Matthew Hurley: Everything was going along swimmingly for Brian ‘Hawaiian Punch’ Viloria. After compiling an amateur record of 230-8 with a national Gold Glove title and a US amateur championship to his credit the young fighter from Honolulu turned professional in 2001. In September of 2005 he stopped Eric Ortiz in one round for the WBC junior flyweight title. He made a successful defense against Jose Antonio Aguirre in 2006 and then all the momentum and good will he had built up collapsed.. He hasn’t won a fight since and now a fighter once tagged for stardom finds himself as a co-feature on a Telefutura card Friday, January 4th at the Alameda Swap Meet in Los Angeles against Jose Bernal in a ten round super flyweight bout.
As Viloria, 19-2 with 12 KOs looks back on what happened after he won his first title, the fighter seems to have come to the realization that many fighters who find a championship belt strapped around their waist quickly realize. It’s much harder to hold onto that title than winning it, particularly when ego and the comforts of being a champion begin to lead to complacency. Viloria admits to losing focus and also points to his lack of a stable trainer and coach since leaving Freddie Roach and the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Viloria is now back in LA training with Robert and Eduardo Garcia who trained Fernando Vargas. This will be the fourth change in trainers in his last four fights.
Viloria’s string of unexpected defeats began in August of 2006 when he lost his title to Mexican Omar Nino Romero by unanimous decision. In the November rematch Romero took a controversial majority draw despite being knocked down twice. But Romero then tested positive for methamphetamines and the bout was declared a no-contest. Discouraged but vindicated when the WBC allowed him to fight Edgar Sosa in April of 2007 for the vacant belt Viloria ran out of gas during the final rounds and lost a majority decision. He hasn’t fought since.
Now the fighter steps into the ring against Bernal with the conviction that 2008 will either lead to his fistic renaissance or push him into retirement. Bernal, 27-9-1 with 18 KOs out of Miami, Florida last fought super flyweight contender Juan Mercedes in October losing by twelfth round knockout.
“I just give myself this year to do well,” Viloria told reporter Steve Kim. “I ran into a lot of walls last year and I really want to just start off this New Year on the right foot January 4th. I’m really taking it seriously just to see where I am at this point in my career. I’m taking this to heart and it’s really pivotal for me to do well on Friday.”
Also on the card super lightweight Michele Rosales will face Dairo Esales in a twelve round featured bout. Rosales, 13-1 with 11 KOs last fought Americo Santos in October, winning by a first round knockout. Esales, 30-10 with 24 KOs rebounded from a five bout losing streak to upset Demarcus Corley by an eighth round split decision in November. The fight will be contested for the WBC Continental Americas junior welterweight title.