ARMENIA FIRST, THEN WORLD DOMINATION FOR DARCHINYAN

SecondsOut
Sept 5 2005

By Paul Upham: IBF/IBO flyweight world champion Vic “Raging Bull”
Darchinyan left Sydney for Armenia on Monday, making the first
return visit to his country of birth since he became world champion
last year. “I have been waiting a long time for this trip,” he
said. “I will be there for two weeks and then come back to training
in Australia.” The 29 year-old who competed at the 2000 Olympic
Games is now an Australian citizen but is revered as one of Armenia’s
best sportsmen. The hard punching southpaw now has plans to become
undisputed champion at flyweight. But before he can target the WBA,
WBC or WBO title-holders, he must make a mandatory defence of his
IBF title against Ireland’s Damaen Kelly 21-2 (10).

“I saw Kelly’s fight with Pacheco,” said Darchinyan 24-0 (19).
“Pacheco hurt him with body punches and I will hurt him with head
punches. I will hurt his chin. He is a good boxer and I will be
expecting a tough fight. He is the leading contender for me from the
IBF and I will show everyone again what I did in the last fight.
Kelly will be ready for my left hand and I will then show you my
right hand. On the hand pads, Jeff (Fenech) and Billy (Hussein) are
telling me that my right hand is much stronger than my left when I
am throwing body punches. I use my left hand during the fight because
I know I will finish him sooner.”

Darchinyan made the second successful defence of his IBF title with a
5th round stoppage of Colombian Jair Jimenez on August 24 in Sydney.
“It was a good fight,” he said. “I did a smart job. I just didn’t
jump on him and start punching I took my time. I saw some of his
fights and he was a good puncher. He was tough and he didn’t want to
go down.” Darchinyan won the IBF title from long reigning champion
Irene Pacheco last December in the USA and added the IBO title to
his collection on March 27 this year with an 8th round stoppage of
Mzukisi Sikali. He has his sights set on a unification bout with WBA
champion Lorenzo Parra 25-0 (17).

“I’d love to fight Parra,” said Darchinyan. “He is taking other fights
because he knows I am wanting to challenge him. He doesn’t have to
fight me, but he thinks he is tough, so why not fight me? I can’t see
anyone at flyweight who will trouble me. There are some good fighters,
but no one who is strong like me. I will challenge the fighters at
bantamweight or super bantamweight, then you will see what I can
do. Any division I fight in, I know I will destroy them.”