MOST OF you must have heard about WBC light flyweight champ Brian Viloria’s first title defense against Mexican Jose “El Jaguar” Aguirre on Feb.18 (Feb.19 in Manila) at the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, a co-main event of the twin-bill “Real Warriors” also featuring Antonio Margarito versus Manuel Gomez.
What you most likely have not gotten wind of are the names of the annotators who will do the blow-by blow report of the Viloria-Aguirre fight for the Filipino audience.
I guess I must have been one of the firsts to be told by Solar Entertainment COO Peter Chanliong, whom I bumped into at the lobby of the EDSA Shangrila Plaza Hotel yesterday morning, because it was only then that he made the confirmation.
Peter said ChinoTrinidad will be doing the play-by-play with no less than the man-of-the-hour himself, the newly enshrined national hero Manny Pacquiao!
“Manny will be returning the favor,” Peter said. “Brian did it for him with Quinito Henson in the Pacquiao-Morales rematch. Now he will do it for Brian.”
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According to Peter, Manny and Brian have become very close friends since their triple triumph (with BoomBoom Bautista) at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas last September where the “Hawaiian Punch” kayoed Eric Ortiz in the first round to win the WBC light-flyweight title.
“Brian has the greatest respect for Manny,” said Peter, whose company Solar Entertainment Corporation, now acts as Viloria’s business manager and marketing agent in the Philippines. “He looks up to him as his role model. They often train together in Los Angeles. Brian aspires to achieve what Manny has . He is aware of Manny’s stature here and the adoration he enjoys from his countrymen .”
Brian, 24, is being trained by Freddie Roach, managed by Gary Gittelsohn and promoted by Top Rank Organization.
He was a member of the 2000 US Olympic boxing team and has several world championships tucked under his belt: WBC light flyweight, WBC Youth flyweight, WBC Latino flyweight, and North American Boxing Federation flyweight. In 2003 he was named NABF Fighter of the Year.
Brian owns a clean record of 18-0 with 12 knockouts.
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“He wasn’t dubbed by his Olympic teammates The Hawaiian Punch for nothing. He earned this moniker because of his extraordinary knockout power in both hands,” Peter said.
“And his jump rope skills which has been featured in sports television shows, speaks volumes of his footwork and speed. It has astonished audiences all over America.”
Not only Peter but boxing insiders in America are expecting big things for Brian.
“The future looks very bright for him. A showdown with Mexican icon Jorge Arce is looming on the horizon,” he said.
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No truth to the report that ABS-CBN has pulled out of the UAAP.
“I don’t know how these talks started. We’re committed to the partnership,” assured Peter Musngi, VP for ABS-CBN Sports.
In the event the UAAP board decides to suspend De La Salle University, which has filed a leave of absence, Peter said they will abide by the board’s procedures.
“It’s something internal and we will not influence the UAAP one way or another,” he said.
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By next week we should know if there will be changes made in the Talk and Text coaching staff and lineup, after the Phone Pals’ dismal performance in the ongoing PBA San Mig Fiesta Cup.
“The chemistry is simply lacking,” said a Talk and Text official. “We are very, very disappointed.”
From what I gathered, management is in the process of very serious assessment——of the players and coaching staff.
Definitely there will be changes, I was told, in both groups.
