By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria is confident he will keep the Filipinos winning streak over Mexicans going when he makes his first title defense against former champion Jose Antonio Aguirre at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday, Manila Time.
PBL Commissioner and well-known sportscaster Chino Trinidad of GMA 7 who is in Las Vegas told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that he had spoken to Viloria who was confident of retaining his title. However, in an unofficial weigh-in Viloria was one pound over the limit but said he would have no problems making the weight.
Trinidad said Viloria appeared to be in good shape. He said Viloria who represented the United States in the 2000 Sydney Olympics was looking forward to moving up to the flyweight division for what would surely be his biggest payday in a title shot at Mexican warrior Jose Arce.
Trainer Freddie Roach who handles Viloria is scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas today. Roach earlier said Viloria was too good for former champion Aguirre. In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Roach said Viloria “is took quick and punches too hard” for Aguirre although he conceded that Aguirre was “a tough kid .”
Viloria who trained hard at at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles had several sparring sessions with OPBF No.1 super flyweight and WBO No. 4 ranked Z “The Dream” Gorres in preparation for the Aguirre fight. Gorres himself predicted Viloria would win and maintain the recent dominance of Filipino boxers over their Mexican opponents. Gorres himself added to the tally recently with an impressive ten round decision over Jose Alfredo Tirado in Las Vegas.
Viloria won the title with a sensational first round knockout over another Mexican Eric Ortiz last September 11 after Ortiz won the title with a seventh round TKO over Aguirre on March 11 last year. In fact in his last recorded fight on August 20, Aguirre suffered a fourth round TKO at the hands of Roberto Vasquez in a WBA light flyweight title fight.In the January ratings of the WBC Aguirre was ranked No.13 while another Filipino Juanito Rubillar was ranked No.1.
Rubillar’s manager Gabriel ”Bebot” Elorde Jr said he had protested the title shot given to a boxer who was not even in the top ten at the expense of his fighter. Elorde said WBC president Jose Sulaiman had guaranteed Ribillar a title shot against the winner of the Viloria-Aguirre championship bout..
There are those who have questioned the justification for the Viloria vs Aguirre title fight and the WBC’s approval. Even the Nevada State Athletic Commission is being questioned over its allowing the fight to take place in Vegas.It was pointed out that Aguirre hasn’t won a fight since 2004.
