Viloria's style suited for pros
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
When Olympian Brian Viloria of Waipahu makes his professional boxing debut here next month, he'll be taking the first step toward the goal of multiple world titles.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
"If we have our druthers, Brian will eventually become a champion in at least three weight classes," said his manager, Gary Gittelsohn.
Jesus Salud, left, posed with Brian Viloria, on video conference from California, yesterday at the Verizon Building. Salud and Viloria will co-headline a May 15 boxing card at the Hawai'i Convention Center.
Viloria's inaugural professional bout, May 15 at the Hawai'i Convention Center against a still-to-be-named opponent in ESPN's 2001 Tuesday Night Fights series, will be as a flyweight (112 pounds) on a card that also features his idol, Jesus Salud.
But Gittelsohn said Viloria should have a future in the junior bantamweight (115), bantamweight (118) and junior featherweight (122) classes before too long. "He's just 20 years old and still maturing, so we'll see where else he can go," Gittelsohn said. "As he matures, there will be new worlds for him."
Viloria, who is the reigning world amateur light flyweight champion, has weighed 115 pounds this week in sparring at Hollywood's Wild Card Boxing Club, where he has been training the past three weeks.
"The divisions in the lower weight classes are close enough together that Brian should have some real opportunities there," said Freddie Roach, who runs the gym and conducts his training. "With his power behind his punches, going up a division or two won't be a big step for him."
Viloria said "I think I have a better style in the pros than the amateurs and I can probably take a world championship in more than one (weight category) in the professional divisions."
The 37-year-old Salud, who has held World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and North American Boxing Federation bantamweight titles, said, "I think he's got what it takes to win world titles. I've been watching him since he first started — back to the days when we trained together in Waipahu."
Said Viloria: "I got to see a great deal of Jesus growing up and I admire him a lot. Just to be on the same card as him fighting in Hawai'i is one of my wildest dreams."
And, so would following in his championship footsteps.
