Underdog Boxing: Viloria must keep his new WBO belt around his waist

Brian Viloria (29-3-0, 16 KOs) performs very well in fights where he challenges for a version of the world title that he has not held yet. He knocked out Eric Ortiz in the very first round in his first attempt at the WBC light flyweight title. He knocked out Ulises Solis in the eleventh round in his first attempt to win the IBF light flyweight title. And now he has won the WBO flyweight title in his very first title attempt in the new division. Winning titles for the first time has never been difficult for Viloria; the hard part is keeping the belt around his waist. After winning the WBC light flyweight title, Viloria defended it once against Jose Antonio Aguirre and lost it in his second defense against Omar Soto. He failed to regain the title in two other tries. After winning the IBF light flyweight title, Viloria also defended it once against Jesus Iribe and also lost it in his second title defense against, this time against Carlos Tamara. Viloria is no spring chicken. At 30 years of age, he cannot expect to move up in weight to collect more belts. His one shot to solidify his legacy is here and now. Winning over a champion like Julio Cesar Miranda was not easy but history will not remember this victory unless there are a lot of successful title defenses behind it. The Hawaiian Punch needs to keep the fire burning. He needs to stay hungry; to keep wanting more. Now the target is on his back and every fighter in the flyweight division will prepare for him. If he felt he was at the best shape of his life against Miranda, then he should strive to be in better shape in his next fight because there are young guys out there who are stronger, faster, and more powerful than him. If an opportunity to unify titles presents itself, Viloria should jump on it immediately. A unification match against WBC champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, IBF champion Moruthi Mthlane, or WBA champion Hernan Marquez must be at the top of Viloria’s list for possible opponents. Wonjongkam is especially interesting as he owns the seventh spot in Ring Magazine’s Pound-for-Pound rankings. Another possible opponent is Giovanni Segura who is just a spot behind Wonjongkam in Ring’s ratings. Manny Pacquiao made his name by moving up in weight and demolishing all challengers. Nonito Donaire is poised to do the same thing while also trying to unify all the belts in his division. Viloria is too old and too small to accomplish such feats. But if he wants to be remembered as one of the best Filipino fighters of all time, he should give us a stretch of wins, not just one big win at a time. Viloria is a very good fighter. He is technically sound and has power in both hands. All he needs to do is make sure he has enough stamina to not just survive but be effective in all 12 rounds. -- OMG, GMA News