Sunday, January 6, 2002
[ BOXING ]
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So much for teaching Waipahu's Brian Viloria a lesson. Viloria improves to 5-0
By Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comBefore Viloria floored Antonio Perez-Ontiveros in the third round to improve to 5-0 on the undercard of HBO's New Year's Brawl in San Antonio, Texas, last night, his manager tried to explain why he was matching up his Olympian with a man with a steel jaw who supposedly can't be knocked down.
He said he wanted Viloria to learn that he can't just get by with his power as he works his way up the flyweight ladder.
Maybe next time Viloria will learn that lesson, because he didn't have time last night.
"He looked so comfortable in the ring, he managed it like it was his house," Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager said. "He won over the whole crowd. I didn't expect this."
Viloria had his way with Ontiveros, feeling him out for a round then putting together a flurry of shots to the head in the second. He was easily in control of the fight when he took a seat in the corner between the second and third rounds listening as his handlers helped him decide how and when to take out his challenger.
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They decided that since the fight was about working on things the young fighter would need in the future instead of just about giving out punishment, they would try to accomplish a rarity in the world of professional fighting -- knocking a guy out with a body shot."I might have got a little too excited hitting him in the head," Viloria said. "But I settled down and got back to my game plan. It was a good workout."
Viloria got caught up in the moment and went back to the head, enjoying the sound of an erupting crowd mixed with leather meeting mangled nose. Then he settled down and hit Ontiveros with a body shot that Gittelsohn said was as hard as any he had ever seen.
"He (Viloria) hit him with a body shot that should be in the record books," Gittelsohn said. "The guy dropped like he was shot. I just talked to him (Perez-Ontiveros) and he said he had never felt power like that."
Perez-Ontiveros came in knowing about power, but not about what was introduced before the fight as "Hawaiian Punch."
His record dropped to 5-6 in his career, but it was only the first time he had been floored since Nov. '98 when he was fighting as a lightweight (135 pounds) where knockouts are more common. Viloria fights at 112 pounds.
As successful as Viloria has been in his career, he is trying to keep it in perspective and stay on track with his long range goals.
"I'm just gonna rest a little while, then try to get in the ring and keep going," Viloria said. "I'm not rushing anything, taking it step-by-step."