Viloria’s opponent
can’t make weight

CINCINNATI >> Waipahu boxer Brian Viloria didn't get a chance to put his unbeaten record on the line on ESPN yesterday.

But the events leading up to his scheduled fight were enough to give him a little bit more of an education in the business of boxing.

Julio Cesar Oyuela failed to make weight before he was supposed to fight Viloria yesterday, robbing the Olympian of his sixth professional fight. Viloria is 5-0 with three knockouts in the flyweight division.

"I really wish I was on that show, but things like this happen in boxing," Viloria said. "I am disappointed, shocked in a way because I trained hard for this fight. My opponent knew he was not going to fight ahead of time and just wasted everyone's time."

Oyuela showed up 30 minutes late for the first weigh-in Saturday, where he checked in at 117 pounds to Viloria's 112.

The boxing commission and Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager, agreed to give Oyuela two hours to make weight, and he came back weighing 115 1/2.

They then decided to give him until 9 a.m. yesterday to come close to his weight, but Oyuela showed up at 7 a.m. weighing 117 pounds. By 9 a.m. Oyuela weighed 116 1/2 and got yet another last chance to make weight in the next two hours.

This time Oyuela changed his strategy, "drinking two quarts of Pedialyte and hitting the buffet table," according to Gittelsohn, who interviewed Oyuela in between weigh-ins. Oyuela tipped the scales at 121 pounds and Gittelsohn called the fight off despite pressure to allow Viloria to take on the heavier man.

"I was talking to Teddy Atlas and he told me that everybody gets tested inside and outside the ring," Viloria said. "This was just one of those tests outside the ring."

Gittelsohn said that referees told him that even if he had waived the weight stipulation, they would not have allowed it to go on.

Gittelsohn got ESPN to commit to airing a Viloria fight March 15 in New York City.

Viloria's next opponent has not been determined, but he said at this point in his career, the opponent is not important as long as he makes weight. And he will, no matter what his manager has to do.

"I will make sure his opponent makes weight if I have to supervise his training myself," Gittelsohn said.

After the March 15 fight, which will be Viloria's second in New York City, he expects to fight in Honolulu in May against an undetermined opponent.

"In North America, finding 112 -pound opponents is not an easy thing," Gittelsohn said. "Especially since Brian is a thoroughbred and not many people want to fight him in the first place."

But don't ask Viloria about fighting in front of his home crowd again, its not even on his radar.

"I can't afford to fool around," Viloria said. "I am trying not to overlook any fight, I'll just take care of this one and then I can look toward May at home."

In the "Super Brawl" main event, Ricardo Williams Jr. overcame a broken left hand to win a unanimous 10-round decision yesterday over Anthony Washington in a battle of unbeaten junior welterweights.

Takata falls in first round of German judo tourney

Taylor Takata (Iolani 2000) was eliminated from the German World Open Tournament in Wuppertal, Germany yesterday when he lost his first match in the 132-pound class to Sven Boonens of Belgium by ippon. Boonens then lost his next match to Minori Konegawa of Japan, thus eliminating Takata from the tournament.

Golf Channel to broadcast from Big Island

The Golf Channel will broadcast 15 hours of the LPGA season opener on the Beach Course of the Waikoloa Beach Resort this weekend.

The network plans on covering all three rounds of the LPGA Takefuji Classic, beginning at noon Thursday, Friday and Saturday and replaying at 6 p.m. each day.

The tournament features a purse of $900,000 and a roster of big-name players, including defending champion Lorie Kane, 2001 LPGA Player of the Year Annika Sorenstam and former University of Hawaii golfer Cindy Flom.