Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Thursday, April 20, 2000

Viloria going
to Olympics

He is the first Olympic fighter
from Hawaii in 44 years

Promoters can't wait
for Viloria to turn pro

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Waipahu light flyweight Brian Viloria this morning became the state's first Olympic fighter in 44 years as he overwhelmed two-time Olympian Domenic Filane of Canada, with a 10-2 decision, in the semifinals of the Central American qualifier in Tijuana, Mexico.

"This is the dream I've had since I was eight," said Viloria, who was sobbing with joy in his hotel room after the bout.

"A whole lot of weight just came off my back I broke down like a baby after I got back to the hotel." Viloria is the reigning world amateur champion at 106 pounds. He will enter the Olympics as the favorite for the gold because he defeated 1996 gold medalist Maikro Romero of Cuba for the world title last year.

"His straight right is like a bullet being shot from a gun," said Filane by phone after the fight. "He hits harder than I've ever been hit before. He's world champion for a reason."

"His straight right is like a bullet being shot from a gun." Two-time Olympian Domenic Filane of Canada After he was defeated by Hawaii's Brian Viloria

Viloria was forced to fight in the qualifier in Tijuana after his 19-fight win streak was stopped in the semifinals of the Americas Olympic Qualifier in Tampa, Fla., last month.

Filane said he expects Viloria can beat Romero again if he faces him.

The punch that Viloria packs had big-time pro promoters and managers drooling, even before he made the Olympic team, according to local fight officials.

"I was in Vegas a couple of weeks back, and not surprisingly there were quite a number of boxing promoters already vying for the services of Viloria," said former Hawaii State Boxing Commission executive director Bobby Lee.

"Whether he makes the team or not, they want to sign him up. They were asking me because they know I'm from Hawaii and I know the family. They're (promoters) looking for every little lead they can get on him."

Mike Machado, current executive director of the boxing commission, echoed Lee's report.

"A lot of promoters and managers would like to grab the kid," said Machado.

"It's not because he's a great boxer. It's because the kid can punch. And that's the kind of fighter we need locally to revive boxing. If he's America's representative (in Sydney), he's going to be a major attraction down there."

Viloria was dubbed, "Little Tyson," for the way he drilled his way to a national title five years ago.

Machado said that as a pro, Viloria would score a lot more knockouts than he's had as an amateur.

"As an amateur, you have to land a lot of blows, because that's how they score," he said. "But in the pros, it's a different game because you have to land effective punches, and he really punches."

Eiichi Jumawan, a former two-time AAU champion and boxing commission member, said the longer rounds in pro fighting will suit Viloria.

"If Brian can make it exciting in the pros and start knocking guys out -- and I think he will -- because there will be longer rounds and he can set them (opponents) up more deliberately," said Jumawan. "With his punching power, he'll be taking guys out after the fourth or fifth rounds."

Jumawan predicted that if Viloria wins any medal in Sydney, he will emerge from the Olympics as highly touted as former WBA super welterweight champion David Reid, the only American boxer to win gold at Atlanta. Reid and Viloria have trained under the same coach, former Olympic coach Al Mitchell.

Jumawan said that if Viloria simply makes the Olympic team, he will ignite a boxing renaissance in Hawaii.

"It will boost boxing here tremendously for all the kids who come out of the gym," he said. "It will really help amateur boxing."

---

Promoters can’t wait
for Viloria to turn pro

The amateur boxer from Waipahu
has people standing in line vying
for his services

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

The punch that Waipahu light flyweight Brian Viloria packs has big-time professional fight promoters and managers drooling, even before he makes the Olympic team, according to respected local boxing figures.

The 19-year-old Viloria would become the state's first Olympic fighter in 44 years if he can defeat 31-year-old Canadian Domenic Filane this morning in the semifinals of the Central American qualifier in Tijuana, Mexico. Filane is a two-time Olympian.

Viloria is the reigning world amateur champion at 106 pounds. If he earns his Olympic berth, he will be a favorite for the gold because he defeated 1996 gold medalist Maikro Romero of Cuba for the world title last year.

"I was in Vegas a couple of weeks back, and not surprisingly there were quite a number of boxing promoters already vying for the services of Viloria," said former Hawaii State Boxing Commission executive director Bobby Lee.

"Whether he makes the team or not, they want to sign him up. They were asking me because they know I'm from Hawaii and I know the family. They're (promoters) looking for every little lead they can get on him."

Mike Machado, current executive director of the boxing commission, said: "A lot of promoters and managers would like to grab the kid.

"It's not because he's a great boxer. It's because the kid can punch. And that's the kind of fighter we need locally to revive boxing. If he's America's representative (in Sydney), he's going to be a major attraction down there."

Viloria was dubbed, "Little Tyson," for the way he drilled his way to a national title five years ago.

Machado said that as a pro, Viloria would score a lot more knockouts than he's had as an amateur.

"As an amateur, you have to land a lot of blows, because that's how they score," he said.

"But in the pros, it's a different game because you have to land effective punches, and he really punches."

Eiichi Jumawan, a former two-time AAU champion and boxing commission member, said the longer rounds in pro fighting will suit Viloria.

"If Brian can make it exciting in the pros and start knocking guys out - and I think he will - because there will be longer rounds and he can set them up more deliberately," said Jumawan.

Jumawan predicted that if Viloria wins any medal in Sydney, he will emerge from the Olympics as high touted as former WBA super welterweight champion

David Reid is the only American boxer to win gold at Atlanta. Reid and Viloria have the same coach, former Olympic coach Al Mitchell.