Australian, Australia
June 24 2005
Power-packed Darchinyan has rivals ducking for cover
Bret Harris
June 24, 2005
VIC DARCHINYAN is the antithesis of Muhammad Ali.
Ali was a heavyweight boxer with the speed of a middleweight, while
Darchinyan is a flyweight with the power of a bantamweight.
As the name suggests, flyweight is one of the lightest divisions in
boxing and knockouts are rare.
But the hard-punching Darchinyan is the exception. Undefeated in 23
professional fights, he has won 18 by knockout. At 168cm, he is a
50kg packet of power.
“My power punch is better,” Darchinyan said. “I can punch harder. I
can hurt. I believe in myself. I’m a hard puncher. I can knock out
anyone.
“Jeff Fenech (Darchinyan’s trainer) says you can’t do that. Take it
easy. The time will come. I say ‘no Jeff, I will knock him out’. I
stop him as soon as I can.
“Mike Tyson is a heavyweight, but I like his style — 15 years ago he
was the best boxer. He is still my favourite boxer because of his
power.”
Darchinyan’s power may help to explain why it is difficult for him to
find an opponent for the defence of his IBF and IBO flyweight world
titles in Sydney next month.
It seems the Armenian-born Darchinyan has scared off the opposition.
“I still don’t know exactly who I am fighting and it is five weeks to
the world title,” he said. “Some guys pulled out. The Irish guy
Damaen Kelly was coming, but he pulled out.
“Who is left in my division? Nobody else. It is hard for me.
“Can you believe it? When I was No.7, No.8, No.9, I want to fight the
champion and he wouldn’t because he could choose anyone he wanted.
“Now all these guys have this opportunity and don’t want to fight me.
The Americans know me. They know I can punch hard. They don’t want to
lose, but still they can get some money. I’m putting two belts on the
line.”
Darchinyan has an obsession with belts, the world title variety.
After his fight against his yet-to-be-found opponent in Sydney next
month, he will travel to the US in his quest to unify the flyweight
division.
Darchinyan has WBA champion Lorenzo Parra and WBC champion Pongsaklek
Wonjongkam in his sights.
“It is becoming hard in Australia,” said Darchinyan, who has lived in
Sydney since moving to Australia after representing Armenia at the
2000 Olympic Games.
“I can’t get opponents. I’ll look to fight in America. In Las Vegas I
can fight for the WBA title. When I have the WBA title I am coming
for the unification belt.
“It is my ambition to unify the flyweight division. In 50 years it
has never happened. After this fight I will fight for the WBA title,
a guy from Venezuela, Lorenzo Parra. Anyone who has a belt is
welcome.”
And once Darchinyan has unified the flyweight division he plans to
move up two divisions to bantamweight and start all over again.
“In bantamweight I can feel more power,” he said. “I can punch much
harder. Once I have all the belts here (flyweigth) I’ll go for all
the belts in bantamweight.”
When Darchinyan goes to the US he will have to change his nickname.
Darchinyan, a southpaw, was dubbed ‘Raging Bull’ by promoter Angelo
Hider early in his career because of his aggressive style.
But in the US the name Raging Bull is associated with former world
middleweight champion Jake La Motta.
“I got that name in my first fight,” Darchinyan said. “I said (to
Hider) why do you give me that name? He said you are like a raging
bull. When you go in the ring you want to destroy your opponent.”