MANILA, Philippines – WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria stakes his crown against Mexican nemesis Omar Ni?o Romero in a 12-round bout to cap their trilogy at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City this morning and while declaring his failure to win in two previous fights never caused nightmares, is determined to prove he?s now in a class of his own.
In their first meeting in Aug. 2006, Viloria lost his WBC lightflyweight belt to Romero on a unanimous 12-round decision in Las Vegas. The rematch was inconclusive three months later as they battled to a majority draw that was later pronounced a no-contest after Romero tested positive for the illegal drug methamphetamine in a urinalysis. Now, six years after, they?re renewing their rivalry in what could be the climax of a soap opera-like trilogy.
?I?ve learned my lessons from our first two fights,? said Viloria yesterday in his Discovery Suites hotel room. ?I gave Romero the chance to fight his fight. I let him do what he wanted to do. I didn?t let my hands go. I was gun-shy. I short-changed myself, I didn?t want to exchange. I wasn?t at my best. This time, I?ll show more aggressiveness. I?ll throw combinations, go to the body to slow him down. I won?t beat myself again. I?ll fight my fight, not his.? Although he made no excuses, it was widely known that Viloria was not in the proper mental state for both fights and battled personal issues.
Viloria, 31, said he?s more concerned about Romero?s awkward delivery than the power of his punches. ?I respect the way he delivers,? said the Hawaiian Punch who fought at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. ?I don?t think he?s stronger than (Julio Cesar) Miranda or (Giovani) Segura. He?s not going to show anything I haven?t seen before. I haven?t beaten him in two fights but that doesn?t haunt me. My wins over (Ulises) Solis, Miranda and Segura gave me confidence. I don?t think about the past too much. After this fight, I?ll nullify everything in the past.?
Romero, 35, is a grizzled veteran who turned pro in 1995, six years before Viloria, and holds wins over Filipinos Rodel Mayol and Juanito Rubillar. He ended a 15-month layoff to stop Javier Romero in the third round in Hidalgo last February, raising his record to 31-4-2, with 13 KOs. Viloria?s record is 30-3, with 17 KOs.
?This fight is more special than others because Romero gave me my first loss,? said Viloria. ?Romero made me realize how fragile it is to stay on top if you don?t focus. I want to clean the slate. It bothers me that when we fought twice, I wasn?t myself. It?s okay to lose if you gave your best. It?s time to correct things. I?ve worked hard to get back on top. To me, every fight is important, especially this one. Securing my spot took a lot of hard work. In every fight, you look at redemption, the ability to stay on your horse. I never want to fall back. It?s tough to work yourself back up. You can never get too comfortable. You?ve got to be aware that there are others waiting to pull you down.?
American Michael Ortega was designated by WBO president Paco Valcarcel as referee for the fight. The judges are Americans Carlos Ortiz Jr. and Glen Feldman and Filipino lawyer Danrex Tapdasan.
Working Viloria?s corner are trainer Mario Morales and cutman Ruben Gomez. Romero?s chief second is Manuel Montiel Sr., whose son Fernando reigned as WBO flyweight, superflyweight and bantamweight champion.
At the Discovery Suites weigh-in yesterday, both Viloria and Romero tipped the scales at 112 pounds on their first try.
In the co-main event, Miranda and Mayol slug it out in a 10-round duel that?s touted to be a title eliminator between two former world champions. The winner will line himself up to challenge the Viloria-Romero survivor. Miranda, 31, lost his WBO flyweight title to Viloria while Mayol, 30, was dethroned as WBC lightflyweight champion by Romero. The expectation is the fight won?t go the distance as Miranda boasts a 78 percent knockout winning rate and Mayol, 73 percent.
?I know Miranda well,? said Viloria who floored the Mexican en route to scoring a unanimous decision in Honolulu last year. ?He?s a strong guy, resilient. He fights with a lot of energy, you can?t take a second off to relax, he fights every second of a round. He won?t let you breathe. Rodel is a good fighter, a technician. He asked me for tips on how to beat Miranda and I told him to stick to his style, to slow him down with body shots, not to relax. The moment you bring down your guard against Miranda, you give him an opening to attack. It?ll be a very interesting and competitive fight.?
Mayol was in training with Manny Pacquiao in Baguio City when the offer came to meet Miranda. Solar Entertainment events and operations manager Paolo Diaz said it wasn?t easy finding a willing opponent for the dangerous Miranda. World-rated Froilan Saludar and the ALA stable reportedly declined but Mayol eventually agreed to fight after back-and-forth negotiations. A win over Miranda will keep Mayol on course for a title shot particularly as last March, he withdrew from a fight against WBA flyweight champion Hernan (Tyson) Marquez to protest blatant irregularities at the weigh-in in Sonora.
Viloria called Romero a monkey on his back. ?I?m ready to settle the score,? he said. ?Now, I?m in better shape mentally and physically. I?m more mature. I?m eager to showcase the best Brian I can be.?
