By Jaime Castro Núñez at ringside. Manila, Philippines. In what could be counted as the best performance of his professional boxing career, Carlos Támara of Sincelejo, Colombia by way of Bergen, NJ., defeated champion Brian Viloria of Hawaii to claim the IBF junior flyweight belt on Saturday afternoon at Manila’s Cuneta Astrodome.
The mandatory challenger Támara started fast and aggressive, while the champion needed almost four rounds to make adjustments and make the kind of fight he needed. In round four Viloria landed some bombs and he kept the pressure up to the eight stanza, which was by far his best episode.. Things seemed to work for the champion until early round nine, when the Colombian realized the victory was in jeopardy. In the tenth he landed heavy bombs and chased the exhausted Viloria in the eleventh with more heavy shots. Sensing that Viloria was virtually knocked out on his feet, Támara continued the assault until the referee, Bruce McTavish, stepped in to halt the contest. The official time was 1:45.
Carlos Támara and Brian Viloria Make Weight in Manila!
Jaime Castro Núñez – Manila, Philippines. Tomorrow Saturday, January 23 at Manila’s Cuneta Astrodome, IBF junior flyweight champion Brian Viloria (26-2-0, KO’s 15) will defend his title against tough Carlos Támara of Sincelejo, Colombia. The official weight-in ceremony took place few moments ago at the Manila Hotel. Both Támara and Viloria stopped the scale at 108.
29-year-old Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria and former Olympian Carlos Támara (20-4-0, KO’s 14) will battle for twelve rounds. “I’m sure he’ll feel the pressure of fighting here in the Philippines and I know I can use that to motivate myself and keep the belt,” recently said Viloria. The challenger, on the other hand, understands that dethroning Viloria won’t be an easy task and he’ll need to put the pressure throughout the fight. “I didn’t come to this country to leave empty-handed. I’m hungry and I’m sure I’ll take the IBF belt to Colombia.”