Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
June 24 2007

Defence key to Darchinyan theory of evolution

Winsor Dobbin
June 24, 2007

VIC Darchinyan jetted out of Sydney to complete preparations for the
sixth defence of the IBF flyweight title – but he wants more from his
boxing career, and soon.

Darchinyan defends his IBF and IBO belts against Filipino Nonito
Donaire in Bridgeport, Connecticut on July 7, but it is likely to be
his final outing in the division.

Darchinyan, unbeaten in 28 fights with 22 KOs, has beaten most of the
legitimate flyweight threats, and WBC champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
is reluctant to face the Armenian-born puncher.

Darchinyan has his heart set on a bout with WBC super-flyweight
champion Christian Mijares or former flyweight titleholder Jorge
Arce, who has also moved up in weight. After that he’d love a crack
at multiple world champion Manny Pacquaio, who is campaigning at
super-featherweight – five divisions above where Darchinyan is now.

"I’m the No.1 flyweight and if I don’t get the chance to unify the
title then I have to move up," he said.

"I wouldn’t just beat Mijares, I’d knock him out. No one in the lower
divisions can match my power. In the future, I’d love to take on
someone like Pacquaio and prove my point."

First, Darchinyan has to see off Donaire – which is not a task he
sees as too daunting. "It’ll be over in two rounds," he said. "I’ll
send him to the same place [the hospital] I sent his brother Glenn.

"He moves more than his brother and he’s faster, but I’ll catch up
with him within a couple of rounds. I like all my wins to be KOs."

Trainer Billy Hussein agrees with his fighter’s analysis. "All these
guys line up to fight Vic, shoot their mouths off and say they have a
plan," he said. "As soon as they feel Vic’s power their plans go out
the window. He’s unstoppable. Up to 126 pounds [57 kilograms] or even
130lbs, no one can stay with him."

Darchinyan has been sparring regularly with former IBF
junior-lightweight champion Gairy St Clair, who attests to his
strength. "Vic’s one of the hardest punchers I’ve seen," St Clair
said.

One problem Darchinyan must face is that he left his last opponent,
Victor Burgos, in a coma, although he has now recovered.

"That was one of the hardest times of my career," he said. "Every day
I was ringing America to find out how he was. Now, though, it is in
the past. I’m not thinking about it, I’m focusing on the future.

"I’ve a lot left to achieve and I want to be regarded as one of the
best in the world pound-for-pound."

St Clair, meanwhile, starts to work his way back up the boxing tree
when he faces Filipino Robert Oyan for an IBF regional belt at
Concord RSL on Friday night.