WHAT IS NEXT FOR BRIAN VILORIA?
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 22 Feb 2006
IF plans push through, Brian Viloria will be defending his title on the same card as the peppery champion who fought before him last Sunday (in Manila) at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The fighter’s manager Gary Gittelsohn said they are grooming Viloria and World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight champion Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico as future rivals.
Calderon outclassed Isaac Bustos of Mexico before Viloria’s unanimous decision triumph over another Mexican Jose Antonio Aguirre.
One of the options is for Viloria to defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight title in Calderon’s homeland.
“There’s a lot of interest in Viloria-Calderon fight,” said Gittelsohn. “Calderon is planning to move up in the light flyweight division. They’re both Olympians and undefeated.”
Calderon sports a 25-0 record. He was nicknamed “Iron Boy” because of his endurance. The 31-year-old won 20 of his fights by unanimous decision.
Viloria and Calderon have met four times as amateur boxers with the “Hawaiian Punch” prevailing thrice.
“They know each other well enough to start a rivalry,” said Calderon.
If everything falls into place for the son of Ilocano couple from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, the megabuck duel with interim WBC flyweight champion Jorge Arce of Mexico may come sooner than later.
Arce was at ringside to watch Viloria’s first title-defense and expressed willingness to rumble with the latter anytime, anywhere.
“I’ll fight Viloria even on his backyard,” said Arce, conqueror of Filipino pugs Juanito Rubilliar (twice) and Jovan Presbitero.
Viloria is also raring to go.
“He (Arce) is a great fighter and a respected champion,” said Viloria. “Anyone who knows boxing knows that it would be an unbelievable fight. That’s the kind of fight I want to be in. it’s the kind of fight I have to be in.”
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