MANILA, Philippines – Brian Viloria said it was the sweetest of them all, his sensational eight-round technical knockout of Mexican Giovani Segura at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.
?It?s way up there. It?s one of the best up there,? said Viloria, motioning with his left hand, during the press conference that followed yesterday?s smashing victory over a badly beat up Segura.
Initial findings on Segura at the Medical City in Mandaluyong showed a fracture on the orbital floor of the facial skeleton. Reports said the 29-year-old is on I.V. and pain reliever.
Viloria had all the reasons to say it was the sweetest because it came against a fighter ranked No. 9 by Ring Magazine in its distinguished pound-for-pound list.
It also came amid doubts on whether he could defend his WBO flyweight title against the same fighter who had knocked out the previously undefeated Ivan Calderon.
But Viloria rose to the occasion. After referee Samuel Viruet waved off the fight in the 29-second mark of the eighth round, he jumped 10 feet into the air.
Then he faced the crowd, fell on his knees, and again jumped into the waiting arms of his father, Ben, who was seen wiping tears from his eyes.
The crowd chanted his name, and Viloria celebrated like he just won his first world title.
Viloria made it look easy.
?Every fight is not easy but this fight looked easy because I trained hard and stuck to the game plan and didn?t stay on the ropes. I stayed in the middle of the ring and stood my ground,? he said.
Viloria said that while he didn?t get hurt, he felt the power of Segura?s punch, the same one that has knocked out 24 of his 28 opponents, 11 of them in the first round.
