honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, February 16, 2008

Fans going 'crazy' for Viloria in Las Vegas

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Brian Viloria

spacer spacer

Brian Viloria realized the magnitude of the boxing event he is a part of today when more than 1,000 fans showed up for the weigh-ins yesterday.

"I'm excited just to be a part of it," he said. "It's going to be a great night for boxing. There's so much hype. I can't believe that many people showed up and were cheering at the weigh-ins. It's going to be crazy (today)."

Viloria, a Waipahu High graduate who now trains in Southern California, will face Mexico's Cesar Lopez in a flyweight (112 pounds) nontitle bout today at the MGM Grand Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

It will be part of the undercard of an event that will feature Americans Jermain Taylor and Kelly Pavlik in the "megafight" main event.

The main event and several other bouts will be televised on international pay-per-view, but Viloria's fight will not be part of the broadcast.

Taylor and Viloria were teammates on the 2000 Olympic team.

"I talked to Jermain a little bit," Viloria said. "But we both have business to take care of. We'll probably catch up more later."

Viloria is 20-2, and is attempting to regain a world title. He won the WBC light flyweight (108 pounds) world championship in 2005, but lost it in 2007.

"I'm training harder than ever," he said. "The past two months, it's been nonstop. I feel great."

Viloria and Lopez both weighed 111 1/2 pounds yesterday.

"I haven't seen Brian look this good in a long time," his manager Gary Gittelsohn said. "He looks cut, he's in tremendous shape."

Lopez, a former world title contender, is 20-5. All his losses have come via decision.

"He's durable — he hasn't even been knocked down," Viloria said. "So I'm expecting it to be a long fight. I just have to stick with my strategy and score points with my punches."

The bout is scheduled for eight rounds.

Today will be Viloria's second bout of 2008. He defeated Jose Garcia Bernal by unanimous decision on Jan. 4 in Los Angeles.

"This is the way to go," he said. "I want to stay as active as I can."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.