This time, Brian seeks longer reign

MANILA, Philippines - Since snatching the IBF light-flyweight crown from Mexico’s Ulises Solis last April, Fil-American Brian Viloria has kept his focus on the ring, saying being a champion only means that there are a lot of people out to get you.

“I took two weeks off after winning the world title and then I went back to camp,” said Viloria yesterday through phone patch courtesy of Solar Sports, which is promoting the champion’s first title defense on Aug. 29 in Hawaii.

Viloria won the WBC light-flyweight (108 lb) with a stunning knockout of Victor Ortiz in Las Vegas in 2005, but his tenure proved short-lived, and in the succeeding years, the “Hawaiian Punch” almost hit rock-bottom.

But he managed to pull off a string of victories, and last April 19, at the Araneta Coliseum, he knocked Solis out in the 11th round, and earned himself another world title, a reign which he hopes would last longer this time.

On Aug. 29, Viloria (25-2-0 with 15 knockouts) will face Mexican Jesus “Azul” Iribe (15-5-5 with nine KOs) at the 8,000-seat Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, which the 2000 Olympian considers his second home.

Viloria, who hopes to fill the arena with fans hoping to see a good fight, said his victory over Solis is one that gave him a second life in the brutal sport of boxing.

“Winning doesn’t mean you can stay away from camp. I’ve learned a lot from my first world championship. Now, there’s maturity and better understanding how hard it is to keep the world title,” he said.

Viloria spoke on the phone from his training quarters in Oxnard, California while his manager, Gary Gittelsohn, was in Los Angeles. On the other end of the line were Solar Sports CEO Wilson Tieng and COO Peter Chanliong.

“Everything’s in schedule and upbeat. We’re putting it together very well in training. I’ve been running the mountains with Steven Levuano (Filipino Abe Concepcion’s opponent on Aug. 15 in Las Vegas),” said Viloria.

He said he tipped the scales at 113 lb after Monday’s workout, and felt safe making weight (108 lb) on the eve of the fight.

“I’ve been looking at his (Iribe) tapes, figuring out his tendencies. He’s really a tough fighter and pretty quick. I will put my best foot forward just like when I fought Solis. This is a very dangerous fight,” said Viloria.

His manager knows it won’t be easy.

“There’s no easy fight and it’s no walk in the park,” said Gittelsohn, adding that Viloria should get past Iribe before they can even think of the big fight out there -- the one against WBO champ Ivan Calderon who fights Filipino Rodel Mayol next month.

Since losing his WBC crown to Omar Nino in 2006, Viloria felt it was all over, recalling the “tough times” when he fought once in a swap meet somewhere in LA. He described the place as “some place where people don’t even want to go.”

Now he’s back on top of his division, Viloria is not leaving any stone unturned.

“My journey doesn’t stop here. In fact it has just started and I need to prove that to a lot of people and to myself. It was a hard and gruesome journey getting there that’s why I got too emotional after beating Solis,” he added.

“Now, everyone’s gunning for me and it’s like I have a target at my back. I’m working hard to hold on to that title. I prepare for each fight as if it’s my last fight. And against Jesus I’m ready to go 12 rounds,” said Viloria.