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Box: Darchinyan promises to up his aggression

Adrian Warren
SYDNEY July 18

Back with his very first trainer, a focused Vic Darchinyan is
promising to produce a more "stable and aggressive" performance in his
challenge to Russia’s IBF junior bantam weight world boxing champion
Dimitri Kirilov in Washington early next month.

Darchinyan isn’t even allowing missing out tomorrow on the first
birthday of his son Ruben to distract him from his August 2
engagement.
For the first time in his professional career, Darchinyan (29-1, 23
KOs) will have his amateur trainer of 15 years, Vazgen Badalian as the
No.1 man in his corner.
Already rated by the prestigious Ring magazine as one of the top
ten hardest punchers in the world, Darchinyan said he was hitting even
harder after reuniting with his original coach.
Badalian who like Darchinyan hails from Armenia, has had his
protege doing more running, especially sprinting, and has made
modifications to his established style.
"Before my style was always aggressive, I didn’t like it if someone
punched me. I would go and punch him back," Darchinyan said from his
training camp in Las Vegas.
"My coach’s style is some more cover and more protection and always
going forward and not back and just taking punches on my arms.
"I like that style and I think you are going to see a more stable
and more aggressive fighter.
"I am going to control all the rounds. Every time you see me, in
the first three or four rounds I like to move and see what my opponent
is trying to do, but this time I will be breaking him down from the
start."
Darchinyan said he had already sparred over 140 rounds in
preparation for the fight, with three more sessions remaining.
The 32-year-old Sydneysider, who has been sparring against world
rated fighters, emphasised he would still be working in Australia
under his regular trainer Billy Hussein.
With the respected Sydney trainer working the corner of his brother
Hussein Hussein in a fight in South Africa earlier this month
Darchinyan installed Badalian as his chief adviser for the fight with
Kirilov (29-3-1, 9 KOs).
"Billy was busy with Hussy, I decided to bring my amateur coach
in. When I’m in Australia I’m going to train with Billy," Darchinyan
said.
"If I’m going to fight in America or getting ready for a big fight
in America, maybe I’m going to go to Armenia.
"I like Billy but sometimes I need my old coach to remind me what I
used to do better."
His wife and son will arrive in Washington on the day of the fight
and he was adamant being parted from them at present wasn’t a
distraction.
"I’m very focused on my fight. Before I was training for two hours,
now I’m training for three, one (extra) hour for my son."