OWING TO visa problems, Colombian Feider Viloria failed to arrive in the country on Tuesday but the lead promoter of Saturday night’s big bash at the Cebu City Sports Complex succeeded in finding a suitable replacement.
Mexican Marino Gonzalez will now take Viloria’s place and will get the formidable task of stopping the rising super-bantamweight star Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista, promoter Sammy Gello-ani bared yesterday.
“Team Viloria was not allowed to take a flight to Amsterdam because of the lack of a transit visa,” said Gello-ani, who is staging this weekend’s slambang show in partnership with ALA Boxing Club, Oscar dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and ABS-CBN.
Informed of Viloria’s predicament, Gello-ani had no choice but to find a substitute and Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz got hold of Gonzalez, a 5-foot-5 puncher from Navojoa, Sonora State.
Gonzalez parades a 29-8 win-loss-card with 15 knockouts and is a professional since 1999.
While his record doesn’t look bad at all, Gonzalez should find it extremely difficult to emerge victorious against the heavy-handed Bautista, who holds an impeccable 21-0 slate with 17 demolitions.
Bautista is one of Golden Boy Promotions’ (GBP) fair-haired boys and is being groomed to see action in the undercard of the huge May 5 event featuring Oscar dela Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas.
Despite the last-minute change in the make-up of the promotion, the top main event remains a sure-hit with the fearsome Mexican Fernando Montiel staking his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-fly belt against Z Gorres.
The official press conference will be held at 12 noon today at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug with Gorres and Montiel and Bautista and officials from GBP and the WBO gracing the event.
Gonzalez will miss the presscon since he is expected to arrive in Cebu later in the afternoon but will definitely be present for the official weigh-in on the eve of the fight.
