WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champion Brian Viloria arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday.
Viloria, who pummeled Mexican foe Jose Antonio Aguirre en route to a unanimous decision in Las Vegas, Nevada last Feb. 18, is set to visit his relatives in his hometown of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.
The member of the 2000 United States Olympic boxing team, who grew up in Hawaii, said he is a true Filipino in flesh and in blood. He arrived onboard a Thai Airways flight 621 from the US via Nagoya, Japan.
Viloria will be billeted in Oakwood Hotel in Makati City during his stay in Manila.
Although he was not given a welcome similar to that of fellow Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao, Viloria also, known as the “Hawaiian Punch,” was greeted by Philippine sports officials and a handful of boxing fans at the arrival hall of the airport.
The defending light flyweight champion revealed that he suffered a slight fracture in his right hand during the fight against Aguirre, which hampered his power and hand speed.
Viloria is setting his sights on a big fight against WBC interim flyweight champion Jorge Arce, another flamboyant boxer from Mexico. The flyweight division is five pounds heavier than the weight range Viloria is currently fighting in. Vito Barcelo
