The Age, Australia
March 26 2005

Darchinyan plans a quick bout
By Brad Walter
March 27, 2005

Vic Darchinyan doesn’t like to make predictions about how long his
fights will last.

“I look to finish as soon as possible,” the International Boxing
Federation world flyweight champion said on the eve of tonight’s
title unification bout against South Africa’s Mzukisi Sikali at
Sydney’s State Sports Centre.

“If I can finish in 10 seconds, I will. My fitness is very good but I
don’t look to be punching long distance. I go to kill.”

Having won 17 of his 22 fights since moving to Sydney from Armenia
after the 2000 Olympics to train under Jeff Fenech, the undefeated
Darchinyan’s record speaks for itself. “He’s so cocky that sometimes
it’s scary,” Fenech says. “He comes back after a round and says, ‘You
want me to knock him (out) now? This round, I finish?’ ”

Fenech says 29-year-old Darchinyan is pound for pound the hardest
puncher in Australia.

Having shed 8.5 kilograms in the past five weeks to get down to 50.8
kg for the fight, he can bench-press more than twice his own weight.
“He’s just so strong, mate,” Fenech said. “If he hits anybody,
they’re gone. That’s it, fight over. He can knock anybody out.”

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AdvertisementDarchinyan’s greatest win to date was last December’s
11th-round knockout of unbeaten Irene Pacheco, who was making his
seventh defence of the IBF title.

Darchinyan hopes to unify the belts, then move up to bantamweight.
First, he has to overcome Sikali, the International Boxing
Organisation flyweight champion, who is unbeaten since 1999 and has
defended his title three times.

Fenech said the bout would be Darchinyan’s biggest test so far, but
the southpaw is confident.

“He is a smart boxer, a good mover,” Darchinyan said. “. . . But I
know . . . I am much stronger than him and much smarter. I don’t
think it will go the distance.”