Boxing promoter and manager Gabriel (Bebot) Elorde Jr. yesterday expressed gratitude to the US Embassy for acting swiftly on his urgent request to issue visas to fighter Silvester Lopez and trainer Archier Villamor as time was running out on the traveling party to book flights from Manila to Guadalajara via Los Angeles.
Lopez, 22, is set to face Mexico?s Juan Jose Montes at the Coliseo Olimpico in Guadalajara on Oct. 2. Villamor is assigned to work Lopez? corner for the 12-round title eliminator that will determine newly crowned WBC superflyweight champion Tomas Rojas? first challenger. Rojas, who was beaten by Gerry Pe?alosa on points at the Araneta Coliseum four years ago, claimed the vacant WBC 115-pound crown via a unanimous 12-round decision over No.1 contender Kohei Kono in Saitama last Monday.
Montes is the WBC No. 3 contender and Lopez, No. 4.
Elorde said the least taxing route to fly from Manila to Guadalajara is via Los Angeles. An alternative route is to fly to Mexico from Manila via Hong Kong and Paris ? a 42-hour grind that proved to be disastrous for another Elorde fighter Ryan Bito who endured the tiring trip only to lose to Edgar Sosa by a 10th round stoppage in Mexico City last Sept. 11. The route included a 12-hour layover in the Paris airport.
?We didn?t want what happened to Bito to happen to Lopez,? said Elorde. ?Bito couldn?t apply for a US visa because of lack of time so he had to go the long way to Mexico. Bito didn?t have time to acclimatize and shake off jet lag.? Another route is from Manila to Guadalajara via Tokyo but it?s not easy to get a booking with just a few days notice. In Bito?s case, his plane ticket was provided by the Mexican promoter so there was no other option.
Lopez, Villamor and Elorde?s nephew Anthony Luis, acting as coordinator, were interviewed in relation to their application for visas at the US Embassy last Sept. 7. The plan was for Lopez to train a few days at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles before proceeding to Guadalajara a week before the bout.
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The other day, Elorde sent a letter of appeal addressed to Hale Van Koughnett, chief of the non-immigrant visa branch of the consular section of the US Embassy, for the release of the visas. Van Koughnett acted on the appeal immediately. Yesterday afternoon, Elorde went to the US Embassy to personally pick up the passports with the stamped visas. The application of his nephew Anthony Luis, however, was denied.
Elorde, Lopez and Villamor were trying to schedule a flight out of Manila for Los Angeles last night. The delay in the departure eliminated the plan of training in Los Angeles as the group intends to land in Guadalajara by tomorrow or Sunday at the latest.
?If you have a US visa, you don?t need a Mexican visa to enter Mexico although in Lopez? case, he has to have a Mexican working permit which he can apply for and get within a day at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles,? said Elorde. ?Without a US visa, you?ll need a Mexican visa to enter Mexico. If we didn?t get the US visas, we were ready to apply for Mexican visas but our problem was the passports were still with the US Embassy for evaluation and processing.?
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Elorde said Theo Arellano, a Filipino working in the US Embassy, assisted in facilitating the release of the visas.
?We waited for two weeks before we were told to write a letter of appeal,? said Elorde. ?Fortunately, the applications of Lopez and Villamor were approved. We were informed the reason for denying Anthony Luis? application will be explained in a notice when his passport is returned via Air 21. Since I have an existing US visa, I?m leaving with the group. It?s difficult to wait for visa approval without knowing when is the release because you?re not able to book flights and the fight day is nearing. Lopez isn?t a tourist, after all ? that should?ve been given consideration.?
Elorde said when he followed up the visa applications, he was advised to be patient because the US Embassy processes about 2,000 passports a day.
?We appreciate what the US Embassy has done for us,? said Elorde. ?Now, Lopez will be able to recover in time for his fight. If he beats Montes, his next fight will be against Rojas for the WBC title.?
Lopez is the reigning WBC International superflyweight titlist and hasn?t lost in his last 10 fights. His record is 14-2-1, with 10 KOs. His only losses were by a split decision to Smalben Bujas and a six-round verdict to Mark Saloma, both in 2007. Montes, 21, is the WBC Youth champion with a record of 18-1, with 12 KOs, and is unbeaten in his last 11 outings. His only setback was by a seventh round knockout to Jesus Ceja in 2007.
