CARVING a great name in boxing requires emphatic victories against great opponents.
And for world flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr., former amateur foe Brian Viloria is at the bottom of the totem pole when asked about his possible rivals next year.
?He is not in my level,? was the simple but sharp reply of Donaire during a telephone interview with Snow Badua of NBN 4?s Teledyaryo Sports.
Nicknamed the ?Hawaiian Punch,? Viloria was recently quoted as saying that he plans to have two fights to shake off his rust after an unexpected hiatus before challenging Donaire sometime next year.
The 26-year-old Viloria is coming off two bitter losses in his last three fights. He was able to score a draw in between losses. All three fights were for the World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight belt which he previously held.
Viloria (19-2, 12 KOs) has tapped former Freddie Roach ally Justin Fortune, erstwhile conditioning coach of Manny Pacquiao. The two are training at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas.
Viloria won the WBC belt with a single punch, one-round knockout win over Mexican Eric Ortiz beneath Pacquiao?s bout against Hector Velasquez on September 2005. After one defense Viloria lost the crown to Omar Nino Romero of Mexico in 2006.
Viloria holds twin victories over Donaire and older brother Glenn during the 2000 US Olympic trials. The Donaires, however, claimed the results were manipulated as Viloria was already being hyped by his American promoter as a potential superstar in the professional ranks.
Donaire has been rigorously training at the ALA Boxing Gym in Mandaue City in preparation for his title defense against Mexican Luis Maldonado on December 2 at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Donaire will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight belts.
Among the fighters Donaire plans to challenge next year are Mexican superstar Jorge Arce, super-flyweight champion Christian Mijares and anyone among the Japanese holders of the other flyweight crowns.
?If the Japanese champions don?t want to fight me then I will move up in the super-flyweight and challenge the champions of that division,? said Donaire.
Donaire holds a sterling record of 18-1 with 11 knockouts. He crowned himself champion when he stopped brassy Australia-based Armenian Vic Darchinyan in the fifth round on July 7, also in Connecticut.
