Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Visa, weight woes hound Jaca By Rommel C. Manlosa Sun.Star Staff Reporter
WITH ONLY five days left before his scheduled big fight in America, Jimrex Jaca is still in the country trying to secure a US visa.
The reason? His passport is missing.
“Jimrex was not issued a visa yet because his passport is missing,” Jaca’s wife, Len-Len told Sun.Star Cebu last night.
Last Friday was Jaca’s scheduled appearance at the US Embassy in Manila, but they were not entertained because they could not present their airplane ticket. They were told to come back on Monday (yesterday) when they had their ticket.
But yesterday, they found out that Jaca didn’t have his passport with him. However, his trainer Robert Bubuli Jr. manage to present.
“It (passport) was misplaced and Boss Wakee (Salud) had already made the arrangement for Jimrex’s passport,” said his manager Anol Jaca.
According to Anol, Jimrex just had his passport renewed but they had no idea, where the boxer placed it.
Problems
“I just hope that they could leave tonight (Monday night),” Anol said.
But aside from visa woes, Jimrex has to face other problems before he gets to face WBO interim featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico on Oct. 21, (Oct 22 RP time) at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.
According to Len-Len, Jimrex still weighs at 59 kilos (130.07 lbs.) and he still needs to shed down to 126 lbs. on Oct. 20 during the weigh in session.
“Aside from the weight problem, we are also concerned of the jet lag because if he can leave he will arrive on the 19th, leaving him with only two days before the weigh in,” added Anol.
The fight against Marquez, who survived three knockdowns in the first round in his draw with Manny Pacquiao, is Jaca’s biggest opportunity to join the ranks of Pacquiao and Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista in the rich US boxing circuit but with the way things going his way, what Jimrex needs now is a Divine intervention.
