World Boxing Organization flyweight champion Brian Viloria defends his title against Mexico’s Omar Nino Romero in Manila on April 1 in a fight card presented by Solar Sports.

It will be the third meeting between Viloria and Omar Nino Romero with the first two fights ending in controversy.

In their first clash on August 10, 2006, Nino won a questionable lopsided twelve round decision at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in a WBC light flyweight title fight, while in the rematch on November 18, 2006 Nino retained his title in a draw. However, because the Mexican tested positive for a banned substance the fight was declared a no-contest.

Viloria faced Edgar Sosa for the vacant title and dropped another controversial majority decision on April 14, 2007, but came back with a string of five wins before taking on highly fancied Ulises Solis, another Mexican, for the IBF light flyweight title at the famed Araneta Coliseum on April 19, 2009.

Viloria scored a spectacular 11th round knockout and was once again embraced by Filipino fans who had been disappointed with his showing against Omar Nino Romero.

Viloria successfully defended his title against Jesus Iribe at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu on August 29, 2009 but  lost by a 12th round TKO to Panama’s Carlos Tamara on Jnauary 23, 2010 when he was overcome by fatigue with 75 seconds remaining in a fight where Viloria was well ahead on the scorecards of all three judges.

Realizing that his struggle to make the 108 pound limit was taking its toll, Viloria decided to move up to the flyweight limit and won the title with an impressive twelve round decision over Julio Cesar “Pingo” Miranda on July 16, 2011 in Honolulu.

His first defense is regarded as Viloria’s finest ring performance. He battered and bewildered pound for pound No. 9 and heavily favored Mexican KO artist Giovanni Segura with a clinical but power-packed performance to score a sensational 8th round TKO at the Ynares Sports Center on December 11, 2011.

Viloria’s manager Gary Gittelsohn who has treated the fighter like a son told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that he was “putting the finishing touches” to the title defense against Nino.

He said Viloria “is very excited to return to Manila   and we look forward to a great fight.”

Gittelsohn said that since winning his second world title and his third belt Viloria “is finally the fighter we all knew he would become” adding that this year they are “looking forward to the big match-ups – Roman Gonzalez, Hernan “Tyson” Marquez etc.”

The likeable manager stressed he would “do everything possible to draw attention to these ‘little giants’. The new programming teams at Showtime and HBO Sports are very savvy guys and I suspect they will open their  airwaves to showcase them.”

Having fought Segura in a mandatory, Viloria chose Omar Nino Romero for a voluntary defense and possibly for a chance to settle the score with the Mexican once and for all.

The 31 year old Viloria has a record of 30-3 with 17 knockouts while Omar Nino Romero is 35 and has a record of 30-4-2 with 12 knockouts that includes a victory over former WBC world flyweight champion Rode Mayol on June 19, 2010. However, in his last fight for the WBC light flyweight title Romero lost by a twelve round majority decision to Gilbert Keb Baas on November 6, 2010.

 

by Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49804

 

 

 

La Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) anunció los oficiales que estarán trabajando este domingo, 11 de diciembre, en el combate titular entre el monarca mosca Brian Viloria y el ex campeón mundial junior mosca  Giovanni Segura, que se efectuará en el Yñares Sports Arena en Manila, Filipinas en una presentación de Promociones Zanfer y Saved by the Bell Promotions.

El presidente de la OMB, Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel, informó que para  la pelea por el título mosca de la OMB entre el estadounidense Viloria (29-3 y 16 nocauts), en su primera defensa, y el mexicano Segura (28-1-1 y 24 nocauts), el árbitro será Samuel Viruet de Estados Unidos.

Mientras, los jueces que trabajarán en este choque entre Viloria y Segura son Danrex Tapdasan de Filipinas, Harry Davis de Canadá y Ulysses Glenn de Estados Unidos. El supervisor de la OMB para este encuentro es Leon Panoncillo Jr.

Viloria, que anteriormente había reinado en las 108 libras, ganó el título de las 112 libras el pasado 16 de julio de 2011 cuando venció por decisión a Julio César Miranda.

Por su parte, Segura fue campeón junior mosca (108 libras) de la OMB venciendo al puertorriqueño Iván “Iron Boy” Calderón en 2010 y defendiéndolo en una ocasión ante el mismo Calderón en 2011. El azteca renunció al título luego para hacer campaña en pesos superiores.

Esta pelea entre Viloria y Segura será transmitida por “Pay Per View” y por TV Azteca.


MANILA, Philippines — It isn’t often that you’ll find a world champion entering his first title defense as the underdog, but that’s the situation WBO flyweight titleholder Brian Viloria finds himself in as he approaches his showdown with THE RING’s junior flyweight champ Giovani Segura this Sunday, Dec. 11, (Saturday evening in the U.S.) at the Yñares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Viloria, of Waipahu, Hawaii, twice held major 108-pound titles before stepping up to flyweight to defeat Mexico’s Julio Cesar Miranda in his most recent outing to earn a belt in his second division. The 31-year-old veteran lost his junior flyweight titles in his second defense of each reign. Most observers are anticipating that this title run will end earlier than the previous ones because of the relentless pressure and KO power of his 29-year-old challenger.

The fight will be aired by the GMA Network in the Philippines, and on pay-per-view in the United States (Integrated Sports, $29.95, 8:00 p.m. EST).

Viloria (29-3, 16 knockouts), a memember of 2000 U.S. Olympic squad, fully embraces the dark horse role given to him by odds makers and most of the media.

“I love being the underdog,” Viloria, told RingTV.com following a light workout at the Punch Out Boxing Club in Makati City. “It motivates me to get ready for a fight. I love fighting when everybody is doubting me. I love trying to prove them wrong.”

Viloria’s longtime assistant traienr Ruben Gomez agrees believes the gifted boxer-puncher is at his best when his back is against the wall.

“I think it’s a good situation to be in, being expected to lose,” said Gomez, who has been with Viloria since the Filipinio-American first turned professional. “But to us, it’s not going to be a surprise when they raise Brian’s hand in victory because we came here to win and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

Viloria is no stranger to being the underdog. Prior to his second world title winning effort against Ulises Solis, Viloria was all but written off as a signature win for Solis’ ninth title defense. Instead Viloria won, punctuating the performance with an 11th-round knockout that would be at home on any highlight reel.

The opposite side of the coin is that Viloria sometimes loses fights he’s supposed to win.

All of Viloria’s defeats — to Carlos Tamara, Omar Nino Romero and Edgar Sosa — came unexpectedly, the result of focus issues, Viloria’s team claims.

“Brian should be working on his fifteenth title defense now,” said Gomez. “I think those fights that he lost, he should have never lost them.”

Viloria finds himself in this difficult spot not by choice, but as a result of his challenger’s mandatory position with Viloria’s predecessor Miranda. Viloria was allowed to cut in front of Segura (28-1-1, 24 KOs) and fight Miranda with the understanding that he’d have to immediately face the slugger from Bell, Calif., by way of Guerrero, Mexico.

The Viloria-Segura clash was expected to take place earlier in the fall but was delayed due to a cut over Viloria’s right eye suffered in the Miranda fight.

Viloria has already upset the odds just by being in this position. Viloria’s career was in serious doubt following his loss last January to Carlos Tamara when, ahead on the scorecards, Viloria’s conditioning fell apart, causing him to lose by a12th-round stoppage. Afterwards he collapsed in the dressing room from exhaustion, a product of the difficulty he experienced making the 108 pound weight limit.

Then, just two weeks before his return bout against Omar Soto six months later, Viloria’s trainer Roberto Garcia abandoned Viloria to join Nonito Donaire Jr., leaving Viloria to find a new trainer. Mario Morales, who is now Viloria’s head trainer, isn’t exactly new, having worked with Viloria early in his career.

“I’ve gone up and down so many times in my career, it is like a roller coaster,” said Viloria. “The resiliency of my career, that’s what it is. Right now I’m back on top as a world champion and I want to stay there. It’s really hard to become a world champion, but it’s ten times as hard to stay as a world champion. The path of my career, it’s what made me today. I think I’m a complete fighter now.”

Viloria vs. Segura Promo

Viloria is expected to be the crowd favorite against Segura, not because the Philippines is a second home to him, but a first home. Viloria was raised by his grandparents from six months to the age of six in the Philippine province of Ilocos Norte on the island archipelago’s most northwestern corner. A dual citizen of the Philippines and America, Viloria’s first language is Ilocano, a dialect of Filipino spoken exclusively in that region. He didn’t learn to speak English until rejoining his parents in Hawaii to begin school.

This will be Viloria’s fifth appearance in the Philippines.

Segura, who is rated number nine on THE RING’s pound-for-pound list, conceded at Wednesday morning’s press conference that Viloria was “a more complete fighter.” He didn’t have Viloria’s pedigree, having picked up the sport at the advanced age of 18. He turned pro after just 11 amateur bouts, while Viloria represented the United States in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

What he does have over Viloria are two signature knockout victories over the previously-unbeaten ring legend Ivan Calderon in 2010 and 2011 that have catapulted him to a pedestal that Viloria has never reached.

The two have crossed paths a number of times over the years, working alongside each other at the Azteca Boxing Club in Bell, Calif., and as sparring partners for five different fights. Segura’s team have said that they got the better of the action and as a result have a mental edge over Viloria. Viloria and company dismiss it as “just sparring.”

“Sparring is like scrimmage; You don’t give your best foot forward,” said Viloria. “You just try to work on things you need to work on. Sometimes it gives you a false sense of saying, ‘Alright, he fights this way’ or ‘He fights that way, that’s the way I’m gonna fight him.’ It really kind of throws you off when you switch it off. The real fight is a whole different level than a sparring session.”

“Giovani is full speed ahead, whether it’s sparring or it’s fighting,” said Gomez. “He spars pretty much the same way he fights. I don’t particularly like that type of sparring because if somebody hits you hard, you’re going to hit him hard and that just escalates.”

What Viloria believes the sparring sessions have done is given each man a sense of the way the other likes to fight, something that he feels will work to his advantage.

“He has that one-dimensional style, he’ll try and corner you and slug you out into submission,” said Viloria. “I’m so versatile in this sport, I think that’s going to be the difference in this fight. I don’t think Segura is going to figure out what style I’m going to bring into the ring. I’m going to have to switch it up and make him think and keep him on his toes.”

Many people who are picking Segura over Viloria do so out of a lack of faith in Viloria’s conditioning late in fights. Viloria himself acknowledges that conditioning has been an issue in past fights and says that has been their primary focus in training camp. Running the mountains of Southern California — as well as the additional four pounds of the flyweight division — have given Viloria confidence that his issues of the past are just that. The past.

“I’m really confident that I’m going to look at the twelfth round like I’ll look in the first round,” said Viloria. “I made the weight easy, I’m eating right, sleeping right. There’s not going to be any excuses in this fight.

“I want to go in there and show the world that Brian Viloria is a new Brian Viloria in this weight division and I want to stay world champion for as long as I can.”

 

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/170601-brian-viloria-qi-love-being-the-underdogq

WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria says he is “ready to go” when he defends his title for he first time against mandatory challenger Giovanni Segura, the former light flyweight champion at the Yñares Sports Arena on Sunday morning.

The fight card which is a cooperative effort between Zanfer Promotions and Solar Sports is titled “Island Assault 3” and will be telecast over GMA 7 beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Viloria told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that he’s been in the gym for almost three months and “been working hard every day, trying to get ready for Segura. It’s going to be a tough fight. I know that. Everybody knows that and I think I’m coming in as the underdog which I love. I worked ten times harder than for the (Julio Cesar “Pingo”) Miranda fight and I’m going to be ready.”

Viloria dropped Miranda in the opening round en route to winning the title via a unanimous twelve round decision in Honolulu last July 16.

The three-time world champion said he plans to use his skill, ring savvy and outbox the rugged Segura. Viloria said “it all comes down to execution. Train hard, set up a game-plan, try to work on the game-plan during training and when it comes down to the fight night you have to execute it. We have to fight smart, intelligently, stay off the ropes against Segura and just go out there and do my best.”

Viloria said some people underestimate his “hidden” punching power referring to the 11th round knockout over fancied Ulises Solis and dropping Miranda in the very first round. He said “hopefully on Sunday it (punching power) will show because I have a stopping ability. I also have the quickness, the ring intelligence and so much experience and I try to use everything all at once. ”

He said Segura was a nice person and “we can be friends before and after the fight but when we are in that squared circle all that goes out of the window and you have to get down to business. I’m going to try to knock his head off same way he’s going to try to knock my head off. That’s the sport of boxing.”

Viloria said his trainer Mario Morales “works you tremendously. He kicks butt and non-stop. He’s got me into that shape where I can go the full distance or try to wake up all the instincts that I have inside of me.”

Morales himself said Viloria was “in better condition than he was in Hawaii for the Miranda fight.” He said “if we carry on the strategy that we planned for this fight it will be an easy fight. It’s brain versus strength. If we decide to trade with Segura it will be a very hard fight but if we stick to the plan, box, and be in and out, in and out and use our speed then it will be an easier fight.”

Morales said Viloria was “very strong, very focused. I’ve never seen him this focused before.”

 

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=46937

El hawaiano Brian Viloria ya está en Manila, Filipinas, donde este domingo 11 de diciembre defenderá su corona universal mosca de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo ante el mexicano Giovanni Segura. Viloria (29-3, 16 KOs) busca realizar la primera defensa de su cinturón, el cual obtuvo al derrotar por puntos a otro mexicano, Julio César Miranda.

“Estoy en perfectas condiciones y estoy listo para la pelea”, comentó “El Hawaiian Punch” tras dos meses de duros entrenamientos.

Tras haber causado sensación en el peso minimosca, Segura (28-1-1, 24 KOs) invade las 112 libras y busca quedarse con la faja mundial.

 La pelea se realizará en el Yñares Sports Arena de Pasig City, Manila.

 

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/Viloria_listo_para_defender_ante_Segura_printer.php

A roster of Mexican boxing legends are arriving in Manila for WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria’s mandatory title defense against hard-hitting Mexican Giovanni Segura at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila on December 11.

Among the latest to join the roster of superstars flying in to Manila is WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, the acknowledged “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. who will do the TV commentary for Mexican audiences alongside another legend, Marco Antonio Barrera.

The title fight will be held in the morning in order to satisfy the demand of pay-per-view audiences in Mexico and the United States.

Viloria, a three-time world champion won the WBO title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Mexico’s rugged Julio Cesar “Pingo” Miranda last July 16 at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii with one judge, Robert Hoyle scoring the bout by a lopsided 117-110 margin for Viloria. Hoyle is the same judge who scored the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III a 114-114 draw.

Viloria won his first world title with a sensational 1st round knockout of Eric Ortiz at the Staples enter on September 10, 2005. After losing the title by  a controversial twelve round decision to Omar Nino FRomero on August 10, 2006 in Las Vegas, Viloria came back with a spectacular 11th round knockout of Ulises Solis at the Araneta Coliseum on April 19, 2009 to win the IBF title.

After losing the title in a stunning 12th round TKO to Carlos Tamara of Panama on January 23, 2010 Viloria who was having problems making the 108 pound limit decided to move up to 112 and promptly won the WBO flyweight crown.

The 31 year old Viloria, a former US Olympian with a record of 29-3 with 16 knockouts  said he plans to hold on to his title much longer than in the past but is expected to be involved in a ring war with Segura.

The 29 year old Segura has a record of 28-1-1 with 24 knockouts and is best known for his two dominating victories over former undefeated champion Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico.

In their first encounter in Calderon’s hometown, Segura won by an 8th round knockout on August 28, 2010  and in the rematch in Mexico Segura dominated Calderon to win by a 3rd round knockout on April 2, 2011.

Last June, Segura fought a keep-busy fight in the super flyweight division where he knocked out Eddy Zuniga in a single round.  He has an amazing 80% knockout ratio but he has proven that fighting the whole 12 rounds will not be a problem for him.

“I’ve sparred with Segura in the past and we beat the hell out of each other,” said Viloria. “It was the kind of sparring where we could have charged the audience for an entrance fee and they wouldn’t have complained.”

On December 10, these two fighters will get to do the real thing. This fight is a potential fight of the year candidate as the two fighters will surely come out to brawl. The Viloria-Segura tiff has generated a lot of interest from the boxing world as the two are ranked highly in their own divisions. The two fighters have proven time and again that they belong to the top tier of fighters and a win over the other will definitely catapult them higher in the pound-for-pound rankings.

“Segura is a very dangerous opponent for me but if I beat him, I’ll get to keep my title and grab his slot in Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings,” said Viloria.

The supporting main event for the Viloria-Segura title fight will feature veteran Mexican fighter Martin Honorio (31-6-1, 16 KOs) versus Fahsai Sakkreerin (36-2-0, 20 KOs) of Thailand for the IBF interim super featherweight title.

Al Sabaupan (17-0-1 12 KOs) vs Roy Muklis (23-3-2 18 KOs Indonesia) IBF Pan Pacific Championship.

Lolito Sonsona (17-0-1 12 KOs) vs Arden Diale (16-6-3 4KOs) Philippine Flyweight Championship.

 

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=46414

A fight between Giovani Segura and Brian Viloria looks set to happen on Dec. 10 in Manilla, with Viloria’s WBO flyweight belt on the line.

Viloria (29-3-0, 16 KOs) held the WBC and IBF 108-pound titles before garnering a unanimous decision against Julio Cesar Miranda to win the WBO flyweight belt in July.

This will be the first title bout at 112 pounds for Segura (28-1-1, 24 KOs), who has previously held the WBA, WBO and RING titles at 108 pounds. He was installed as the No. 1 contender for the WBO flyweight belt after vacating his 108-pound title in April. He is currently ranked No. 9 on THE RING’s pound-for-pound list.

The two fighters are familiar foes, having faced each other as sparring partners multiple times in the past several years. Sources in Segura’s camp claim their guy has generally gotten the better of these sessions, even putting Viloria down on one occasion.

Unfortunately, according to Segura’s manager, Richard Mota, the fight will most likely not be available on U.S. TV, not even as a small PPV show.

By: RingTV

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/rumors/articles/169913-viloria-vs-segura-on-dec-10

He won the WBO flyweight title by defeating Julio Cesar “Pingo” Miranda by unanimous decision in Honolulu, Hawaii to win his third career title.

Viloria is a Filipino-American boxer with an outstanding amateur and professional career.

In 1999, as an amateur, Viloria won the US championships, the national Golden Gloves and the world title, but did not win a medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics (lost to the eventual gold medalist Brahim Asloum).

His most impressive performance was when he defeated Ulises “Archie” Solis, who at the time was in an 11-fight unbeaten streak.

His last bout was on December 10,2011 against Giovani Segura. Brian Viloria defeated  Segura by 8th Round TKO.

 

REGIONAL TITLES:

1. NABF Flyweight Champion

2. WBC Youth Flyweight Champion

WORLD TITLES:

1. WBC Jr. Flyweight Champion

2. IBF Jr. Flyweight Champion

3. WBO Flyweight Champion