Saturday at the Plaza de Toros in Juriquilla, Queretaro.
Supervisor Bob Yalen and Queretaro Boxing Commission’s Alberto Guerrero Mandojano awarded the title belt to Lopez on top of the ring before a shock-partisan crowd of more than 2,000.
But Ibarra’s trainer, Sergio Gonzalez, immediately took the belt despite Lopez’s willingness to pay for its original cost.
Lopez’s fellow passengers and crews of Philippine Airlines flight 102 greeted h
im for his victory in enemy’s territory, most of them had asked for his autographs and pose in photographs.
Upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport early morning in Manila, Lopez proudly displayed the WBC silver medal and WBC championship T-shirt that he got after his biggest win in his career.
TITLE SHOT IN 2012
Sulaiman, who was appointed as Tourism Ambassador of Mexico by the Mexican government last Tuesday in Mazatlan, also assured 
Lopez (17-3-1, 13 KOs) will be the next challenger for the full WBC title in 115-pound.
Newly crowned full champion Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (19-5-1, 7 KOs) has given a green light to make a first title defense. The Thai camp is negotiating for giving Japanese contender Hiroyuki Hisataka (19-9-1, 8 KOs) a crack on Nov. 4 in Bangkok.
“The champion will face a Japanese challenger and this division, as all others, will be discussed at the (WBC Annual) convention (in December),” said Sulaiman.
“Lopez, is however, the official next challenger with the time to be decided in Las Vegas.”
Tomas “Gusano” Rojas used the last mandatory title defense in the division when he disposed Juan Jose “Goofy” Montes in May, three months before he lost the title to the 22-year old Rungvisai with unanimous decision in Thailand.
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Rey Danseco is the Boxing Judge of the Year 2010 in the Philippines at the 11th Gabriel ”Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards-Banquet of Champions in March 2011. He is the Sports editor of one of the Philippine leading newspapers called Bagong Tiktik (Spy), television boxing commentator and a proud one and only Filipino with license as judge under WBC in the last four years.
EMAIL: reydanseco@yahoo.com
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