Viloria's handlers look for Mr. Right
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist
Brian Viloria is still looking for a date, but it has nothing to do with this being the prom season.
They're seeking a suitable opponent for the Waipahu Olympian's professional boxing debut, and coming up with a worthy match hasn't come hastily or easily.
Which is why matchmaker Lou DiBella said, "We'll announce something in the week; we're still wading through three or four guys right now trying to (settle) on the right guy."
"Right" is the operative word because while the May 15 show at the Hawai'i Convention Center is Viloria's first punch-for-pay appearance, this isn't some walk-away four-rounder on a weekly smoker. And Viloria isn't just a ham-and-egger you fill out a card with.
Not with ESPN showing his bout to a national audience (blacked out on O'ahu). Not with Viloria hoping to build a following in his own backyard, and all that is being invested in him.
This is more a grand opening than just a debut. One with all the trappings — lights, cameras, expectations. It is a coming out party of sorts, the most anticipated one for any Hawai'i fighter turning pro.
"Nobody here has had this much anticipation or ballyhoo — ever," said Bobby Lee, former chairman of the Hawai'i State Boxing Commission.
Not that Viloria's reputation as a world amateur champion with more than a hundred fights has made it easy to find candidates.
With all that is on the line here, first impressions count for a lot. For this kind of situation, you don't just dial Stiffs-R-Us and ask them to send somebody over, with or without a pulse. No divers need apply.
No runners, either. For if Viloria is to become the draw his talents portend, it will have to be against opponents who stand and slug it out.
Indeed, one of the worst things Viloria's handlers could do is throw him in with an opponent that doesn't allow Viloria either the time or opportunity to display his crowd-pleasing talents.
"They aren't going to be any easy opponents because we want fights that will enable him to grow and develop," said Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager. "Everybody sees Brian can be a future world champion and in order to do that, he has to develop with every fight."
The only thing worse would be to over-match him. The last thing Viloria needs is a polished pro who could frustrate or — horror of promotional horrors — beat him and take away the luster and confidence.
And Viloria's well-packed corner of manager Gary Gittelsohn, matchmaker Lou DiBella and trainer Freddie Roach has both too much experience and too much riding on this to make those kind of mistakes.
Still, this is boxing and as Hasim Rahman recently reminded Lennox Lewis, stuff happens.
Which is why the choice of Viloria's first opponent is one of the most intriguing things surrounding his debut.
