KIRILOV CONFIDENT HEADING INTO FIGHT WITH DARCHINYAN
By Dan Rafael
ESPN
tory?columnist=rafael_dan&id=3515083
Aug 2 2008
In 2007, Vic Darchinyan, known as the "Raging Bull," was all the
rage. The big puncher from Armenia but based in Australia was a
flyweight titleholder with a growing reputation as one of the fiercest
punchers in boxing.
He had made six defenses and was a darling of Showtime when he was
matched with Nonito Donaire for what was supposed to be another big
knockout performance.
It was.
However, the victim of the big knockout was not Donaire. Instead, it
was Darchinyan, who was knocked silly via a spectacular fifth-round
knockout. It was such a crushing knockout that when Darchinyan came
around and was interviewed on Showtime, he had no recollection of
having been stopped.
Since then, Darchinyan (29-1-1, 23 KOs) moved up to junior
bantamweight, in which he stopped Federico Catubay in the 12th round in
October to get back on track before being held to a controversial draw
in a February title eliminator against Z Gorres in the Philippines,
where unruly fans marred the fight by tossing water bottles and debris
into the ring.
[+] EnlargeTom Casino/Showtime
Darchinyan, left, is hoping to be the first fighter to knock out
Kirilov.
Despite the draw, Darchinyan is getting another title shot when he
meets Russia’s Dimitri Kirilov (29-3-1, 9 KOs) at the Emerald Queen
Casino in Tacoma, Wash., on Saturday (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET/PT).
Opening the telecast, 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Andre
Dirrell (15-0, 10 KOs), coming off a sensational fifth-round knockout
performance of Anthony Hanshaw in May, faces Mike Paschall (17-0-1,
4 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout.
As usual, Darchinyan, a southpaw, is predicting a knockout, even
though Kirilov, who is making his second defense after his initial
defense against Cecilio Santos in February resulted in a draw, has
never been knocked out.
"Kirilov has never been KO’d before. He’s going to get his first
knockout this Saturday," Darchinyan, 32, said. "I have not made any
changes in my game plan. Against Nonito Donaire, I just got caught,
that’s all. If anything, I am more focused than I ever was before. My
left hand is much stronger. My right hand is faster.
"I never respect my opponents before I fight them. I respect them
only after I knock them out. I help them wake up and help them to
their corner. … The people come out to watch the KO and that’s what
I am here for."
Kirilov, 29, who is trained by Freddie Roach, is the boxer to
Darchinyan’s role of slugger. Kirilov understands that and says that
is how he is approaching the fight.
"Darchinyan has a very unorthodox style, but it makes no difference,"
Kirilov said. "I will fight the way I always have. I will use my
boxing skills and strategy to keep him off me. It does not matter how
much power he has or he says he has. I’ve been in the ring with big
punchers before. Whatever Vic Darchinyan has, it’s not enough to beat
me. Freddie tells me, ‘The bigger they punch, the harder they punch,
the harder they fall.’"
Said Darchinyan: "Freddie Roach says I am predictable. The only thing
he can predict is that his boy is going to get knocked out."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.