Brian Viloria weighed 107 1/2 pounds yesterday at the official weigh-ins for his world championship boxing match.

He'll be carrying a heck of a lot more weight on his shoulders into the ring today.

When Waipahu's Viloria faces Mexico's Jesus Iribe in the main event of the "Island Assault" boxing card today, he will have much more at stake than just his IBF light flyweight world championship belt.

Viloria is being hyped as both a savior for boxing in Hawai'i and a potential international superstar ... if he can prevail.

"I don't look at it as pressure," said Viloria, 28. "But I do want to put on a good show and do my part to bring boxing back to Hawai'i."

Viloria is 25-2 with 15 knockouts. Iribe is 15-5-5 with nine knockouts.

Today marks the first time since 1976 that a world boxing championship bout is being staged in Hawai'i.

"I hope the people understand how rare it is to see a world title fight in person," said Jesus Salud, a former world champion from Hawai'i. "I never got to fight for a world title here. I would have loved it."

Pro boxing has been dormant in Hawai'i for the past decade, and boxing afficionados are hoping that Viloria can spark a revival.

"Brian is the only guy we have right now who can be a headline fighter," said Bruce Kawano, a boxing coach at Kalakaua Gym.

Viloria and his manager, Gary Gittelsohn, have been pounding the media circuit all week to promote today's card.

As if the future of pro boxing in Hawai'i wasn't enough for Viloria to bear, there is also the matter of his own future.

A Viloria win today could set up a showdown with Puerto Rico's Ivan Calderon, who is the WBO light flyweight world champion.

Calderon and Viloria are generally recognized as the top two fighters in the world in the 108-pound class. Gittelsohn said a title unification bout would draw rare international attention to the light flyweight division.

"The last fighter at this weight to draw that kind of interest was Michael Carbajal (in the 1990s)," Gittelsohn said. "A Brian Viloria-Ivan Calderon bout would certainly be on that level."

If a deal with Calderon can not be worked out, Viloria could also seek a rematch with Mexico's Edgar Sosa. Viloria lost a controversial majority decision to Sosa in a WBC world title bout in 2007. Sosa is still the WBC light flyweight champ.

"I always tell Brian I want him to be in the top 10 pound-for-pound (boxers) in the world," said his head trainer, Robert Garcia. "If he wants to be there, he has to win (today) and then try to unify the division."

Garcia even has a vision for Viloria beyond light flyweights.

"I can see him winning titles in three (weight) divisions," Garcia said.

But as Viloria noted: "I'll worry about the future as it comes. I need to focus on Iribe first. That's all that matters right now."