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Friday, February 11, 2000

Associated Press
Brian Viloria, right, takes a jab to the head from Glenn Donaire
of San Leandro, Calif., during their semifinal bout in the 106-pound
weight class at the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials in Tampa, Fla.

Viloria reaches
U.S. trials title bout

Staff and wire reports

Brian Viloria of Waipahu found himself in a family feud at the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials championships, at Tampa, Fla.

Viloria, the world 106-pound champion, turned from slugging to boxing and scored a 10-5 victory over Glenn Donaire in a semifinal match last night.

In tomorrow's championship bout, Viloria will box Nonito Donaire, a 16-3 semifinal winner over Bradley Martinez, boxing in his third Olympic trials.

"I was disappointed my brother lost," said 17-year-old Nonito Donaire. "All he said was he won the fight. He made the world champion run."

"I expected him to come out and not to be scared," the 19-year-old Viloria said of the 20-year-old Glenn Donaire of San Leandro, Calif. "He's strong, really strong, and I couldn't overpower him. In the last two rounds I tried to box him a whole lot, and it paid off."

Nonito Donaire, a U.S. champion, is more of a boxer than his brother, and he was just too quick and elusive for the 30-year-old Martinez of the Army at Fort Carson, Colo.

"I'm going to try to overpower him, but if I can't I'll box him," Viloria said of Nonito Donaire.

"He's an inside fighter, and I'm a boxer," Nonito said. "People say he's good and he is good, but I can outsmart him and send him back to the losers bracket, where my brother can take care of him."

The trials are a double-elimination tournament. Glenn Donaire will now box in the challengers (losers) bracket. The winner in that bracket will box the losers of the championship finals. The winners of those bouts will challenge the trials champions at the box-off Feb. 24-26.