As a newly crowned world champion, Brian Viloria has a world of options.

Celebrate in Hawai'i or the Philippines? Fight next at 108 or 112 pounds? Defend his title in Los Angeles or Honolulu?

"It's the kind of situation you love to have," said Viloria's manager, Gary Gittelsohn. "Brian was put on a stage (Saturday) night and he became a star. When he fights like this, he creates so many opportunities for himself."

Viloria won the World Boxing Council light-flyweight (108 pounds) championship with a spectacular first-round knockout of Mexico's Eric Ortiz on Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"It has to be nominated as one of the knockouts of the year," Gittelsohn said of Viloria's right hook to Ortiz's chin.

Viloria, 24, is 18-0 with 12 knockouts, and became the first professional boxer from Hawai'i to win a major world title in 16 years (Jesus Salud captured the World Boxing Association super-bantamweight championship in 1989).

"I'm still on a natural high," Viloria said yesterday. "I just want to bask in the moment right now because it's the greatest feeling."

Viloria's celebrity status in Los Angeles — where his training base is located — went up a notch after Saturday's victory. Late Saturday night and into Sunday morning, Viloria celebrated with the entire cast and crew of the daytime soap opera "General Hospital."

"I got to know (actor) Maurice Benard over the years and after the fight, he invited me and my whole family to party with them," Viloria said.

Gittelsohn said Viloria's next duty as world champion will be to celebrate in both Hawai'i and the Philippines.

Viloria, a 1998 Waipahu High graduate, is expected to return to Hawai'i by the end of this month.

"I want to come home as soon as I can, but I have so many things to take care of here," Viloria said. "It's like winning this title opened up the floodgates."

Government officials from the Philippines have invited Viloria to participate in a parade with Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino boxer who also won his bout Saturday.

"Of course, everybody in Hawai'i loves Brian," Gittelsohn said. "But the people from the Philippines have really fallen in love with Brian as well. We're trying to work it out so he can spend time in both places and enjoy the fruits of his victory."

Viloria said he will make the trip to the Philippines because he also wants to visit his paternal grandfather.

"My grandfather has been sick, in and out of the hospital, so I definitely want to go and visit him," Viloria said.

Gittelsohn said he will also work with Bob Arum's Top Rank Boxing promotion team to have Viloria possibly defend his championship in Hawai'i.

"We're going to capitalize on this," Gittelsohn said. "Top Rank and I will get together and plan a wonderful career for Brian."

Arum said on Saturday that he might have Viloria fight for the 112-pound world championship, but Gittelsohn said nothing is set.

Viloria normally fights at 112 pounds, and Saturday's bout was his first at 108.

"It's too early to make decisions, and Brian is in the best position right now," Gittelsohn said. "He's the champion at 108, but he can easily move up to 112 and fight for a title there. We're just going to look at all the options and take what's best."

Gittelsohn said Arum has also expressed interest in televising future Viloria bouts on HBO.

"The executives from HBO were there (on Saturday) and they took notice," Gittelsohn said. "For Brian to come out as the challenger and take the title as explosively as he did, that's the kind of star power everybody is looking for."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.