By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Newly crowned IBF light flyweight champion Brian Viloria has been feted in a Waipahu community celebration along with former belt holders Jesus Salud, Andy Ganigan and Ben Villaflor, all three Filipino-Americans.
Dave Reardon of the Honolulu Star Bulletin said the fighters were joined by veteran trainer Al Silva after a small parade that ended at Serveco Auto Leeward where they signed autographs and posed for pictures for hundreds of fans.
Reardon reported that the increased traffic translated into a couple of sales for the dealership even as he noted that it was a case of everyone celebrating the hometown kid’s victory achieved in a land far away.
Viloria who grew up in Waipahu and represented the US in the 2000 Sydney Olympics regained the world light flyweight title with a spectacular 11th round knockout over highly-favored IBF champion Ulises Solis at the famed Araneta Coliseum last April 19 in a fight card that was a joint promotion of Top Rank and the Philippines’ Solar Sports.
Viloria, whose parents hail from Ilocos Sur was also given a rousing welcome hosted in Ilocos by former governor and now deputy national security adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson before his departure for the US .
The Waipahu welcome was considered special for Viloria with the presence of three legends who are regarded as pillars of Hawaii boxing for three decades.
Southpaw Ganigan was the NABF lightweight champion who won the WAA title with a sensational 2nd round knockout over Sean O’Grady at the Convention Center in Little Rock, Arkansas on October 31, 1981 in a fight where the hard-hitting Ganigan dropped O’ Grady three times in the round.
Ganigan earned a crack at the WBC title held by the great Alexis Arguello of Nicaragua but after dropping Arguello in the first round Ganigan faded and lost by a 5th round knockout.
He retired after suffering a 6th round TKO to the undefeated Jimmy Paul in a USBA title fight on June 12, 1983. Paul went on to win the IBF title.
Salud won the WBA super bantamweight title when Juan Jose Estrada was disqualified in the 9th round of their title fight at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood , California on December 11, 1989. Salud battled Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera for the WBO title and lost by a 6th round TKO at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on December 1, 2000.
Villaflor, a southpaw like Ganigan won the WBA junior lightweight title with a 15 round unanimous decision over Alfredo Marcano at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu on April 25, 1972. Villafor lost the title to Japan’s Kuniaki Shibata by a 15-round decision on March 12, 1973 but in a rematch on October 17, 1973 also at the Blaisdell Center, Villaflor demolished Shibata to win by a knockout in 1:56 of the first round.
Villaflor defended his title successfully five times but on the sixth defense lost a 15 round unanimous decision to Samuel Serrano in San Juan , Puerto Rico on October 16, 1976 and never fought again.
Viloria said “this is the first time I’ve seen them all together. Its surreal. These are my heroes.”
