Brian Viloria and Roman Gonzalez (Photo : Jhay Oh Otamias)
With less than two months before the biggest fight of his career, former unified flyweight world champion, Filipino-American Brian "The Hawaiian Punch" Viloria (36-4, 22 KO's) is hard at work in Los Angeles, at the famed Wild Card Boxing Club headed by legendary coach Freddie Roach.
The challenge that lies before him is a monumental one, a 12-round flyweight battle against pound-for-pound entrant Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez (43-0, 37 KO's) which will be contested for the WBC world flyweight championship but most importantly, reputations are at stake.
For Gonzalez, beating a big name like Brian Viloria will do wonders for his stock and will endear him further to a steadily growing fanbase. For Viloria, Gonzalez represents an opportunity to return to the top, where he's been many times before.
Viloria can surely feel the urgency.
"I might consider this my last chance to be on top but it's a big, big chance," said Viloria, who acknowledges the opportunity that faces him.
"This is a moment I've been wanting for a long time now in my career."
The task is not simple by any stretch of the imagination.
For one, Gonzalez has the speed, power and the work rate -- all common attributes of former Viloria conquerors -- and he has the confidence of an undefeated world champion who has easily dispatched anyone he's been put up against.
Viloria however, having faced a myriad of challenges of his own spanning nearly 15 years as a professional prizefighter, is unfazed by the task at hand.
"For me this is a big chance to get back on top and I'm going to take it. I'm ready for the spotlight," said Viloria.
And he certainly does appear ready. A winner of his last three fights by spectacular knockout, Viloria is on a roll and looks ready to give Chocolatito a run for his money.
"I'm ready to go out there and claim what's mine again which is the world championship. I'm ready for that," Viloria quipped.
Ready as he'll ever be. For Brian Viloria, it's now or never. And after a long and triumphant career, it all comes down to a single fight.
