VILORIA: I’D RATHER DIE DOING WHAT I LOVE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 29 Jan 2010
If his statements over lunch with a selected media group is any indication then former two-time world light flyweight champion Brian Viloria will be back, aiming for another world title.
Although for the time being he plans to take a good rest accompanied by his charming girlfriend Erika Navarro, a nurse, before deciding on whether to continue fighting or not, Viloria said "I’d would rather die doing something I love rather than go on living doing something I don’t like."
However, Viloria said he didn’t want to make a hasty decision regarding his future because "it's something I really need to think about when I get back to Los Angeles and sit down with my team (trainer Robert Garcia and manager Gary Gittelsohn) and see what the best move is. I love the sport. It's something I’ve been doing since I was five years old. My decision will come to me and I’ll know."
Viloria was sure that "physically I’ll heal and mentally I’m there with all the help and support given me to get through this and I can’t complain. That’s why we love to come back to the Philippines. That’s why I love the fans here."
Asked about the possibility of another fight later this year, Viloria said "we’ll take a look at what my health situation is because that comes first. When I do find out we’ll let everybody know and hopefully we’ll be still with boxing."
Viloria confessed that because he loves the sport of boxing so much "it's kind of hard to step out in this fashion" although he said he and the newly crowned champion Carlos Tamara "were in a tough battle. I knew from the start that we were going to put our best foot forward and we both did. He came to fight and I came to fight. That’s the name of the sport. You put your best foot forward. Somebody has to lose. I’m kind of sad that it was me but I can’t get down because I gave it all I had."
He said "maybe I need to look back and see whether I need to step up in weight or look at other things and see if I can get my body in the right mode this time."
Girlfriend Erika Navarro said she had "full confidence that whatever Brian chooses in his career I’ll support him. I told him that Saturday night whatever you choose I’ll support you one hundred percent."
Viloria praised referee Bruce McTavish for stopping the fight with 1:45 remaining in the final round saying, "If he didn’t do it, it could have probably been a lot worse. Kudos to Bruce for stopping the fight. I could have kept fighting to my last breath because that’s how we are as fighters. It could have been wrong, until you die in the ring but for Bruce maybe he thought it was the right time to do it and he did. He’s a good quality referee and I give him a big thumbs up because God knows if I kept going to my last breath what would have happened."
In an interesting coincidence Viloria said when in hospital after he suddenly felt exhausted and drained in the ring and collapsed in his dressing room, they found he was "really low on potassium" which was exactly what doctors discovered when AJ "Bazooka" Banal who was way ahead in his fight against Rafael Concepcion two years ago suddenly wilted and was knocked out in the tenth round.
Viloria and Ms. Navarro leave on Saturday for Los Angeles to rest and recuperate and indicated that they may spend Valentine’s Day in Hawaii where his girlfriend is from although both Viloria’s and Erika’s parents are from Ilocos Sur.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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