By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Newly crowned WBA light flyweight champion Brian Viloria has admitted that as a fighter he knows the risks boxers take "everytime we step into the ring," painfully adding " I know death surrounds us."
In an interview with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today the extremely talented and articulate young champion who hails from the Philippines northern province of Ilocos Sur said "I walk with death every time I step into the ring" even as he conceded that he could compare it to football and other sports but there was "nothing to justify how dangerous the sport is."
Viloria was speaking following the death of IBF lightweight champion Leavander Johnson after a hammering at the hands of Jesus Chavez. Johnson underwent brain surgery but died a few days later.
Meantime Indonesian boxer Antonius Rahayan was in a coma after undergoing brain surgery following a sixth round TKO loss and badly over-matched Filipino super bantamweight Ayon Naranjo was under observation after swelling was detected in the brain following a mauling by undefeated Venezuelan Jorge Linares in Yokohama last Sunday.
Viloria said he knew how important every second was and how dangerous the sport was. But he said much would depend on the fighters themselves because a boxer "knows himself the best and is the only person who can actually avoid these type of circumstances." He pointed out that his previous opponent Ruben Contreras saved his life by "stopping the fight on his own when he knew he was hurt and didn't wait for the referee to stop the fight or his corner to throw in the towel."
Contreras underwent brain surgery after a bad beating at the hands of Viloria but recovered dramatically and was at ringside with his family as special guests of Viloria when the little Filipino won the title last September 11 at the Staples Center.
Viloria noted that there was "no definite answer or definite way to get around people getting hurt in the sport." He said all the safety measures could be introduced to try and bring it down to zero fatalities "but its never going to happen. It’s the way the sport is. When you step into the ring you can never know. That’s what the glory is about. That’s why people want to see. It’s a hurt business."
