ISLE FILE
Viloria, Salud to fight on Mainland

Advertiser Staff

The two biggest names in Hawai'i boxing at the moment, Brian Viloria and Jesus Salud, are each scheduled to fight this month on the Mainland.

Salud (63-11, 39 knockouts) meets Juan Carlos Ramirez (24-4, 11 KOs) Friday in a nontelevised bout in Ramirez's hometown of Juarez, Mexico.

Viloria (5-0, 3 KOs) fights Julio Cesar Oyuela (7-4-2, 2 KOs) of Miami, Feb. 24, at the historic Cincinnati Gardens as part of ESPN's "Super Brawl Sunday" card.

Former heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles fought at the Gardens in the 1940s.

The Feb. 24 card, which was originally scheduled at an Ohio Casino, will feature three Sydney Olympians, Viloria and Cincinnati natives Ricardo Williams Jr. and Dante Craig.

"Depending upon what we see, this may be the last of the six-rounders for Brian," said Gary Gittelsohn, manager of the 21-year-old fighter. "We'd like to move him up to eight-rounders, if he's as ready as we think he will be. But Oyula is probably the most durable fighter Brian will have gone up against. He's only been knocked out once in 13 bouts."

PADDLING

• OIA champs: Castle's girls and McKinley's boys won the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Eastern Division varsity paddling titles.

Other East winners were: Kalaheo (mixed varsity), Kahuku (girls JV), Kaimuki/Kahuku (tied for boys JV) and Kaimuki (mixed JV).

Wai'anae's girls and Mililani's boys won the Western Division varsity titles.

Other West winners were: Nanakuli (mixed varsity), Wai'anae (girls JV), Radford (boys JV) and Wai'anae (mixed JV).