|
Former
world champion Brian Viloria, 32-4-0 (19) with two no-contests, will return to
the ring for the first time in 2014 on March 29th at the Texas
Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. He’ll be part of the Top Rank Promotions
card featuring red-hot U.S. Olympian Jose Ramirez who is fast-tracking his way
through the super lightweight division. While it might be a long way from the
Vegas strip or other famous arenas around the globe that have employed Viloria
in the past, it is his first step in getting another world title shot as he
enters the final stage of his impressive career.
Viloria
turned pro after an impressive amateur career that saw him win the light
flyweight world championship in 1999 and then compete in the 2000 Olympic Games.
He turned pro in the spring of 2001 and by summer 2002, he had moved to 9-0 and
captured the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) light flyweight title. He
would defend the title four times through his next eight wins taking him to 17-0
and a shot at the world title.
In
September of 2005, Viloria knocked out Eric Ortiz in one round to capture the
World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight title. His exciting, aggressive
style and KO power were starting to bring a lot of attention to the 5’4”
Waipahu, Hawaii native as well as expanding the audience for boxing’s big-banging,
little men. In his second defense in the summer of 2006, Viloria would lose his
title on a unanimous decision to Omar Nino Romero. In the rematch three months
later, Romero appeared to have retained the title with a majority draw but the
bout was declared a no-contest after Romero failed a post-fight drug test.
Viloria
returned in April of 2007 to challenge Edgar Sosa for the vacant WBC light
flyweight title but came up short over 12 rounds, losing a majority decision.
He returned in 2008, putting together five straight wins. He then challenged
for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight title in April of
2009. Viloria picked up his second world title when he dropped and stopped
Ulises Solis in round 11. In his second title defense in January of 2010,
Carlos Tamara would stop him in the 12th round in a close give-and-take
war in the Philippines.
Viloria
would get two more wins over 2010 to close out the year, both in the
Philippines where he had a strong and growing fan base. In the summer of 2011,
he defeated Julio Cesar Miranda to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO)
flyweight title. He would go on to defend the title three times over the next
year-and-a-half, beating Giovani Segura and old foe Romero. Viloria also beat
Hernan Marquez in a fight in which he dropped his vaunted opponent in rounds
one, five and 10. He also added the World Boxing Association (WBA) world super
flyweight title to his trophy case with the victory.
That
said, last year, in his only fight on 2013, Viloria lost his titles in a split
decision to Juan Francisco Estrada in Macao, China.
And
now the four-time world champion, rested and ready to roll again, kick-starts
things in a ballroom a long way from the bright lights of Vegas’ famous strip.
And
that’s OK with Viloria. This consummate professional has clocked into work
everywhere from the site of the Alameda Swap Meet in downtown Los Angeles to
the beautiful Venetian Resort in Macao and everywhere in between. Once the bell
rings, it’s just going to be a seasoned pro doing what he does, wherever he
needs to do it. After his last bout in which he lost his titles, the 1999 amateur “U.S.A. Boxer of the Year” was
clearly frustrated and disappointed but vowed to “come back from this”,
referring to the bout’s outcome as “a tough pill to swallow.”
Rejuvenated
and ready to once again pursue a world title, the “Hawaiian Punch” will answer
some questions this year about just how much he has left at age 33, not an
insignificant number for lighter weight fighters. But don’t be surprised to see
if he has more than a little of that punch left in the tank…enough to get another
world title belt wrapped around his waist for the fifth time.
Don’t
be surprised. Viloria has been written off before. There’s no reason he won’t
prevail without fail once again.
Please
visit our Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/MaxBoxing,
where you can discuss our content with Maxboxing readers as well as chime in
via our fully interactive article comments sections.
Thank you for using DoghouseBoxing.com |
