Viloria fights for WBC youth flyweight title today

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

After packing his Waipahu home full of amateur trophies, titles and medals, Brian Viloria goes after his first professional boxing championship today in a bout scheduled to be televised by ESPN2.

Viloria, who held several titles, including a world championship in a 200-bout amateur career, meets Franky Soto of Mexico in a scheduled 10-rounder for the World Boxing Council youth flyweight championship at Del Mar, Calif.

An ESPN spokesman in Connecticut said the "Tuesday Night Fights" broadcast would open with Viloria's bout at approximately 4 p.m., Hawai'i time.

Youth titles are open to fighters ages 23 and younger.

Viloria, 22, improved his record to 7-0 (five KOs) with a 38-second knockout of Sandro Oviedo last month. He will fight his most accomplished opponent to date in Soto, who has a 13-5-1 (five KOs) record.

"This opponent is definitely a calculated risk," said Viloria's manager Gary Gittelsohn, who said ESPN favored Soto over a couple of other opponents who had been under consideration.

The bout is a significant hurdle for Viloria, who has fought past four rounds once, a six-round decision in November. Since then, all his fights have ended in knockouts of four rounds or less.

Viloria's corner said it is especially concerned about Soto's left hook. "He has a good one, but Brian has trained and watched films with it in mind," Gittelsohn said. "We want to see how Brian's defense is gonna be and how Brian is able to impose his will on a fighter of this caliber."