Viloria to receive Golden Belt Award in Elorde Banquet of Champions

Brian Viloria, the reigning World Boxing Council lightflyweight champion, will be honored with the Flash Elorde Golden Belt Award during the Banquet of Champions of the sixth Gabriel "Flash" Elorde Memorial Awards on March 25 at the Dusit-Nikko Hotel.

Viloria, 25, will be the first boxer to receive this distinction after he won the WBC title from Eric Ortiz in September last year and defended it against Jose Antonio Aguirre in Las Vegas in February.

Laura Elorde, widow of the late Flash Elorde, in whose honor the Elorde Awards are presented, said the golden belt is an exact replica of the belt of Flash Elorde when he won the world junior lightweight championship in 1960.

Viloria, called the Hawaiian Punch and more recently the Pinoy Punch, is a Hawaii-based boxer who traces his roots to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

The latest Filipino boxing sensation will join People’s Champion Manny Pacquiao, who will receive boxing’s highest honor as Boxer of the Year awardee during the Elorde awards rites, presented by the Gabrial "Flash" Elorde Foundation to honor outstanding boxers in memory of the great legend himself, Da Flash, who reigned as junior lightweight from 1960-1967.

The awards rites are co-presented by the Johnny Elorde Inernational Management and sponsored by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Family Rubbing Alcohol, SMART, San Miguel Corp., Casa Belrina Travel, Johnson & Johnson, Bai & Mig Party Flavors and Elorde Sports Center.

Major awards will also be presented to Filipino world, international and national champions, while special citations will be conferred on the year’s best promoter, best manager, trainer, referee and judge, most promising boxer and best fight of the year.

The Elorde clan, led by Laura Elorde, will be on hand to present the various awards.