There are a lot of things that associates Fil-American Bryan Viloria with boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Next week, he’ll prove that he’s the next big thing after Pacquiao.
Nicknamed “The Hawaiian Punch,” Viloria gives the Filipino fans another reason to stay glued on the their TV sets on Feb. 18 (Feb 19 in Manila) as he stakes his World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title against Mexican Jose Antonio Aguirre at the Alladin Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“For sure you’ll see a lot of exchanges (of blows),” vowed the fighter from Waipahu, Hawaii whose parents trace their roots to Narvacan, Ilocos.
“Aguirre is a strong fighter, a typical Mexican who will come at you and try to push you down. But I’m gonna come out and play my best,” said the 25-year-old Viloria in a tele-conference with a select group of sportswriters yesterday during a break from his training at the Wild Card Gym in Holywood, California.
Viloria and Pacquiao work out under the highly revered boxing trainer Freddie Roach.
While Pacquiao packs a wallop in his left, Viloria has an explosive right hand which he put to good use when he captured the title with a sensational first-round knockout win over another Mexican Eric Ortiz last Sept. 10, 2005 at the Staples center.
It was the same night Pacquiao stopped Hector Velazquez, also of Mexico, in a tune-up fight in what turned out to be a successful conquest of Erik Morales.
Viloria refused to make prediction in the fight that serves as the appetizer for the World Boxing Assocation welterweight title bout between reigning champion Antonio Margarito and challenger Manuel Gomez.
“I don’t want to predict on what will happen. If a knockout comes, it will come. I expect the fight to go the full route, but I want a W.”
When Pacquiao stopped Morales in the seventh round of their grudge rematch, Viloria worked on the TV coverage as analyst for the fight. Pacquiao will return the favor as he annotates for the telecast of Viloria’s fight on Solar TV starting at 10 a.m.
Viloria’s camp is using this bout as a stepping stone to big money fights.
“I want to fight in a heavier division. It will eventually happen. It has to happen. You have to fight the very best in your class,” added Viloria, who is undefeated in 18 fights, 12 coming inside the distance.
Aguirre is by no means a patsy. He’s a former WBC minimumweight king with a ring record of 33-4-1, 20 by KOs.
