StarBulletin.com

Viloria recuperates in hospital


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POSTED: Sunday, January 24, 2010

Waipahu's Brian Viloria was in “;good”; condition yesterday after collapsing in the locker room following his 12th-round TKO loss to Carlos Tamara in the Philippines, according to manager Gary Gittelsohn.

“;All his tests have returned normal and it is likely that his scary collapse in the dressing room following a brutal fight was the result of a concussion and/or dehydration,”; Gittelsohn said in an e-mail to the Star-Bulletin. “;The doctors have informed me that Brian will not be cleared to fly home for approximately 10 to 14 days; they will first require Brian to return to the hospital for final tests.”;

Viloria rested at the Makati Medical Center in Manila a day after losing his International Boxing Federation light flyweight title to Colombian Carlos Tamara.

Gittelsohn said Viloria would be kept in the hospital for observation for two nights.

Referee Bruce McTavish stopped the fight 1 minute, 45 seconds into the 12th and final round after Viloria was unable to defend himself.

Twice in the final round, Viloria fell to the canvas after swinging and missing with a punch. After getting back to his feet for the second time, Viloria had his hands to his side and did not raise them to defend himself as Tamara went on the offensive.

After Viloria was rushed to the hospital following the fight, doctors found nothing wrong with him after he underwent neck and chest X-rays and a brain CT scan, said Nasser Cruz, head of the boxing division chief of the Philippine Games and Amusement Board.

“;It appears all the results were favorable,”; he told the Associated Press. “;In my view he was very exhausted. ... He had no knockdowns. He just got really tired.”;

“;Even if you are conscious, as long as you had a difficult fight—he delivered a lot of punches and he also received many hits—it's just a regular thing to undergo a check-up,”; Cruz added.

Neurologist Regina Macalintal of the Makati Medical Center told DZBB radio that Viloria was in stable condition.

“;He is doing good. He just needs to rest in the hospital for one or two days,”; Macalintal said.

She said Viloria did not need any surgery and a minor cut to his brow was sutured.

Boxing analyst Ronnie Nathaniels told DZBB radio he spoke at the emergency room with Viloria, who complained of a “;severe headache.”;

The emergency room doctor who attended to Viloria at the first hospital, Dr. Ernesto Gonzales, said Viloria was taken to the first hospital because he “;felt weak”; but was conscious when he arrived on a stretcher.

“;All I can say is he was stable from the time he arrived until he left,”; Gonzales said.

Viloria (26-3) won the IBF title with a knockout of Ulises Solis in Manila last April. He successfully defended the title with a unanimous decision over Jesus Iribe at the Blaisdell Arena in August.

It was Viloria's second run as a world champion. He was the WBC light flyweight champion in 2006, but also lost that title in his second defense.