Sydney Morning Herald. Australia
June 3 2006

Briggs gets second shot at Pole, as Darchinyan aims at Mexican

Brad Walter
June 3, 2006

PAUL Briggs yesterday was guaranteed a second title shot, while
Australia’s only current world champion, Vic Darchinyan, prepared to
take on undefeated Mexican flyweight Luis Maldonado in Las Vegas this
weekend.

Briggs, who lost a majority points decision to Tomasz Adamek last
May, will again fight the Polish champion after the WBC ordered him
to stage a mandatory defence of his light-heavyweight title against
the Brisbane-based former kick-boxing champion.

As the No.1 contender, Briggs has been awaiting the re-match for some
time but Adamek has so far refused to give him a re-match.

However, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said yesterday that Adamek would
be stripped of his belt if he did not fight Briggs.

“The World Boxing Council has always been very proud of world
champion Adamek, considering him one of the most powerful champions
nowadays; he was also elected 2005 boxer of the year, and for such
reason we are puzzled about his strange and unexpected behaviour,”
Sulaiman said.

No date was given for the title fight but Sulaiman said it would have
to take place “in the very near future”.

Trained by Johnny Lewis, 30-year-old Briggs will use his coming fight
against Argentina’s Jose Alberto Clavero at Brisbane’s Chandler Arena
on June 16 as a warm-up for Adamek.

Meanwhile, Darchinyan, who will put his IBF and IBO belts on the line
in the main undercard to the third showdown between lightweight
Mexican warriors Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales, predicted he
would stop Maldonado inside the 12 rounds tomorrow (AEST).

Of his 25 fights since turning professional after representing his
native Armenia at the 2000 Olympics, Darchinyan has won 20 by
knock-out, but Maldonado boasts an impressive record and is expected
to be the Jeff Fenech-trained 30-year-old’s toughest opponent since
winning the IBF title from Irene Pacheco 18 months ago.

“Maldonado is undefeated, a good fighter and this will be an exciting
fight,” Darchinyan said. “[But] I’m in very good shape. I will knock
him out.”

Darchinyan indicated he would consider moving up a weight division if
he won the fight.