Viloria sets sights on Arce

World Boxing Council (WBC) lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria admits his ultimate goal is to face rugged Mexican knockout artist Jorge Arce in a blockbuster duel but realizes the fight is contingent on a convincing victory over Jose Antonio Aguirre at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Feb. 18.

"Any fighter wants to compete in big fights and I’m no different," said Viloria quoted by Kevin Iole of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "There is no way I’ll look past Aguirre because I need this to get to Arce."

Viloria’s manager Gary Gittelsohn told The STAR a showdown with Arce is a dream matchup. It’s the fight that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum knows will stir the emotions of Mexican and Filipino fans like in the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales rematch.

"Viloria versus Arce has the makings of a classic rivalry like Michael Carbajal versus Chiquita Gonzalez," said Gittelsohn. "Both are bell-to-bell sluggers and they’ll give the fans their money’s worth in terms of all-out action."

Arce, 26, boasts a 42-3-1 record with 32 KOs. He has victimized three Filipinos so far–Jovan Presbiterio and Joma Gamboa, both by second round KOs, and Juanito Rubillar twice on points.

Although Arce holds no title, he’s considered the top flyweight draw today. WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam refuses to fight outside of Thailand and his stubbornness has diminished his worth in the lucrative US market. Arce is the WBC 112-pound "interim" titleholder and stakes his crown against Adonis Rivas in Cancun this morning (Manila time). He is a former WBC and World Boxing Organization lightflyweight champion.

Viloria, 25, took a five-day break from training to join the Solar TV panel that broadcast the Pacquiao-Morales fight via satellite to the Philippines last week. He is now back in the gym in Los Angeles.

"I’m totally focused for Aguirre," said Viloria. "I started sparring two weeks before Manny’s fight and I’ll easily make the lightflyweight limit of 108 pounds." In Las Vegas, Viloria weighed 115 and closely watched his diet.

Viloria and Pacquiao demolished their Mexican opponents on the same Staples Center card last September. They’ve become close friends. Their common trainer is Freddie Roach.

In the dressing room after Pacquiao’s win over Morales, Viloria interviewed the People’s Champion for TV. Pacquiao cracked a joke about the "bull" and they both laughed heartily. While training at the Wild Card Gym, the cue for Pacquiao and Viloria to crank up their energy level was to "get the bull" or gulp down their favorite drink Red Bull.

Viloria said he broke up with his Japanese-American girlfriend Naomi Usui and he’s completely immersed in training without any romantic distractions. Usui, an aspiring actress, is the Mitsubishi US president’s daughter.

"She’s still a friend but just a friend," said Viloria. "It didn’t work out because she’s from a really different cultural and economic background. So we’re both moving on with our lives."

Viloria said after fighting Aguirre, he’ll fly to Osaka to be at ringside for his 2000 Sydney Olympic US teammate Jose Navarro’s fight against Masamori Tokuyama for the WBC superflyweight crown on Feb. 27. Navarro, 24, has lost only once in his career–a disputed split decision defeat to Katsushige Kawashima in Tokyo last year, also for the WBC diadem. One of the judges William Boodhow scored a 120-109 shutout for Navarro but the two other judges saw it for Kawashima.

From Osaka, Viloria will visit his relatives in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, and stay in the Philippines to celebrate what he hopes to be a victory over Aguirre.

Viloria knocked out Eric Ortiz of Mexico in the first round to claim the vacant WBC crown last September. Ortiz had taken the title from Aguirre on a seventh round stoppage in March last year.

Since losing to Ortiz, Aguirre has fought only once, knocking down World Boxing Association lightflyweight champion Roberto Vasquez in the second round only to surrender in the fourth due to a severe cut in his left eyebrow.

Aguirre, 30, is in the crossroads of a career that started in 1995. Another loss will likely mean retiring from the ring. Aguirre’s manager is Erik Morales and his trainer is Morales’ father Jose. Aguirre’s only Filipino victim is Manny Melchor whom he decisioned to retain his WBC minimumweight title in Tijuana in 2001.

Concert king Martin Nievera has agreed to sing the National Anthem for the Viloria-Aguirre fight.

Gittelsohn said he was advised that Filipino promoters are planning to stage a boxing card in an open field in Manila featuring Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista and Viloria against separate opponents.

"We’re open to that," said Gittelsohn. "Brian is eager to fight before his countrymen."