Viloria vs Gonzalez: Reviewing their 3 best knockouts

MANILA, Philippines – Roman Gonzalez and Brian Viloria may fight in the 112-pound flyweight division, but their punching power far exceeds their weight class. The two fighters will meet on Sunday, October 18 (Saturday U.S. time) at Madison Square Garden in a fight that matches the two biggest punchers of the lower weight classes for Gonzalez’s THE RING magazine flyweight title. 

Gonzalez (43-0, 37 knockouts) of Managua, Nicaragua – currently rated the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world by THE RING – has an 86 percent knockout ratio, having finished 14 of his last 15 opponents inside the distance while the Filipino-American slugger Viloria (36-4, 22 KOs) has a 52 percent knockout ratio.

The two will be the co-featured bout underneath the Gennady Golovkin vs David Lemieux middleweight unification bout, which also features two of the biggest punchers in the sport today. 

(READ: Viloria an underdog against ‘Chocolatito,’ and that’s how he likes it)

Note that this story isn’t ranking their best, most meaningful wins (though we did that with Viloria before), but simply ranking their most brutal finishes.

 

Viloria KO 1 Eric Ortiz

September 10, 2005 – Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA

What better way to jumpstart your career than to score a highlight reel knockout in front of thousands of Manny Pacquiao fans on one of his undercards? Viloria took the WBC junior flyweight title in spectacular fashion, knocking out Ortiz at 2:59 of the first round with as perfect a right cross as you can throw.

 

Viloria KO 11 Ulises Solis

April 19, 2009 – Araneta Coliseum, Manila, Philippines

Viloria revived his career in the building that hosted the Thrilla in Manila and the world title fights of Rolando Navarette and Flash Elorde, knocking out the highly regarded Ulises in the eleventh round with a misdirection left hook that set up a one-punch KO with a right cross that earned him the IBF junior flyweight title. Solis fell in slow motion as his body struggled to register what just hit him.

 

Viloria TKO 10 Hernan Marquez

November 17, 2012 – Sports Arena, Los Angeles, USA

Viloria unifies the flyweight titles for the first time since 1965, overcoming an aggressive Marquez to knock him flat with a left hook in the tenth round. The fight was a contender for fight of the year. Ironically, Gonzalez was the co-featured bout against Juan Estrada.

 

 

Gonzalez KO2 Omar Soto

October 1, 2011 – MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA

Omar Soto came in nearly a full division over the weight limit for their WBA junior flyweight title match, and Roman Gonzalez made him pay. Gonzalez landed a straight right hand that set up a pretty left uppercut to the chin that launched the tough Mexican.

 

Gonzalez TKO2 Edgar Sosa 

May 16, 2015 – Forum, Inglewood, USA

HBO gave the flyweights a shot on premium cable for the first time in many years, and Gonzalez did not disappoint. He blew away a credible, if past-prime Edgar Sosa with 3 knockdowns in the second round.

 

Gonzalez TKO9 Akira Yaegashi

September 9, 2014 – Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan

This wasn’t so much a product of Gonzalez’s one-punch power as it was the culmination of a prolonged beatdown. Yaegashi, with both eyes swollen shut, collapsed from a series of thudding, unanswered blows in round 9. The win earned Gonzalez THE RING and WBC flyweight titles, conquering his third division.

– Rappler.com