By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Light flyweight champion Brian Viloria is the top nominee for the WBC “Knockout of the Year” award for his devastating one-punch annihilation of then champion Eric Ortiz last September 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He has also been nominated for two other prestigious awards.
The WBC Board of Governors will finalize their votes to select the winners of the yearly awards of the Best in the WBC for the Year 2005 although no date was mentioned.
Viloria, the hard-hitting Filipino who grew up in Hawaii and is nicknamed "The Hawaiian Punch" defends his title for the first time next month against former champion Jose Antonio Aguirre in Las Vegas is being challenged for the WBC KO award by legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrrera for his second round KO of Mzonke Fana last April 9 in El Paso, Texas. Fana won a controversial split decision in a title eliminator over Filipino Randy Suico in South Africa getting the nod of two of the three judges despite being decked twice and being battered around the ring in the final round.
The WBC listed two other contenders for the KO award. They are , Jose Luis Castillo for his 4th round knockout win over Diego Corrales last October 8 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas and Israel Vasquez’s third round TKO of Oscar Larios.on December 3 at the Mandalay Bay.
The WBC informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao’s epic battle with Erik “El Terrible” Morales at the MGM Grand Garden Arena last March 19 was listed No. 3 in the nominations for “Fight of the Year” behind the brutal, bloody first encounter between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo and the clash between Thomasz Adameck and Paul Briggs.
Other nominees for “Fight of the Year” were the flyweight classic between Jorge Arce and Hussein Hussein on the undercard of the Pacquiao-Morales “Coming with Everything” blockbuster, Jesus Chavez vs Carlos Hernandez and Humberto Soto vs Rocky Juarez.
Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather is No.1 in the list of nominees for “Boxer of the Year” followed by Winky Wright. Viloria is also in the list at No. 6 ahead of Barrera and Arce but behind Adameck, Larios and Jermain Taylor.
Viloria was also honored by being No.1 in the list of three nominees for “Revelation Fighter of the Year.” The top nominee is Adameck of Poland and No. 3 is Soto. The “Upcoming Stars of the Year” were led by Koki Kameda of Japan, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr of Mexico, Edwin Valero of Venezuela and Russia’s Rusian Chagaev.
The Pacquiao-Morales showdown was listed No. 2 among the “Greatest Boxing Promotion” category with the top nominee being the first battle between Corales and Castillo while the ‘Most Active Promoter of the Year” was Don King Productions with 11 fights followed by Bob Arum’s Top Rank with 7 and Golden Boy Promotions with 5.
HBO was the top contender for “Network of the Year” followed by Wowow, Japan while the “Man of the Year” award went to the single nominee, Richard Sturn of MGM Grand.
