Brian Viloria has no plans of easing up
MANILA—Brian Viloria, whose spectacular victories are matched only by his spectacular defeats, hopes to stay fit while savoring his recent victory a little longer.
Cordial and articulate, the 30-year-old Filipino-American known as the Hawaiian Punch announced his plans yesterday still showing the scars of his unanimous decision triumph over Julio Cesar Miranda for the WBO flyweight title last Saturday.
“Here you can see I haven’t properly healed yet, but I was asking my wife earlier ‘where’s the gym,’” said Villoria, who hid shiners on both eyes behind brandy-colored shades and sported a bruised nose bridge during the presscon organized by TV5 at Milky Way.
It was his third world title in a six-year span with his first two championships as a light flyweight both ending disastrously before he staged a comeback fighting in non-title bouts at Alameda Swap Meets in Los Angeles.
“I mean, I’m in great shape. I don’t want a day to go by without working out. I don’t wanna lose it,” said Viloria, who arrived from Honolulu the other day. “This is now my way of life. I’ll always be prepared. But for the meantime let me enjoy my victory first.”
Viloria, who also sustained a cut over his right eyebrow, stormed to international consciousness after knocking out Eric Ortiz in the first round to wrest the WBC light flyweight crown in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Hector Velazquez bout six years ago in Los Angeles.
He defended the crown against Jose Antonio Aguirre in Las Vegas in February 2006 before losing to Omar Niño Romero in August of that year by unanimous decision.
His rematch with Romero was ruled a no-contest after the Mexican failed a drug test. In early 2007, Viloria once again took a shot at the same crown but bowed to Edgar Sosa in Texas via majority decision.
In 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum, Viloria knocked out Ulises Solis in the 11th round of their IBF light fly title fight.
He defended the title later that year in Hawaii against Jesus Iribe only to lose it to Carlos Tamara at the Cuneta Astrodome early last year when Viloria started out strong only to fade badly in the end.
“That was the abyss. You can say that I hit rock bottom there, because I feel like I did,” acknowledged Viloria. “But I didn’t stay there. I used it as motivation and helped set the right priorities in my life.”
