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Philippines, 17 Mar 2026 |
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VILORIA CRUSHES SOTO, BIG MONEY FIGHT AGAINST ROMAN GONZALEZ NEXT By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sun, 26 Jul 2015  Former two division world champion Brian Viloria crushed Omar ?Lobito? Soto in one round at the Florentine Gardens in Hollywood, California on Sunday, Manila Time. Viloria erased any doubts that marked their first encounter when he escaped with a ten round split decision at the Ynares Center in Manila on July 10, 2010 as he ripped into Soto and sent him crashing to the canvas three times in the very first round in one of his most devastating performances in recent years. Viloria?s manager Gary Gittelsohn who treats Viloria like a son was ecstatic. In an overseas telephone conversation with the New Standard/boxingmirror.com he said ?the old Brian is back. He looked sensational? even as he recalled that celebrated trainer Freddie Roach who was in his corner told him Viloria was ?very intense when warming up on the punch-mitts in the dressing room and his punches were really crisp. There?s something special.? It was surely special according to Filipino trainer Marvin Somodio who returned to Los Angeles from the Philippines a couple of days before the fight. He said Brian ?showed very good movement and was very active from the opening bell. He set up Soto with his left jab and then followed up with left hooks to the body.? After the third knockdown which was caused by a vicious left hook, referee Zac Young decided he had seen enough and called a halt at 2:02 in the very first round pushing Viloria?s record to36-4 with 21 knockouts while Soto dropped to 23-12-2 with 7 knockouts. With the smashing win Viloria grabbed the WBC Fecarbox flyweight title. Gittlesohn told us he is going to ?do everything in my power to get a fight against undefeated pound for pound No. 2 ranked Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua in a co-feature on an HBO pay per view card at Madison Square Garden on October 17.? The manager said he would talk to HBO and initiate conversations with Gonzalez?s handlers including Japan?s businessman-sports Akihiko Honda on Monday because he said ?I?d like to make that fight happen. Gonzalez has been avoiding us for two years. He cannot any longer.? In a post-fight conversation with us, Viloria said ?Soto didn?t touch me? and added ?I?ve been on a roll and want to continue.? He said he had discussed a Gonzalez fight with Roach who agreed that ?if we train right, I can take him.? In one of our regular pre-fight conversations with Viloria he emphasized ?my weight is fine, I?m feeling good and ready and everything is great.? He expressed confidence saying ?I shouldn?t have a problem with Soto? as he recalled that in their first fight he was ?coming off a long break? but that now he is ?coming off some great wins.? Viloria has been in the gym staying in shape since January but has been ?training straight for two months.? He said ?training has been very good and I feel great but I can?t look past this fight? although he still believes he has it in him to become a world champion once again. Viloria won the WBO/WBA flyweight titles on November 17, 2012 when he scored a 10th round TKO over Mexico?s Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez but lost the belts when he dropped a split decision to Juan Franciso Estrada on April 6, 2013 in Macau. Brian then went on to regain his stature and his confidence with three wins in a row scoring a unanimous ten round decision over Juan Herrera on March 29, 2013, a 5th round TKO over Jose Alfredo Zuniga on July 19, 2014 and then knocking out Armando Vazquez at the Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California in the 4th round of a scheduled ten round bout on December 6, 2014. Soto himself faced Gonzalez but lost by a 2nd round knockout in a WBA title fight on October 1, 2011 but came back to defeat Glenn Donaire, the brother of Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire to win the WBC Latino title with a twelve round unanimous decision. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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