SAN ANTONIO – The man tasked to bring back the fury in Brian Viloria’s fists is confident the former WBC lightflyweight champion will regain the title at the Alamodome this morning (Manila time).
Joe Goosen, 53, said he worked at least seven weeks with Viloria to prepare him for the fight against Mexico’s Edgar Sosa for the vacant 108-pound throne.
“Brian’s manager (Gary Gittelsohn) came to me for help and you know how hard it is these days to get good help,” said Goosen who has worked with world champions Michael Nunn and Diego Corrales.
“I couldn’t turn down Gary. Besides, I knew about Brian and what he’s capable of doing. We worked on a lot of things in the gym, like head movement, the uppercut because Sosa likes to cover up tight above, more rights instead of just the left hook. I didn’t focus on the past. I just focused on Sosa who’s very talented, a strong puncher with excellent qualifications.”
Goosen said he hasn’t regretted taking on the job.
“Brian is in tremendous shape,” he said. “It will take a superhuman effort to beat Sosa. They’re two bad-ass guys. I predict a give-and-take fight between two quality fighters. Both will get hit. Who will last is the question. We know about technique, fight plan and all that. What will win it are the intangibles – determination, will power.”
Goosen said he chooses only three fighters to train at a time to give them maximum attention. He operates a private gym in Van Nuys, California.
“It takes three hours a day in the gym to train one fighter,” said Goosen. “I supervise everything from the stretching to the wrapping to the sparring to the bagging. It’s physically impossible for me to take care of more than three at a time.”
Goosen said he will likely train Jose Luis Castillo in his upcoming bout against Ricky Hatton.
Sosa’s manager Jacques Deschamps Fils, a Frenchman who lives in Haiti, said Viloria will lose.
“How Sosa will win is a secret,” said Fils. “All I can tell you is Eric Ortiz and Omar Ni?o have advised Sosa how to fight Viloria. Ortiz was Sosa’s sparmate in preparing for Noel Arambulet and Viloria. We’re convinced Sosa will win the title.”
Viloria knocked out Ortiz for the WBC title in 2005 and has lost to and drawn with Ni?o in two fights.
Sosa and boyhood pal WBO bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez started boxing at 11 years old. Gonzalez’ father Miguel is Sosa’s trainer.
“Sosa comes from a poor family in Mexico and none of his relatives took the trip to San Antonio,” said Fils. “His family got together for a big sendoff before he flew to San Antonio. He promised to come home a world champion.”
