Posted at 1 p.m., Monday, May 7, 2001

Viloria to fight Escobia in pro debut

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

Olympian Brian Viloria's professional boxing debut next week will come against Ben Jun Escobia of The Philippines, a veteran of 29 professional fights.

Matchmaker Lou DiBella said Escobia, 13-13-3, has been signed to meet the Waipahu product in a four-round flyweight bout on the May 15 card at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

The feature bout, as well as the rest of the 42-round card that will be shown on ESPN's Tuesday Night Fights series, is subject to the approval of the Hawai'i State Boxing Commission, which meets tomorrow.

"The thing that Escobia brings is experience; he's not going to wilt in the big lights," DiBella said. "Even though this is Brian's professional debut, he's had hundreds of amateur bouts and knows what he's doing in there. Putting him in with somebody who has just one or two fights wouldn't help him (develop)."

Escobia, who turned 30 last month, has fought eight 10-rounders and has five knockouts.

"He (Escobia) is a strong, experienced fighter who comes straight at you, which makes him very good competition for Brian," said Gary Gittselsohn, Viloria's manager.

Jesus Salud of Nanakuli (62-10, 37 KOs) meets Fernando "Bobby Boy" Velardez of California (17-4-1, 4 KOs) in the 10-round junior featherweight main event.

Other bouts on the 3 p.m. card match: Jose Navarro (3-0 vs. Carlos Zambrano (3-4-1, 1 KO), six rounds, junior bantamweight; Ann Wolfe (6-1, 4 KOs) vs. Vienna Williams (5-0, 2 KOs), 10 rounds, International Female boxing Association world junior middleweight; Trena Drotar (3-4, 3 KOs) vs. Roberta Baldeagle (0-1) in a four rounds, bantamweights; and Ignacio Navarro (7-0-1, 3 KOs) vs. Anthony Simpkins (7-1-1, 3 KOs), eight-round junior featherweight.