DARCHINYAN’S PRAYER FOR AILING OPPONENT

The West Australian, Australia
March 5 2007

A concerned Vic Darchinyan cancelled celebrations after his successful
IBF and IBO flyweight titles defences against Victor Burgos, as the
stricken Mexican boxer underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from
his brain.

Former IBF junior flyweight champion Burgos was in a medically-induced
coma with his wife Claudia, other family and friends at his bedside
in a Los Angeles hospital.

Darchinyan and his supporters prayed for Burgos and the Australian
boxer wanted to visit him in hospital before flying home to Sydney,
but was told it wasn’t possible.

"I tried to go to the hospital, I caught up with promoter Gary Shaw
and all his workers, they told me we cannot go, that they we’re not
allowed," Darchinyan said.

"Only tomorrow Gary Shaw can go and it’s going to be too late, my
flight is a few hours from here."

Burgos was carried from the ring on a stretcher after their fight was
stopped in the 12th round in a bout which improved the power-punching
Darchinyan’s record to 28-0 (22 KOs).

Darchinyan knocked Burgos down with a powerful body blow in the second
round but the Mexican fought on until the fight was halted when his
legs wobbled after he’d taken a series of punches.

A statement from Burgos’ promotion company Don King Productions said
medically induced coma was a common technique used after head trauma
to reduce harmful brain swelling.

The release said doctors reported Burgos had shown certain signs of
movement in the intensive care unit "that could only be described
as positive".

Sydney-based Darchinyan praised Burgos for his courage and said he
hoped the 32-year old fighter would make a full recovery.

While he is renowned for predicting a knockout win before every
fight, Darchinyan took no pleasure from his latest win and dominant
performance.

"Of course I was unhappy, I wish he’s going to be alright," Darchinyan
said.

"I wanted to knock him out and for him to get up and go to his corner
on his legs, I don’t like what happened in the ring.

"They took him to hospital still in a very bad condition.

"I give him a lot of credit, he’s a tough guy."

While he spent time with some of his Armenian supporters at a
restaurant today before leaving for Australia, Darchinyan told them
he didn’t want to celebrate his win given the circumstances.

"Yesterday and today cannot be a celebration, I told them I don’t
want it," Darchinyan said.

"We mentioned the guy’s (Burgos) name and everyone prayed for him
and wished him good luck."

Although Darchinyan said before the fight it would probably be his
last at flyweight, he revealed there was the possibility he could
have one more bout in the division.

While the other flyweight champions have avoided Darchinyan, he could
fight Japan’s unbeaten former WBA light flyweight champion Koki Kameda,
who has moved up to a division.

"If he’s going to fight me, I’ll stay in the weight division, if not
I want to move up," Darchinyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress