MANILA – World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight champion Brian Viloria yesterday said he is ready to face compatriot and No.1 contender Juanito Rubillar.
However, the 25-year-old Viloria, known as the “Hawaiian Punch,” said their 12-round title fight planned to be held on May 6 at the Elorde Sports Complex in Paranaque may be set on another date because of his injury.
“I’m ready to fight Rubillar. That’s what we do as a fighter,” said Viloria during the Scoop Forum at the Kamayan Restaurant in Padre Faura in Malate here.
Even as the cast was removed Thursday, his doctors advised him to give his right hand at least one more month before throwing punches.
“Right now, what I can do is to run around and stay fit,” said Viloria, who traces his roots to Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.
WBC president Jose Sulaiman endorsed the Viloria-Rubillar 108lb championship upon the request of promoter-manager Bebot Elorde. The reigning titlist will receive $150,000 for the fight.
Sulaiman gave both the camps of Viloria and Rubillar one month to negotiate the deal, which will be Villoria’s first fight in the country.
Viloria, a member of the US boxing team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won the WBC title via a first-round demolition of Mexican Eric Ortiz in Los Angeles, California last year.
He successfully defended the crown for the first time with a unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Aguirre on Feb. 18 at the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, improving his professional record to 19 wins, 12 by knockouts.
No decision
Viloria said his American manager Gary Gittelsohn received the letter from Sulaiman but has not yet decided on it.
“As of now, I still don’t know who I’m going to fight. I leave it all to my manager and promoter to take care of it. My job is to prepare myself against anybody, anytime, anywhere,” he said.
But there is a problem in the planned Viloria-Rubillar fight because Viloria’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, informed Gittelsohn that the Filipino-American fighter has been reserved a slot in the forthcoming World Boxing Organization welterweight championship match between Miguel Cotto and Paul Malignaggi at the Madison Square Garden in New York this June.
Arum is reported to pit Viloria against International Boxing Federation light-flyweight champion Ulyses Solis of Mexico.
