Viloria Claims World Flyweight Boxing Title

By Fred Guzman

On just about every level, Brian Viloria’s homecoming was a huge success.  The Hawaiian Punch was bloodied a bit but was in control throughout in posting a unanimous decision to take away Julio Cesar Miranda’s WBO flyweight title in what was, by all accounts, an entertaining bout.

The judges had it 117-110, 114-113 and 115-113 in favor of Viloria, who scored a first-round knockdown against his hard-hitting Mexican opponent.

The victory enabled Viloria to become the sixth Filipino to hold world titles in multiple weight classes. The former IBF and WBC light flyweight champ made the most of his first shot at at the flyweight crown, improving his career mark to 29-3 and 5-3 in world title bouts.

Viloria is also 5-0 in his hometown.  Which brings us to the one   disappointing aspect of Saturday’s event: An estimated turnout of just 2,500 at the Blaisdell Arena.  The crowd made a lot of noise, but the promoters surely expected a larger turnout.

The event also was available via pay-per-view only to the Neighbor Islands.  Don’t know the numbers for that.

Still, it’s hard for Viloria – who earned a modest $25,000 for the bout — to justify bringing another big fight to his hometown when his hometown fans are not supporting him in at the gate.  Just saying. …