By Jake Donovan

It’s a new season for Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo Tecate boxing series, with its 2008 debut set for Friday night (8PM ET/10PM PT). Hard-hitting welterweight prospect Michel Rosales and former junior flyweight titlist and 2000 Olympian Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria headline a full night of action, live from the Alameda Swap Meet in Los Angeles, CA. Rosales faces potential spoiler Dairo Esales in the main event, with Viloria looking to remain in the title picture as he takes on Jose Garcia Bernal in the televised co-feature.

The 24-year old Rosales is no stranger to the Telefutura circuit, appearing on the Spanish-speaking network for the fifth consecutive time. While no two people can seem to agree on his official record (some reports suggest 13-1, 11KO, others 18-1, 16KO), what is common knowledge is that the Mexican slugger always comes to fight.

If there’s a drawback to his all-action style, it’s his questionable stamina, which, perhaps along with inexperience, played a factor in the lone loss of his career, a heartbreaking 11th round stoppage in a donnybrook against Jesus Soto-Karras in October 2006. This, following the first distance fight of his career, an 8-round unanimous decision over Fernando Mena in what also served as Rosales’ stateside debut after having fought exclusively in Mexico.

2007 could’ve been a rebuilding year, starting off slow while building up his confidence. Instead, Rosales merely took some time off – ten months, to be exact – before picking up where he left off in terms of level of competition. Upset specialist Gilbert Venegas was brought in to test the kid’s heart, and Rosales passed with flying colors, sprinting out to an early lead and successfully neutralizing a late Venegas rally to eke out a majority decision.

Just seven weeks later, Rosales was back in the ring and on Telefutura, scoring the biggest win of his young career, stopping Americo Santos in just 94 seconds in their main event.

In Esales (30-10, 24KO), Rosales is matched up against yet another puncher, though a bit longer in the tooth than his past few opponents.

2007 began as an opponent comeback tour for Esales, 33, treated as a punching bag for hire, but ended with a bang in snapping a five-fight losing streak with an upset split decision nod over faded former titlist DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.

Esales’ two-year hiatus ended in March, nearly returning with a bang as he pushed NY prospect Edgar Santana to the brink before coming up just short on the scorecards in a bout many at ringside felt could’ve went either way. The performance was good enough to secure work two months later, brought in as the comeback opponent of choice for former top prospect Francisco Bojado. There was nothing suspect about the decision in that one, or in his second-round TKO loss to lightweight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz.

Having dropped five straight, Esales appeared to be beatable enough for Corley’s handlers to tap his shoulder, yet solid enough to get approved by the Florida Boxing Commission. However, it was the California-based Colombian who would have the last laugh, overcoming a late point deduction for low blows (which seems to be Esales’ most effective punch, as evidenced in the Bojado bout) to take the last round in stealing a split decision.

Whatever aspirations Esales has for this fight, Rosales will make him work for it all night.

Hard work seems to be the key ingredient missing from Brian Viloria’s repertoire, at least once the opening bell sounds. After seemingly putting all together in 2005 following an inconsistent start to his career, it all fell apart for the former Olympian in 2006. A summer showcase bout turned into an instant disaster, as unheralded Omar Nino Romero had his way with Viloria throughout in taking a wide unanimous decision and the junior flyweight title Brian had just won the year prior.

Determined to prove his first loss was merely a fluke, Viloria, 27, demanded that Top Rank line up an immediate rematch. He got what he asked for, with the re-up coming just three months later on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales rubber match. Despite mad love from Pacquiao’s supporters and two knockdowns, Viloria could do no better than a majority draw, though most felt he did enough to win. That the decision was controversial, and later overturned due to Nino flunking the post-fight urinalysis, was irrelevant; Viloria knew there was far more room for improvement.

He hoped to prove as such in his next fight, five months later when he faced Edgar Sosa. Once again, Viloria was given the backdrop of a pro-Pacquiao crowd, with Manny facing Jorge Solis in the main event. Once again, the Hawaiian Punch fought too much of the night as if he were stuck in the sand, falling just short on the cards in dropping a majority decision.

Though entering just the seventh year of his pro career, time may already be running out on Viloria (19-2, 12KO), now winless in his last three bouts. Perhaps the nine months rest will serve him well, as he returns this weekend in an over-the-weight flyweight scrap against battle-tested Jose Garcia Bernal, who has lost five of his last seven, including a one-sided 12th round stoppage loss to Juan Mercedes last October.

Those who attend the show will also get a glimpse at undefeated 2004 Olympian Vanes Martirosyan, a transplanted Armenian now residing in Glendale, CA. The brash boxer-puncher takes on 36-year old .500 journeyman Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor in an eight-round junior middleweight swing bout.

Weights:
Michele Rosales 142 ¼ vs. Dario Esalas 139 ¼
Brian Viloria 115 ½ vs. Jose Garcia-Bernal 115 ½ 
Vanes Martirosyan 154 ¼ vs. Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor 154 ¾
Leo Santa Cruz 118 ¾ vs. Jose Pacheco 116
Carlos Huerta 126 ¾ vs. Jose Cabrera 128
Juan Garcia 130 ½ vs. Gamaler Rodriguez 132 ½

Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, and the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. His column runs every Tuesday on BoxingScene.com. Please feel free to submit any comments or questions to Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com