MANILA, Philippines - Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria (left, 28-3-0, 16 KOs) knows what it feels to be a world champion. He held to titles before but he failed to hold on to them. Now he seeks redemption and he is hell-bent on making this run his best ever.
After losing his IBF light flyweight title, Viloria moved up to the flyweight division and has since won two straight fights, one by decision and the other by knockout. Viloria found his long-lost aggressiveness in his last fight, knocking out Liempetch Sor Veerapol last November. In that fight, Viloria showed the killer instinct that has been missing for his past few fights. After scoring that decisive victory, Viloria told everyone that he was ready for a title shot.
On July 17, that’s exactly what he will be getting.
Viloria hopes to wrest the WBO flyweight title from Julio Cesar Miranda (32-5-1, 28 KOs) of Mexico. They will engage in a 12-round battle at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Getting his third reign as a world champion will not be easy for Viloria as he is up against a gallant champion who is ready to defend his crown. But Viloria has been preparing for this chance for so long and he is driven not to let this chance slip from his hands.
The fight against Viloria will be Miranda’s third defense of the title he won from Ronald Ramos last year. He is on a five-fight winning streak and two of those victims were Filipinos. Miranda is a busy fighter who wears his heart on his sleeve. He had a tough time against Moruthi Mthlane, who was the last man to defeat him, because of Mthlane’s length but against Viloria, he does not have to worry about that.
“We’ve supported Brian Viloria through thick and thin and we are excited that he will get his chance to win another world title for himself and for the country,” said Peter Chanliong, CEO of Solar Entertainment Corp. “There were speed bumps along the road but we’ve always believed that Brian is capable of winning another world title,” he added.
The fight between Miranda and Viloria promises to be an action-packed affair with the two combatants out to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in boxing’s lighter divisions.
For details, log on to www.solarsports.ph.