honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, January 3, 2002

Viloria to fight Saturday on Texas card

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

What figures to be a busy year for boxer Brian Viloria begins Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas when he starts the march toward another home appearance.

Viloria, a 2000 Olympian from Waipahu, will put his 4-0 record against Antonio Perez of Pasadena, Calif. in a six-round flyweight bout on the undercard of HBO's New Year's Brawl 2002.

Viloria is one of four members of the 2000 U. S. Olympic boxing team scheduled to appear on the card of the James Leija-Mickey Ward junior welterweight main event. The undercard will not be shown on HBO.

"We plan to keep Brian very busy this year," said Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager. "I'd like him to fight at least once every five weeks."

Gittelsohn, matchmaker Lou DiBella and promoter Tom Moffatt have discussed the possibility of Viloria returning to Honolulu for a spring appearance. Moffatt said he would like to feature Viloria in his first 10-rounder in a non-television bout.

"We'd like to have Brian fight in Hawai'i at least once a year," said Gittelsohn. "We'd like it to be early in the year this year."

Viloria made his professional debut in May at the Hawai'i Convention Center but a broken right hand sustained in the unanimous decision over Ben Jun Escobia and subsequent surgery kept him out of action for four months.

Viloria's last fight was a unanimous six-round decision Nov. 23 over Mike Thomas in New York. Viloria returned to Hawai'i for 10 days in December but has been training in Hollywood, Calif. since Dec. 27.

Perez, Viloria's opponent Saturday at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, is 4-5 with two draws. Perez lost a decision to Viloria's Olympic teammate, junior bantamweight Jose Navarro, in March.