KENIGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Brian Viloria has come up with unique moves with a jump rope while training during his boxing career.
Waipahu's Brian Viloria knows his supporters will show up at the Sheraton Waikiki Tuesday looking for Valentin Leon of Mexico to suffer the same fate as Sandro Oviedo last year. Viloria ready to rumble
By Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comBut this is a different Viloria, and more importantly, a different opponent.
"If a knockout presents itself I'll take it," Viloria said. "But a knockout is not as important as winning. The guys they've been putting me up against just didn't want to be knocked out."
Viloria (11-0, 6 KOs) will take on Leon (14-5, 6 KOs) in the main event of a card at the Sheraton Waikiki Tuesday. His last fight in Hawaii was last year, when he knocked Oviedo out in the first round.
Viloria, who hasn't stopped an opponent in his last 39 rounds after flooring six men in his first 26 rounds as a professional, could snap that streak depending upon what he sees when he looks into Leon's eyes. Leon, from Mexico City, has a reputation as a scrapper, but so did Alejandro Moreno, Alberto Rossell and Javier Lagos, his last three opponents.
"He (Leon) is a typical Mexican boxer" Viloria said. "He comes right at you and that is to fight."
Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager, scheduled Leon for this fight because of the possibility that he will be the man to stand up to Viloria. But strange things happen to tough men when they stand in against the Olympian.
"Opponents get a taste of what Brian has got in the first 30 seconds of a fight," Gittelsohn said. "After that, nine out of 10 of them are not going to open them up for it any more. You really don't know until the lights go on."
On the undercard, Eric Alexander (18-7, 13 KOs) of Kalihi takes on Calvin Odom (11-4, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles in a six-round fight.
Tali Kulihaapai (8-3, 7 KOs) of Honolulu will fight John Clark (4-2, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles in a six-round heavyweight bout. Sitafine Talosaga (3-0) of Honolulu was scheduled to take on David Bihana (2-2) of Waimanalo in a four-round heavyweight matchup, but Bihana's license is being held up by the state boxing commission until he gets a more complete physical done. He has until Monday to complete it, or event promoter Tom Moffatt will move on by either replacing him on the card or removing the fight.
Bihana is 39 years old.
Super lightweight Jerry Saribay (3-3, 2 KOs) of Kalihi brings John Lopez (6-6, 3 KOs) of Hilo back to the ring in an earlier six-round fight.
Making their professional debuts will be lightweight Jay Saribay of Kalihi taking on Travis Tandel of Kaimuki and Rodney Joseph of Waianae running up against Mark Mariko of Kalihi in a heavyweight clash.
