Hawaiian Redemption?
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 16 Jul 2011
On the eve of his IBF title defense against Carlos Tamara, I asked Brian Viloria if he can surpass his performance against Ulises Solis.
?It will be hard to top the Solis fight. The ending was so dramatic. It was a great knockout? he replied. After his brilliant and gutsy performance against Solis at the historic Araneta Coliseum, fans and pundits expected a longer term as champion this time around. But Viloria found himself at the losing end of another dramatic fight.
He had to be assisted by his cornermen;too exhausted to exit the ring on his own. He resembled a soldier who just got shot and carried by his buddies to safety. After a brief hospital stay, Viloria was given a clean bill of health. But the questions lingered, especially after an uninspired performance against Omar Soto.
Viloria (28-3, 16 KO?s) goes for another world title and another daunting challenge when he faces WBO flyweight champion Julio Cesar Miranda (35-5-1,28 KO?s) in Honolulu this Sunday (Philippine Time).
The 30 year old Viloria will have to rekindle the fire that propelled him to victory against Solis. He will also need to reload the punch that captivated us in 2005 when he stopped Eric Ortiz in the first round for the WBC junior flyweight title. He will need power, passion and conditioning to withstand the 31 year old Miranda?s pressure and strength-sapping body attack.
Filipino boxers Richie Mepranum and Arden Diale caved in after being mangled by Miranda?s body shots.
Viloria?s current resume shows two brief reigns as a 108 lb. title holder. A world crown at flyweight will certainly boost his legacy. But expect Miranda to push him hard to make it to the final bell.
PINOYS IN THE UNDERCARD
There are two Filipino boxers penned to see action in the undercard. World ranked Denver ?The Excitement? Cuello (26W-4L-6D, 16 KO?s) of Iloilo will face Omar ?El Pastor? Soto (15W-7L-1D, 6 KO?s)of Puerto Rico. He is not the Omar Soto who fought Viloria last year in Pasig City. Cuello, who fights out of the Aljoe Jaro stable, holds the WBC International minimumweight title. Soto has lost to name fighters like Ramon Garcia Hirales, Oleydong Sithsamerchai and Edgar Sosa.
Michael Fare?as (3W1 (KO26) -3L- 3D), who fights out of Gerry Pe?alosa?s Gym in Metro Manila, will face Mexican Fernando Beltran Jr. (35W (KO19) -5L-1D). Fare?as scored a big win in his last overseas outing by beating former world title challenger Daniel Attah of Nigeria by majority decision in California. Beltran is a former IBO featherweight champion. Former two division world champ Gerry Pe?alosa is in Hawaii to watch his protege in action.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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