Connecticut Post Online (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
July 3, 2007 Tuesday
For 112-pounder, Darchinyan packs punch
MICHAEL FORNABAIO mfornabaio@ctpost.com
STRATFORD — He arrived for a light workout at The Edge with a
six-deep entourage, and he might have been the shortest of the bunch
at 5-foot-5, not 112 pounds. Then Vic Darchinyan started throwing
punches, and it looked like every bit of those 112 or so pounds and
65 inches were going through his fists into the bag. Yeah, it’s
pretty obvious why this guy is the IBF flyweight champion. Darchinyan
will defend his belt Saturday at the Arena at Harbor Yard against
Nonito Donaire, one of the headline bouts on a card that includes
Norwalk’s Travis Simms. He says he can beat an opponent with speed if
he needs to, can beat an opponent at pure boxing if he wants to. But
as with every fight he takes, Darchinyan will be looking for a
knockout opportunity Saturday. He is undefeated in 28 bouts with 22
knockouts. "I like excitement. I like guys punching each other," said
Darchinyan, who lives in Australia. "I want to show all America, all
the world, it’s my style, it’s me."
Darchinyan hasn’t had a fight go the distance since 2003, winning
nine bouts by knockout and another on a technical decision since
then. One of those KOs, an 11th-round TKO over Irene Pacheco on Dec.
16, 2004, gave him the title. This fight will be Darchinyan’s seventh
defense. In his sixth, the Armenian native sent Victor Burgos to the
hospital after a 12th-round technical knockout. His fifth defense was
against Glen Donaire, Nonito’s brother, and it’s a sore spot. Glen
Donaire suffered an injury that the referee said came from a clash of
heads; Darchinyan said it was from a punch. Darchinyan won a
unanimous decision on the scorecards, since it was stopped in the
sixth round. He wanted a knockout. He’d also like to unify the
division, and he talked about going up as high as 130 pounds to fight
Manny Pacquiao.
"I want to tell all the world: I have a belt, and I want more belts,"
Darchinyan said. "Come, get my belt. If you can beat me, I give you
my belt.
"I want to fight the best."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress