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Saturday, April 15, 2000
Viloria fights
Pat Bigold
in Mexico in
Olympic qualifier
Star-BulletinDismayed by the resignations of two key teammates from the U.S.A. Olympic boxing team, Waipahu's Brian Viloria and three other Americans will make another attempt to qualify for Sydney next week.
Viloria, the world amateur champion at 106 pounds, must get past the semifinals of the Central American qualifier which starts Monday in Tijuana, Mexico, to become the first Hawaii fighter in the Olympics since 1956.
"I'm just focusing right now on throwing a lot more combinations than I did before," said Viloria.
While riding a 19-fight win streak, Viloria suffered a stunning upset loss last month at the hands of Puerto Rican Ivan Calderon in the semifinals of an Olympic qualifier in Tampa, Fla.
But the 19-year-old Viloria said he can't help being distracted by the recent defections of two medal hopefuls.
Lightweight Marshall Martinez, whose style had confounded opponents, resigned on April 7, and Viloria said yesterday that light heavyweight Michael Simms, Jr., the 1999 world amateur champion, has also officially left the team. Both resigned for personal reasons.
"I'm just disappointed in them," said Viloria. "There are a lot of people out there who would give so much to be in the spot where they were. To just walk away, I just can't understand that. It kind of bugged me."
U.S.A. team coach Tom Mustin had said earlier that this 12-man team could be the best since 1976. But there is no guarantee the U.S.A. will have 12 fighters unless all make it through the qualifiers.
Nine boxers qualified in Tampa. Martinez was one of the qualifers there, but his replacement, David Jackson of Seattle, must now qualify on his own.
Olanda Anderson, an Army boxer from Ft. Carson, Colo., replaces Simms of Sacramento, Calif.
"I have been practicing more on four or five-punch combinations," said Viloria. "I am really trying to get my speed in because I know I have my power. The last time I was just focusing more on my power and trying to overtake my opponents. Now I will just go in there and throw in my boxing skills, using a lot more speed."
Calderon landed more punches than the normally hard-hitting Viloria in the Tampa semifinal, and that helped him win.
"It is tougher for us to fight in a different country, but I have fought in those types of conditions before," said Viloria, who is 3-2 in Mexico during his career.
He said he and the U.S. team fought an exhibition last year in Budapest amid high anti-American sentiment during the NATO bombing of Kosovo.
Viloria is also 3-2 against his archrival, Liberio Romero of Mexico. He defeated Romero in a close fight in the quartefinals in Tampa, but might have to face him again in Tijuana.
Viloria needs to qualify this week in Tijuana or May 23-28 in the South American qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina to make the Olympics.
Viloria won the Olympic trials and a box-off to earn his place on the American team. But this year, because only 54 fighters from the Americas will be allowed to compete in Sydney, a series of qualifiers was established to thin out the field.
Viloria plans to set up a training stopover in Hawaii en route to Sydney in August.
The Canadian team is already planning to come here.
Sydney 2000 Olympics
