TEPORA SQUANDERS PURSE AND A RARE CAREER BREAK IN THE US

LAS VEGAS ? Jhack Tepora?s first title defense of his interim World Boxing Association Featherweight crown was postponed indefinitely after he failed to hurdle the scale Friday afternoon here.

Tepora, who totes a 22-0 win-loss record with 17 knockouts, was set to rumble against Hugo Ruiz in a 12-round opening fight of the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner Showtime pay-per-view broadcast on Saturday here.

Joe Ramos, chief executive officer of MP Promotions, revealed that the WBA decided to cancel Tepora?s title fight ?to protect him from possible harm.?

The cancellation, Ramos bared, was approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

During the weigh-in, Tepora was 5.5 pounds over the 126-pound weight limit.

Accordingly, Tepora hadn't eaten solid food for three days and was limited to consuming plain water.

Ruiz breezed through the scale, weighing 125 pounds.

?Tepora?s title defense was postponed. It was done to ensure the boxer?s safety. It was not his fault as his team encountered a problem in securing a US visa. He arrived late, just about a week before the scheduled fight,? Ramos claimed.

Ramos further said Tepora was lucky he wasn?t stripped of his WBA interim Featherweight championship belt despite his failure to make the weight.

Tepora won the WBA interim Featherweight plum against Edivaldo Ortega via a ninth round technical knockout on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse title duel July last year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

After his victory, Tepora ballooned to around 160 pounds allegedly due to lack of discipline.

Tomorrow?s fight was supposedly Tepora?s maiden appearance in the United States.

For his failure to make the mandatory weight limit, Tepora squandered not only the rare opportunity to showcase his boxing skills before the US fans but, above all, he literally kisses his 150,000 US$ guaranteed prize goodbye.

Photo: Jhack Tepora (L) shakes hands with Hugo Ruiz during Friday's weighin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.