Iribe no Solis but Viloria wary

MANILA, Philippines - IBF lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria said Jesus (Azul) Iribe is no Ulises Solis – the tough warrior whom he dethroned via an 11th round knockout last April – but he’s not taking the Mexican challenger lightly in their scheduled 12-round bout headlining the “Island Assault” card promoted by Solar Sports and Tom Moffatt at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, today (Manila time).

Viloria, 28, is making the first defense of the crown he wrested from Solis and it’s the first world title fight in Hawaii since Ben Villaflor drew with Sammy Serrano in a WBA superfeatherweight championship bout in April 1976.

For Viloria, the fight is a homecoming of sorts as he hasn’t fought in Hawaii, where he was born, since stopping Valentin Leon in 2003. The Hawaiian Punch turned pro with a four-round decision over Ben Escobia, a Filipino, in Honolulu in 2001, the year after he competed in the Sydney Olympics.

In yesterday’s weigh-in, Viloria tipped the scales at 107 1/2 pounds. Iribe was a half-pound over the limit on his first try and after an hour, hit 108 on the dot.

Viloria’s manager Gary Gittelsohn, in a text message to The Star from Honolulu, said the fight won’t be a cakewalk.

“Iribe’s in great shape,” said Gittelsohn. “I expect a strong effort from him. But I fully expect Brian to emerge victorious and remain the champion.”

Viloria said for sure, Iribe won’t come out smoking and will try to box from a distance.

“Iribe’s got quick hands and has a strong enough punch but he’s not as slick as Solis and he doesn’t have that one-punch knockout power,” said Viloria. “More than anything, he’s a good boxer. But I’m ready. I prepared for Iribe like I prepared for Solis. I treat every opponent like a Solis. I trained 2 1/2 months with Robert (Garcia) at Oxnard and worked on my power, speed, defense, footwork and combinations. I’m excited to fight in Hawaii again but that’s not putting pressure on me to give a good showing before the hometown crowd.”

Iribe said he’s not intimidated by Viloria’s reputation in his first fight outside of his homeland. “I’m a technician,” said Iribe, quoted by Dayton Morinaga of the Honolulu Advertiser. “I’m very well prepared and I’m confident I will win. Viloria is a strong fighter and I have to be very cautions (in) what I’m doing. I’ve been an underdog before and I don’t train any different if I’m the underdog or not.”

Although he’s not looking past Iribe, Viloria admitted dreaming of a unification showdown with either WBC champion Edgar Sosa or WBO titleholder Ivan Calderon. Another future opponent is unbeaten Japanese star Koki Kameda who fights Humberto Pool in Tokyo on Sept. 5 and takes on Daisuke Naito for the WBC flyweight crown on Nov. 29.

“Obviously, I’m not staying at 108 forever,” said Viloria. “After Iribe, I’ll probably do another defense or go for a unification. Eventually, I’ll move up to 112 which used to be my natural division.”

An intriguing possibility is a fight against Kameda especially if the Japanese ends up winning the WBC flyweight title. “I’ll go to Japan and fight Kameda in his hometown if that’s what it takes,” said Viloria. “I don’t really care where I fight. That’s up to my manager (Gittelsohn) and promoter (Top Rank chairman Bob Arum).”

Viloria said he won’t rush to try to knock out Iribe but if the opportunity comes early, he’s not holding back.

“If given the chance, I’ll go for a knockout,” he said. “But I’m prepared to go 12 rounds. That’s how I trained for this fight. I’m feeling good. My training camp was excellent. I’m ready to go.”

Viloria said he’d like to visit the Philippines again soon. “I want to go back, visit relatives in Narvacan and just hang out,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a relaxing vacation.”

Viloria’s record is 25-2, with 15 KOs compared to Iribe’s mark of 15-5-5, with nine KOs. Iribe is unbeaten in his last four outings, including back-to-back knockouts over Angel Rezago and Faustino Cupul. The Mexican lost a 12-round decision to Sosa in a WBC lightflyweight title fight last year. Sosa took the vacant WBC crown on a majority 12-round decision over Viloria in 2007.

In the undercard, bantamweight A. J. Banal of Cebu City takes on Mexican veteran Jose Angel Beranza while superlightweight Dennis Laurente of Palompon, Leyte, faces Mexican Zaid (El Exterminador) Zavaleta.

Banal, 20, is gunning for his third straight win since losing to Panama’s Rafael Concepcion in Cebu City last year. His record is 19-1-1, with 16 KOs. Beranza, who took the fight on two weeks notice to replace Victor Proa, has a record of 32-15-2, with 25 KOs. Laurente, 32, is a former Oriental and PABA lightweight champion. He has won his last nine fights to raise his slate to 31-3-5, with 16 KOs. Zavaleta, 30, has a record of 18-5-2, with 11 KOs.