VILORIA CONFIDENT HE CAN BEAT UNDEFEATED WBC CHAMPION ROMAN GONZALEZ
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 11 Aug 2015
Two division world champion Brian Viloria is confident he can beat undefeated pound for pound No. 2 Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua when they face off at New York?s famed Madison Square Garden in a blockbuster card headed by the clash between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux in a world middleweight unification bout on October 17.
In an exclusive interview with the New Standard/boxingmirror.com, Viloria said ?I feel like it?s a good matchup. I have what it takes to take him (Gonzalez) down.?
The moment the deal was sealed, Viloria began training camp with celebrated Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and his Filipino assistant Marvin Somodio.
Viloria told us ?I will train really hard and we will pull out all the stops and bring in a strength and conditioning coach.?
The former world light flyweight and flyweight champion believes his ?experience and power that Gonzalez hasn?t seen before. I?ve been in these types of situations before. I feel rejuvenated and good in this fight.?
Gonzalez had previously indicated he was willing to fight Viloria provided the price is right.
Gonzalez who is 28 years old and has a record of 43-0 with 37 knockouts was quoted by boxingscene.com who said he is ready to face Viloria after the Filipino-American claimed that Gonzalez had avoided fighting him over the last two years to which Gonzalez retorted that he would face Viloria in the United States but that ?the issue is getting paid well because I will not fight just to fight.?
He insisted ?I?m not running from anyone. I am ready to fight anyone but all I want is a good purse.?
Viloria who is 34 has a record of 36-4 with 22 knockouts and is coming off a spectacular 1st round TKO of Omar Soto in a rematch after which he called out Gonzalez.
Viloria?s trainer Freddie Roach, according to Viloria in a post-fight interview with the New Standard/boxingmirror.com said Roach had told him that if he trained hard he could beat Gonzalez.
Gonzalez himself is coming off a rousing 2nd round TKO of former world champion Edgar Sosa last May 16. He had earlier won by a 6th round TKO over former OPBF champion Rocky Fuentes of the famed ALA Gym on November 22, 2014.
Respected boxing writer Dan Rafael of ESPN.com said the Viloria-Gonzalez title fight ?would add a big-time matchup ? one of the best that can be made in the smaller weight divisions ? to a card that already has a strong main event? which will be telecast by HBO Sports.
While the names of Giovanni Segura and McWilliams Arroyo were mentioned as possible opponents, Viloria was the choice which Rafael described as ?the biggest name of the three, the most interesting, the most credible and the most dangerous.?
We understand the deal was agreed upon last Thursday even as Gonzalez? manager Carlos Blandon Bidaurre told ESPN.com on Sunday ?everything is pointing towards Viloria. I?m glad Viloria?s team jumped back in the race. I believe he is an excellent fighter and will help Roman give another amazing performance.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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