Viloria set to make a comeback

MANILA, Philippines - Former two-time world champion Brian Viloria tries to pick up the pieces of a stalled boxing career as he makes his long-awaited ring return next month against a hard-hitting opponent from Mexico.

SolarTV brings back the “Hawaiian Punch” on July 10 when he moves up to flyweight and faces Mexican Omar Soto in the fourth installment of the hit series Boxing at the Bay aired over Solar TV and Solar Sports.

Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City is being eyed as possible site of Viloria’s comeback fight, six months after yielding his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight title against Carlos Tamara of Colombia.

Soto Perez, 30, boasts of a ring record of 19-6-2, with 13 knockouts.

A native of Hidalgo, Mexico, Soto was held to a draw in his last fight against compatriot Juan Kantun last May 1. All three judges scored the six-round bout at 57-57.

Twice Soto failed in his bid for a world crown.

He lost to World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight champion Omar Andres Narvaez via an 11th round knockout in June last year and suffered a sixth round knockout against Muhammad Rachman in 2006 for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight crown.

Prior to his draw against Kantun, Soto scored a second round knockout opposite Cristian Estrada in December of 2009.

The showdown with Soto serves as Viloria’s boxing comeback following his stunning 12th round technical knockout against Tamara Jan. 23 of this year in a title fight Solar Sports also promoted at the Astrodome.

The 29-year old Viloria, a member of the US boxing team to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was comfortably ahead in the scorecards of all three judges, only to fade out in the stretch, allowing Tamara to take control of the action-packed match.

Battered and exhausted, Viloria got cornered on the ropes and was on the receiving end of several hard blows when referee Bruce McTavish stepped in to stop the fight at the 1:15 mark of the final round.

Viloria was later rushed to the Makati Medical Center where he was confined for physical exhaustion, apparently for trying to make the light-flyweight limit.

A former World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight champion, Viloria added a second world title belt to his waist following a brilliant upset of Mexican Ulises Solis at the Araneta Coliseum April of last year when he won via an 11th round knockout.

He successfully defended the title by scoring a 12-round unanimous decision against another Mexican in Jesus Iribe at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.