Waipahu's Viloria to fight for title

Advertiser Staff

A little drawn butter with your boxing, perhaps?

Brian Viloria's North American Boxing Federation flyweight championship bout today in New York will be strictly a dress-up affair for a high-roller crowd.

The scheduled 12-round bout, which will be the main event on a two-hour edition of ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights," will take place in the grand ballroom of Cipriani's Italian Restaurant on 42nd Street.

The 82-year-old building, which features a 65-foot ceiling, chandeliers and soaring marble columns, has table seating for 500. For ticket prices ranging from $200 to $1,000, patrons will get lobster and steak and cocktails along with their boxing.

"It is a real black tie affair; a real scene," said Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager.

Viloria (8-0, 6 KOs, 112 pounds) arrived in New York Monday to prepare for his bout with Javier Lagos of Mexico City for the vacant NABF title. Lagos, 111fl pounds, is 14-7-2 with four knockouts.

"Brian has looked superb in the gym," Gittelsohn said.

Lagos, who was training in Texas for another fight, replaced Gabriel Munoz, who was removed from the show after an MRI exam disclosed a "career-ending" irregularity, according to Gittelsohn.

ESPN's broadcast is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Hawai'i time with estimates that Viloria's bout will go on about 5 p.m. depending upon the outcome of preceding bouts.