SecondsOut
Oct 20 2007
Improved Darchinyan looks to bounce back against Catubay
By Paul Upham:
Two-time flyweight world champion Vic `Raging Bull’ Darchinyan looks
to rebound from his shock knockout loss to Nonito Donaire when he
moves up in weight and faces Federico "Magnifico" Catubay for the
vacant IBO junior bantamweight boxing world title on Saturday night
at the Auburn RSL in Sydney, Australia.
31 year-old Vic Darchinyan, the Armenian born 2000 Olympian and
Australian citizen trained by Billy Hussein was stopped by Donaire
from the Philippines in round five on July 7 in Connecticut on
Showtime Championship Boxing.
`In my last fight I rushed and went for a big knockout and at the
same time I took a punch and I learned from that mistake,’ said
Darchinyan. `Always, I am a power puncher, but I am going to take it
easy now. The knockout will come over twelve rounds. I will wait for
my time.’
Hussein has been impressed at how Darchinyan 28-1 (22) has handled
the defeat and is pleased with his physical and mental condition
going into this fight.
`Vic always trains hard,’ he said. `I am not concerned. He has got
room now to show what type of champion he is by how he bounces back.
Vic will bounce back. No problem.’
27 year-old Federico Catubay from Cebu City in The Philippines, has a
record of 20 wins, 13 losses, 3 draws and 11 wins by knockout.
`While I was training in the Philippines I heard Vic Darchinyan was
saying he was going to knock me out in the 1st round,’ said Catubay.
`I was challenged and if that is what he has planned for me, I will
do it to him. I am serious in coming here to win.’
`I am going to knock him out,’ Darchinyan said at Wednesday’s
pre-fight press conference. `I am not saying which round, whether it
is the 1st round or 12th round. I am just going to knock him out. You
are going to see a very good fight.’
`Vic should not be too confident,’ warned Catubay’s manager Samson
Gello-ani.
`I have seen his weakness against Donaire,’ said Catubay. `He lacks
defense and I will take advantage of that.’
`That’s good to know,’ remarked Darchinyan.
The Darchinyan vs. Catubay main event and undercard will be televised
live around Australia from 7:30pm Eastern on FOX SPORTS 3.