MIJARES, DARCHINYAN AGREE TO DREAM JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
By Dan Rafael
ESPN
y?id=3578690
Sept 10 2008
Ask a hardcore boxing fan to make a list of fantasy fights in the
smaller weight divisions and a unification match between junior
bantamweight titleholders Cristian Mijares and Vic Darchinyan probably
would make the cut.
Now, it is no longer just a fantasy.
Mijares co-promoter Lou DiBella and Darchinyan promoter Gary Shaw
made a deal Tuesday to match the 115-pound titleholders in a Nov. 1
unification fight on Showtime, the promoters told ESPN.com. The site
is to be determined.
"It’s as good as it gets in the smaller weight classes. It’s a can’t
miss fight," DiBella said. "I already have a kid who is superstar in
Mexico but he wants to be an international star and to make his name
in the United States. This is the kind of fight that can do that."
Shaw said even though Darchinyan (30-1-1, 24 KOs), an Armenian based
in Australia, would be the underdog, he really wanted the fight.
"I believe Mijares has the upper hand. He’s very tough and a very
accurate puncher, but I have a very determined guy. This is not a
fight that would be my first choice but I have at least 30 e-mails
from Darchinyan telling me to get him Mijares. It’s really refreshing
that a fighter would want a tough fight of this magnitude. There are
others who would say, ‘Get me some money and an easier fight.’ But
Vic has a lot of confidence. He says, ‘When I knock out Mijares,
line up [Nonito] Donaire next, I owe him one.’"
DiBella and Shaw had been talking about the match for a couple of
weeks, but were unsure if they could get it done this year because
they didn’t have a television date. But they got one Tuesday when
Showtime offered its final show of the year for the bout.
"I think [Showtime boxing boss] Ken Hershman made a tremendous decision
because this is as good as it gets," DiBella said. "This fight was
on top of his wish list and he pounced on it as soon as he could. As
a former [HBO boxing] television executive, I know this is a great
TV fight."
It is also a historic matchup. It will be only the third unification
match in division history. In 1997, Johnny Tapia outpointed
Albuquerque, N.M., rival Danny Romero to unify titles. On May 17,
Mijares outpointed Alexander Munoz to also unify two belts. The winner
of Mijares-Darchinyan will be the first fighter in division history
to hold three of the alphabet belts simultaneously.
Shaw said once Showtime agreed to put the fight on, he and DiBella
closed their deal in a few minutes.
"In all my years of promoting this was the fastest fight I ever made,"
Shaw said. "This was made in under five minutes."
Shaw said the Showtime undercard would feature rising super
middleweight prospect Andre Dirrell (16-0, 11 KOs), a 2004 U.S. Olympic
bronze medalist, against Victor Oganov (28-1, 28 KOs).
Donaire stopped Darchinyan to take his flyweight title in July 2007,
but Darchinyan then moved up to junior bantamweight and won a title
Aug. 2 with a dominant fifth-round knockout of Russia’s Dimitri
Kirilov.
Coming off his unification win against Munoz, Mijares (36-3-2, 15 KOs)
defended his belts via third-round destruction of Chatchai Sasakul
in Mexico on Aug. 30.
"When you look at the lower weight classes, Mijares and Darchinyan
are two of the most exciting guys. They have no fear," DiBella
said. "Mijares boxes but he also hurts you. Darchinyan is a tremendous
puncher. He’s got definite chinks in his armor, but he’s dangerous
as hell. I know I am a promoter, but I am also a boxing fan. As a
boxing fan, I am looking forward to this one."