BOXING – DARCHINYAN TO FACE KIRILOV IN US
The Epoch Times
April 14 2008
Ireland
Boxer Vic Darchinyan. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
SYDNEY-Vic Darchinyan has the chance to silence one of his most
famous critics and maintain his pristine record against Russian
fighters with his July 5 challenge to IBF super flyweight boxing
world champion Dimitri Kirilov.
The bout will be the main event on a promotion shown on American cable
television network Showtime, with the host city to be determined in
the next week. Las Vegas and New York’s Madison Square Garden are
among the options.
Kirilov, who hails from St Petersburg, will be making the second
defence of the title.
He is trained by prominent American Freddie Roach, who knows all about
32-year-old Sydneysider Darchinyan, whose record stands at 29 wins
(23 KOs) one loss and one draw.
He was in the corner when Darchinyan stopped his fighter Diosdado
Gabi in March 2006 when the Australian held IBF and IBO flyweight
world titles.
Virtually all of the five Filipino opponents Darchinyan has fought
trained at Roach’s wild card gym in Hollywood, Los Angeles and
the high-profile trainer has made no secrets of his thoughts about
Darchinyan.
"Freddie Roach has had a little bit to say about Vic, and Vic is keen
to correct Freddie’s thoughts on his career," Darchinyan’s manager
Elias Nassar said.
"He has been quoted on the way Vic fights that he is open and
one-dimensional, so Vic is keen to correct his thoughts."
Darchinyan, who currently holds the IBO super flyweight world title
and who is currently training in Armenia, the country of his birth,
had a slightly surprising reaction to the news of the July 5 date.
"I thought he would have been excited once he found out a date and
he’s more upset that it wasn’t sooner," Nassar said.
"He’s very pumped for a big showing, in his words, he will never
disappoint his fans again.
"He never lost to a Russian in the amateur ranks, he likes fighting
them."
Nassar said Darchinyan would return to Australia on May 1 and would
head to the United States between two and four weeks before the fight.
He said either Las Vegas or possibly Madison Square Garden in New
York were in contention to stage the fight with Kirilov.
New York has a large Russian community, while Darchinyan’s promoter
Gary Shaw was also looking at California because of its sizeable
Armenian community.
"With Las Vegas, everything is neutral under the Nevada Athletic
Commission, but if we have to go to New York, we’ll go to New York."
Kirilov, 29, has a record of 29 wins (9 KOs), three losses and
one draw.
The draw came in his last fight and first defence against Mexican
Cecilio Santos.
Nassar said Darchinyan’s long-term stablemate Hussein Hussein would
be one of his fighter’s main sparring partners.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
