[ BOXING ]
RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Brian Viloria is set to take on Juan Alfonso Keb Baas tomorrow at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.
Viloria ready to
‘make a move toward
a world title’The boxer from Waipahu faces
a tough opponent tomorrow
In the grand scheme of things, Brian Viloria's first 13 professional fights mean next to nothing to him.
He will take the titles he has won in that time, and remember his innocent days fondly enough, but he believes that it was nothing more than the undercard to what he expects to be a title run.
"It all starts now," Viloria said. "This guy is very tough, and the rest of the guys I fight are going to be the same way. It is time to make a move toward a world title."
Boxing
Who: Brian Viloria (13-0, 8 KOs) vs. Juan Alfonso Keb Baas (30-9-2, 20 KOs)
What: ESPN's Friday Night Fights
When: Tomorrow, 4 p.m.
Where: Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Conn.
Why: North American Boxing Federation title bout
Viloria, the North American Boxing Federation champion and the fourth-ranked flyweight in the World Boxing Council, will shake off six months of inactivity against Juan Alfonso Keb Baas of Mexico at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., tomorrow.
Due to an ugly fight with his promotional company, Viloria, 23, has put in only a minute and a half of work since beating Valentin Leon at the Sheraton in Waikiki in April.
"I am so excited to get into the ring," Viloria said. "I have done all of my fighting outside of it lately and it really has been bugging me."
Viloria (13-0, eight KOs) split with DiBella Entertainment over unfulfilled obligations, one of the major sticking points being DiBella's inability to get Viloria time on television, particularly HBO.
That is part of what makes this fight, a mandatory defense of Viloria's NABF title, the most important of his young career. He seems to have something different to prove to everyone in the boxing business.
"Every fight is an important fight for Brian," Team Viloria manager Gary Gittelsohn said. "He doesn't have the luxury of going off focus for a minute, we want him to capture the eyes of everyone in the television business."
Viloria lulled ESPN viewers to sleep in his two fights before destroying Luis Doria in July, and he will be watched closely to see if he is the young Olympian fans tuned in to see early in his career or the boring winner who will allow pretenders to run away from him.
The most important eyes on Viloria may not be those of ESPN's Bob Yalen, they could be those of one of the game's greatest legends.
After the split with DiBella, Gittelsohn began taking offers from other promoters, including "Sugar" Ray Leonard.
Leonard and Viloria have a deal on the table contingent on how Viloria looks against Keb Baas. Should Viloria draw boos for not being able to catch up to and put out Keb Baas, the deal won't be off but could change slightly as the shine falls off Viloria's star.
If Viloria puts on a good show against the veteran, he will have himself a new promoter.
"That's pretty much it," Viloria said. "They want to see how much I can complete the deal. But it is no different than any other fight, where I have to show my fans I can complete the deal."
Completing the deal against Keb Baas may be easier said than done. The 33-year-old has lost three of his last four fights -- fighting to a draw in the other -- but boasts a 30-9-2 record in his career against tough competition.
Viloria has become known for early knockouts, ending fights in the first round in three of his 13 bouts, but Keb Baas is known for not being knocked out early. He has only been stopped three times in his career, once in the first round.
"Brian is taking a significant step up in class," Gittelsohn said. "He is the NABF champion and in the main event on an ESPN card, so this is the way it's got to be. Nothing Brian does in the ring surprises me, but if he stops this guy early I would be shocked."
