Viloria back on the road

MANILA, Philippines - Slowly but surely, Brian Viloria is inching his way back to the top.

More than year after losing the world title, the 33-year-old Hawaiian Punch recorded his second straight win Saturday evening at the Cotai Arena of The Venetian Hotel in Macau.

It took a crisp left hook to the body for Viloria to stop his Mexican opponent, Jose Alfredo Zuniga, at the 1:42 mark of the fifth round.

Viloria was back at the same arena where he lost his WBO and WBA flyweight titles to Juan Francisco Estrada in April last year. But this time he provided an entirely different result and improved to 34-4-0.

Now, Viloria wants another crack at Estrada and the belts he used to wear.

The veteran of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, also the former world junior flyweight champion, got off to a good start against his 25-year-old opponent who was considered a dangerous one. 

Another loss could have meant the end of the road for Viloria.

It wasn’t meant to be.

Viloria landed heavy shots in the third and fourth rounds, once staggering Zuniga who took his sixth defeat in only 18 fights.

Zuniga went down after taking a liver shot, and Viloria, in his favorite gold trunks with green pipings, walked to the neutral corner as Filipino referee Danrex Tapdasan counted the Mexican out.

When it was over, Viloria climbed the ring post and did some Hawaiian moves with his hands.

Viloria, who now has a son with wife Erika, trained hard at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, and had Filipino Marvin Somodio in his corner during the fight.

It was the second straight victory for Viloria who last March outpointed Juan Herrera, a 24-year-old Puerto Rican at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas.

That victory showed that Viloria is far from over, and last night’s win proved that once again, he’s ready for the blue chips.