The boxing career of World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight champion Brian ?Hawaiian Punch? Viloria was literally on the line when he defended the 112-pound hardware against hard-hitting Mexican challenger Giovani ?Aztec Warrior? Segura last Sunday. The pre-fight prognosis was that another loss would mean a one-way ticket to the retirement pasture for the Filipino-American pugilist.
Segura came into the fight with the tenacity of a heat-seeking missile looking to obliterate any living or-ganism in its path. Undefeated during his reign as World Boxing Association (WBA) light flyweight (108 pounds) champion, Segura (28-1, 24 knockouts) was eyeing his second division crown against Viloria. The Mexican was coming off two sensational stoppage wins over the previously unbeaten Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico. Viloria?s head was supposed to be next in the chopping block.
But as this writer pointed out in last week?s column, Segura was far from being a sure-bet. While Segura?s fists oozed with power, his defense was as leaky as a breast implant gone bad. Moreover, Segura had never faced anyone with the fistic resume of Viloria. Segura may have stopped Calderon twice, but compared to Viloria, Calderon lacked size and had the punching power of an ant. At the very least, Viloria was a live underdog.
In the fight proper, Viloria showed he was bent on extending the life of his boxing career. In a give-and-take affair, Viloria emerged victorious with a rousing eighth round demolition. Viloria got off to a good start and by the end of the third round, Segura had developed a grotesque lump on the right side of his face. It was as if Segura had become a two-headed monster. Viloria adjusted his offense accordingly, throwing a large number of left hooks to aggravate the swelling.
