By Mark Vester
In what appears to be a recent trend in the sport of boxing, underdogs are winning bouts and then following the victory parade, the Nevada State Athletic Commission reveals that the fighter that won tested positive for a banned substance.
In an interview ith KGMB9, Brian "Hawaiian Punch" Viloria will protest to regain his WBC title back from champion Omar Nino, who tested positive for methamphetamine. Their recent bout ended in a draw, a rematch on an earlier bout that Nino won on the cards.
"It kind of just gave me justice on that night and in a weird sort of way. For me, it was shocking at first. It opened up a whole lot of answers or questions, how he went about the fight," Viloria said. "If he wasn't on drugs, those knockouts or knockdowns would have been a lot more significant. If you're on drugs and you're knocked down, of course your reaction is to just get back up, especially if you're on a high dosage of methamphetamine. You don't know what you're capable of doing."
According to Viloria's manager, Gary Gittelsohn, they will protest to have Nino Viloria regain the title when Nino is stripped or at the very least let him fight for the vacant title.
"I'll make an argument to the world boxing council that Brian deserves the belt," Gittelsohn said. "And in the very least, I can't imagine a situation under the worst conditions, Brian will fight the next contender for the vacant title."
The Nevada Attorney General has filed a formal complaint against Nino and a hearing will be scheduled.
The bout will either be changed to a no-contest or a disqualification win for Viloria. Nino stands to get hit with a heavy fine, and a lengthy suspension.
