MANILA, Philippines – It?s hard to appreciate the good of Brian Viloria?s career without analyzing the bad as well. For 13 years, the hard-punching Filipino-American has engaged in a boxing career that will split opinions of analysts after the 33-year-old hangs up his gloves for good.
When he has been on point, Viloria has been sensational. A champion in the 108 and 112-pound divisions, Viloria was the first fighter in nearly 50 years to unify the flyweight titles. He was a rare knockout artist in the sport?s lightest divisions who never got his big break on the major American networks.
When Viloria was off, he was frustrating. There were the listless defeats to Omar Nino Romero and Edgar Sosa in 2006 and 2007, respectively, which saw the heavily favored Viloria befuddled by his opponents? unorthodox style.
His losses to Carlos Tamara in 2010 and Juan Francisco Estrada in 2013 came at times when his reputation was just beginning to break through the weight barrier.
Viloria was always most dangerous when written off, and most vulnerable when at his most indomitable. The unpredictability of his career makes it hard to measure him among the all-time greats. Still, the story of boxing’s best little men can’t be written without mentioning “The Hawaiian Punch” from Waipahu, Hawaii.
On Saturday, July 19, Viloria will make his 40th trip down towards the ring when he faces Jose Alfredo Zuniga (11-5-1, 5 KOs) at the Venetian Resort in Macau, China. Viloria is hoping to register his second straight victory and align himself for one more shot at a world title, with a rematch with Estrada or a meeting with IBF claimant Amnat Ruenroeng being his favored options.
Before then, Rappler offers a look back at the five greatest nights of Viloria?s career.
Viloria KO 1 Eric Ortiz
September 10, 2005 – Staples Center, Los Angeles
Eric Ortiz had emerged as an unlikely titleholder, upsetting Puerto Rico?s Jose Antonio Aguirre in 7 rounds to win the WBC junior flyweight title that Jorge Arce had vacated to move up in weight. The Mexico City native would have no easy outing for his first defense, facing the unbeaten 2000 U.S. Olympian Viloria on a card that featured Manny Pacquiao?s tuneup knockout of Hector Velazquez.
Viloria, then 24, was beginning to come into his own as a professional, having knocked out three straight opponents. It would be a preamble to the power Viloria would show in his first vie for a world title.
Emboldened by the scores of Filipino fans on hand to watch Pacquiao, Viloria stormed Ortiz from the opening bell, landing a left hook-right uppercut-right cross combination that was followed by the first stunning right cross of the round a moment later.
As the ten-second clapper was pounded on the canvas, Viloria uncorked two consecutive right crosses that left Ortiz stunned in a corner. With seconds remaining in the round, Viloria landed a perfect right cross as Ortiz flailed instinctively for his own punch, dropping Ortiz on his back. Ortiz struggled to stand up but fell back down once again, and the referee waved off the bout at the 2:59 mark.
