Boxing?s lower weight classes are, unfortunately, largely ignored by North American audiences. Whether this is due to the fact that the majority of the best fighters below lightweight are from abroad, or because major networks simply haven?t taken the time and energy to invest pint-sized pugilists, it?s an unfortunate reality. And it?s especially disappointing because boxing?s smaller fighters are often the most skilled an entertaining operators in the sport.
Roman Gonzalez, the current RING and WBC flyweight champion, is an interesting case. In becoming a three-division world champion and on of boxing?s best pound-for-pound fighters, Gonzalez (43-0, 37 KOs) was ignored by major networks until his last fight against Edgar Sosa. When Gonzalez was finally put under the spotlight on HBO, he displayed his full breathtaking arsenal and registered a memorable second round stoppage.
For his first HBO fight, Gonzalez got the co-feature slot on a Gennady Golovkin undercard. This was an intelligent move by the HBO brass, as both Golovkin and Gonzalez are supremely skilled, cerebral punchers who stalk opponents and press the action when given the slightest opening.
So, it came as no surprise that when IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux agreed to unify titles with Golovkin, Gonzalez was brought back to help bolster a main event that does not seem pay-per-view-worthy (from a fighter notoriety standpoint) to some. Gonzalez fighting anyone is worth watching, but a matchup against Brian Viloria is one of the better fights ? on paper ? of 2015.
Here?s some of what Brian Viloria told Coppinger after landing the Gonzalez fight:
?I?ve always gotten up for big, huge fights like this,? Viloria, 34, said. ?Especially fights where I?ve been the underdog. I actually relish in that a bit. They don?t know if I still have what it takes to beat a guy like Roman Gonzalez. This is the type of fight that gets me pumped, gets my blood flowing and extremely motivates me in trying to perform to the best that I can.?
?I think a lot of people give (Gonzalez) a little too much credit vs. opposition that he should be getting out of the ring or he should be beating,? Viloria declared. ?In my eyes, I don?t think he?s really been tested the way I?m going to test him on Oct. 17, but he?s very technical, he does the right things in the ring at the right time. I haven?t really seen anybody put a lot of pressure on him or try to exchange with him as much as they should.?
Viloria may be 34, but he?s a two-division champion who is not far removed from a 2011-2013 stretch that saw him rise in esteem to the point where he was a fringe pound-for-pound calibre fighter. During that span, Viloria went 4-1 in world title fights, and he unified belts with a sensational TKO of Hernan Marquez. Viloria?s only setback was a narrow split decision loss to Juan Francisco Estrada, one of the few men to take Roman Gonzalez the 12-round distance.
With four consecutive wins against modest opposition, it?s easy to dismiss Viloria as not being on Gonzalez?s level. That said, Viloria has looked explosive in scoring three straight stoppages, and his only defeat since a surprising setback against Carlos Tamara in 2010 was the aforementioned split decision to Estrada. Viloria is hardly shopworn; in fact, his body of work over the past four years suggests that he?s still one of the best flyweights in the world.
Roman Gonzalez needs an opponent who combines boxing acumen and power punching, and Viloria fits the bill. Viloria is also far more recognizable to American fans than the average flyweight (Viloria was a 2000 U.S. Olympian). Most importantly, however, is that Roman Gonzalez-Brian Viloria is a tantalizing style matchup that promises fireworks.
Whether Roman Gonzalez and Brian Viloria are anonymous to casual boxing fans is irrelevant. Those who buy the Gennady Golovkin-David Lemieux pay-per-view are going to witness one of the best and most explosive match-ups of 2015 when Gonzalez and Viloria step into the ring.
