HAWAIIAN GRIT
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 19 Nov 2012
For four rounds, the unification bout seemed headed for a blowout. WBO flyweight champion Brian 'The Hawaiian Punch' Viloria had WBA flyweight champion Hernan ?Tyson' Marquez down in the opening round. Viloria was outboxing Marquez and landing hard body shots.
Marquez came alive in the fifth, unleashing hell and Viloria staggered and sought refuge on the ropes.
For fans and sportswriters who saw him lose his world light flyweight titles twice, this brought back bad memories.
But just like in his recent fights, Viloria showed that he is made of sterner stuff. He found the strength to bounce back with a huge right hook and the Mexican was down again.
But Marquez lived up to his Mexican warrior pedigree. He kept his pressure and Viloria looked faded in the ninth round. In the tenth, Marquez pinned Viloria on the ropes but Viloria sent the Mexican down a third time with a well-timed left hook to the head.
Marquez beat the count but Viloria continued to pummel him prompting Marquez' trainer Robert Garcia to throw in the towel.
More than just rebuilding and retooling, Viloria has also mastered the mental side of the fight game.
The 31 year old Viloria, who traces his roots to Narvacan, Ilocos Sur but grew up in Waipahu, Hawaii, improves to 32W-3L, 19 KO's while Marquez drops to his third career loss at 34W-3L, 25 KO's.
He may have a hard time trying to get the attention of the networks in the U.S., but here in the Philippines, the intensity and punch volume of the lower weight divisions have always been appreciated.
There are differing opinions among Filipino fans and pundits as to whether or not he should face mandatory challenger Milan Melindo. But we have not seen an all-Filipino world title fight waged on Philippine shores since 1925. That is something both camps should consider. That could very well herald that Philippine boxing has indeed entered a golden age.
CAN DRIAN GET A TITLE SHOT?
In the undercards, Drian "Gintong Kamao" Francisco of the Philippines scored a 5th round stoppage win over Javier Gallo of Mexico. Francisco has gotten a lot of media mileage from this bout and we hope his management team can convert this into a world title shot by next year.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Press Conference Notes: Puerto Rican Star Xander Zayas Ready for Saturday's Hometown Unification Battle against Abass Baraou
Fri, 30 Jan 2026PFDA Grass Nationals in Tagum on June 5-7
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 30 Jan 2026‘THE RING 6’ TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Fri, 30 Jan 2026NEWCASTLE PRESS CONFERENCE: WHAT WAS SAID AS JOSH KELLY AND BAKHRAM MURTAZALIEV ARE KEPT APART AFTER HEATED FACE-OFF
Fri, 30 Jan 2026Weights From ProBoxTV’s ‘Flores vs. Castillo’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
Fri, 30 Jan 2026WAPA Deportes Confirmed as Puerto Rican Broadcast Home for Saturday’s Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou Title Unification Showdown
Fri, 30 Jan 2026Legendary Panamanian Juan Carlos Tapia will be inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Fri, 30 Jan 2026Manny Pacquiao Promotions Announces Additional Matchups for Saturday, February 28 Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York
Fri, 30 Jan 2026SWERVE TV STRIKES MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS TO EXPAND PREMIUM BOXING CONTENT
Fri, 30 Jan 2026Leuenbergers to join IRONMAN® 70.3 Davao
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 30 Jan 2026Open Workout: Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou Prepare For Saturday's Unification Showdown in Puerto Rico
Thu, 29 Jan 2026Cabrera-Zapata Kicks Off All Star Boxing's 2026 Season
Thu, 29 Jan 2026Manny Pacquiao Chess Philippines: Cash prizes, FIDE rating at stakes this Sunday
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 29 Jan 2026IBP Fun Run & Family Day on February 15
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 29 Jan 2026TEOFIMO LOPEZ AND SHAKUR STEVENSON FACE-OFF AT KNICKS GAME AS COUNTDOWN TO ‘THE RING 6’ ON SATURDAY BEGINS
Wed, 28 Jan 2026