Viloria bout CHESTER, W. Va. >> Usually, Brian Viloria's fights are described as "no contest."
ruled no contest
The Waipahu flyweight's
fight was stopped in the
third round after an injuryFrom staff and wire reports
His latest one actually was.
The flyweight from Waipahu dominated Alberto Rossel for 2 1/2 rounds last night, but did not get a win when the fight was stopped with 54 seconds left in the third round because an accidental head butt opened a gash above Rossel's right eye that would not close. The ringside doctor stopped the fight immediately and the referee ruled it a no contest.
Under West Virginia rules, a fight stopped by an accidental injury must go at least three rounds for a winner to be declared by judges' scorecards.
The telling blow came midway through the third round when Viloria squared up in front of Rossel and smacked him with three right hands to the side of the head. Rossel attempted to escape the barrage by stepping forward while throwing a prayer of a left hand and caught his temple flush on Viloria's forehead.
It was Viloria's ninth fight without the benefit of headgear, adding another lesson learned in his young professional career.
"I've been grazed (with a head butt) a couple of times, this was the first time I took one full on," Viloria said. "It's like hitting your head on concrete, but you just have to shake it off and keep going."
Viloria controlled the fight throughout, tagging Rossel with a right with 35 seconds left in the first round and wobbling him two more times in the second. But Rossel surprised Viloria by keeping his feet long enough to clinch out of trouble.
"I knew he would come in shape and he can take a punch, but I thought he would fall," Viloria said.
After gauging his speed against Rossel, Viloria was able to put on a little bit of a show. He stood in front of Rossel with his gloves dropped and chin out twice in the third round, and was quick enough to evade Rossel's punches and land counters. He says that was more strategy than showmanship.
"I was trying to get him to commit because he was content with countering," Viloria said. "I was just testing my speed because I thought I was faster than he was."
Viloria remains 8-0 with six knockouts while Rossel leaves with a 7-3 mark.
Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager, went to work right after the fight trying to secure his next date because he believed that 2 1/2 rounds were not enough of a test. He may be getting that test in his next fight.
Gittelsohn says that he, Viloria and trainer Freddie Roach have an offer to appear against an unnamed opponent on the undercard of the David Tua and Michael Moorer fight Aug. 17 on HBO. It would probably not be televised except for clips throughout the show, but provides an opening that Gittelsohn has been looking for.
"HBO is the paragon of boxing," Gittelsohn said. "It is where every boxer who is in the top 10 pound-for-pound wants to end up and it says a lot about Brian. I think they have been interested in a lighter fighter only once, and that was Michael Carbajal."by stepping forward while throwing a prayer of a left hand and caught his temple flush on Viloria's forehead.
It was Viloria's ninth fight without the benefit of headgear, adding another lesson learned in his young professional career.
"I've been grazed (with a head butt) a couple of times, this was the first time I took one full on," Viloria said. "It's like hitting your head on concrete, but you just have to shake it off and keep going."
Viloria controlled the fight throughout, tagging Rossel with a right with 35 seconds left in the first round and wobbling him two more times in the second. But Rossel surprised Viloria by keeping his feet long enough to clinch out of trouble.
"I knew he would come in shape and he can take a punch, but I thought he would fall," Viloria said.
After gauging his speed against Rossel, Viloria was able to put on a little bit of a show. He stood in front of Rossel with his gloves dropped and chin out twice in the third round, and was quick enough to evade Rossel's punches and land counters. He says that was more strategy than showmanship.
"I was trying to get him to commit because he was content with countering," Viloria said. "I was just testing my speed because I thought I was faster than he was."
Viloria remains 8-0 with six knockouts while Rossel leaves with a 7-3 mark.
Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager, went to work right after the fight trying to secure his next date because he believed that 2 1/2 rounds were not enough of a test. He may be getting that test in his next fight.
Gittelsohn says that he, Viloria and trainer Freddie Roach have an offer to appear against an unnamed opponent on the undercard of the David Tua and Michael Moorer fight Aug. 17 on HBO. It would probably not be televised except for clips throughout the show, but provides an opening that Gittelsohn has been looking for.
"HBO is the paragon of boxing," Gittelsohn said. "It is where every boxer who is in the top 10 pound-for-pound wants to end up and it says a lot about Brian. I think they have been interested in a lighter fighter only once, and that was Michael Carbajal."