Viloria ready for title shot

MANILA, Philippines - Former WBC/IBF lightflyweight and WBA/WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria is keeping busy in the gym so when the call comes for another title shot, he’ll be ready to go anytime, anywhere.

Viloria welcomed Freddie Roach’s assistant Marvin Somodio back at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles early last week after the Filipino trainer was on holiday in the Philippines for close to a month. The Hawaiian Punch is staying in shape even if there’s no date for his next fight.

Somodio said Viloria can’t wait to get back in the ring. Since losing the WBA/WBO flyweight titles to Mexico’s Juan Francisco Estrada on a split decision in Macau in April 2013, Viloria has won three in a row, outpointing Juan Herrera in Las Vegas and knocking out Jose Alfredo Zuniga in Macau and Armando Vazquez in Glendale to raise his record to 35-4, with 21 KOs. At 34, Viloria looks and fights a lot younger than his age.

“We’ve learned from our mistake in the Estrada fight,” said Somodio. “We went two weeks without sparring because we arrived in Macau early. We tapered off too soon. That’s the reason why Brian lacked stamina. But it’s not going to happen again. If Brian fights Estrada in a rematch, the outcome will be different.”

Estrada, 24, has beaten four opponents, including three Filipinos, since wresting the two crowns from Viloria. The Filipinos whom he defeated were Milan Melindo, Richie Mepranum and Joebert Alvarez. His record is 31-2, with 22 KOs.

Somodio said WBC flyweight titlist Roman (Chocolatito) Gonzalez of Nicaragua will be an easier foe for Viloria than Estrada. Gonzalez, 27, has a 41-0 record, with 35 KOs, and used to be the WBA minimumweight and lightflyweight champion. Last November, he halted Filipino Rocky Fuentes to retain his WBC crown in Yokohama.

“Brian is strong and disciplined,” said Somodio. “And his left hook is deadly. If you’re fighting Brian, you don’t want to engage. Gonzalez likes to trade. I can see Brian catching him with the left hook. I don’t think Gonzalez has ever fought anyone who hits as hard as Brian.”

Another option is for Viloria to challenge the winner of the IBF flyweight title bout between defending champion Amant Ruenroeng of Thailand and two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming of China in Macau on March 7. The problem is if Zou wins, Viloria will be pitted against a stablemate as the Chinese is also trained by Roach and Somodio at the Wild Card Gym.

Zou, 33, has a 6-0 record, with 1 KO, and is coming off a 12-round win over Thailand’s Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym in Macau last November. Zou floored Kwanpichit twice in the second round and once in the last but finished the fight looking more like the loser with his left eye swollen shut and a deep cut over his left eyebrow. Amnat, 35, has a 14-0 record, with 5 KOs.

“I think Zou could’ve knocked out Kwanpichit in the first four rounds but he let him off the hook and reverted to his amateur style,” said Somodio. “What Zou showed in the fight was his ability to take a punch. If ever Brian and Zou fight, I’ll go where Freddie wants me to. I’ll never go against Freddie in an opposite corner. If Freddie chooses to work with Zou, then I’ll go with him and Brian has to find somebody else to work his corner. If he chooses to work with Brian, then that’s where I’ll go. Brian and Zou spar with each other. They learn from each other. But boxing is boxing. If they have to fight for the world title, it’s their profession so they’ll do it.”

Somodio was recently in Moscow to work Ruslan Provodnikov’s corner in his fight against Mexico’s Jose Luis Castillo. Provodnikov won on a fifth round stoppage and is in line to battle for the WBO lightwelterweight title vacated by Chris Algieri to fight Manny Pacquiao. Somodio said Provodnikov, who was the WBO champion until he was dethroned by Algieri, could face Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse for the vacant throne. Provodnikov, 30, has a 24-3 record, with 17 KOs while Matthysse, 32, has a 36-3 mark, with 34 KOs.

In the Provodnikov-Castillo undercard, Somodio worked actor Mickey Rourke’s corner against Elliot Seymour. The Rourke-Seymour fight was a five-round exhibition. Rourke, 62, hadn’t fought in 20 years while Seymour, 29, has lost his last eight outings. “Mickey is very popular in Russia,” said Somodio. “He trained hard for the fight, working out thrice a day, once early in the morning for jogging, then weights at noontime and boxing in late afternoon. He brought down his weight from 190 to 175. But I wasn’t sure how long he could last in a fight. So I was relieved when he knocked out Seymour with a body shot. Mickey put me on his shoulders and paraded around the ring. I told him to put me down because I had to rush to Ruslan’s dressing room to tape his hands because he was up next.”

 Another fighter whom Somodio trains is WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. Cotto is tipped to defend his crown against Mexico’s Saul Alvarez tentatively in Las Vegas on May 2. The fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather has priority for that date. “I think Miguel will beat Alvarez,” said Somodio. “He’s smooth, he has good rhythm. Miguel may not be as fast as Mayweather but he has more power. Alvarez has difficulty against fighters who don’t stand in front of him. Miguel will know what to do to beat him.”