The Age, Australia
Feb 7 2009

Darchinyan ready for horse, pony and lollipops

LOS ANGELES- Mexican boxer Jorge Arce loves to put on a pre-fight show
for his fans.

It includes donning a cowboy hat, putting a lollipop in his mouth and
riding through the crowd to the ring on a horse.

Arce’s opponent in Sunday’s (AEDT) world-title fight south of Los
Angeles, Australia’s Vic Darchinyan, thinks Arce’s horse is bull.

Darchinyan also has a message for Arce if he arrives in the ring
inside Anaheim’s 17,000 seat Honda Centre sucking a lollipop.

"Arce better enjoy the lollipop," the no-nonsense Darchinyan said.

"He won’t be able to suck a lollipop for months because of the damage
I will do to his face."

A lot of bad blood has been spilt the past four years between Arce and
Darchinyan.

For the majority of that period Arce, of the city of Los Mochis,
Mexico’s agricultural heartland, was the king of the flyweights and
repeatedly dismissed Darchinyan’s attempts to fight.

Arce is as well known for his trash-talking as what he is for beating
up rivals, including knocking out Australia’s Hussein Hussein twice in
2005, the last a second round technical knockout in Las Vegas.

When Darchinyan would publicly call Arce out, the Mexican would
dismiss him and say the Australian needed to "earn" the privilege.

Last November Darchinyan apparently did that by destroying another
Mexican, Cristian Mijares, with a devastating and history-making ninth
round knockout in Los Angeles.

The win made Darchinyan the first to unify the super flyweight
division.

With the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and
International Boxing Federation belts wrapped around Darchinyan’s
waist as bait, Arce finally agreed it was time to take on the
Armenian-born Darchinyan.

"I have waited so long for this opportunity," Darchinyan, reflecting
at his Los Angeles hotel, said.

"I can’t wait to demolish him."

Arce has been surprisingly quiet in the lead-up to the bout, although
he infuriated the Darchinyan camp last month when he was a late
withdrawal from a press conference in LA.

Darchinyan left his training camp in Las Vegas and drove five hours to
LA to be at the press conference only to discover Arce remained back
in a mountain training camp outside Mexico City.

Darchinyan had to turn around and drive back to Vegas, robbing him a
full day of training.

Darchinyan responded by releasing video footage on the internet of him
sparring a female boxer.

"Arce fights like a woman so that’s why I did that," Darchinyan
laughed.

"To prepare I fought a woman."

Arce appears to have conceded Darchinyan will not be a pushover.

Along with his mountain training camp, Arce has announced he will not
be entering the ring on a horse, although the hat and lollipop will
likely remain.

"Sometimes fights are not interesting so I have to do something to
entertain them," Arce, explaining why he puts on the pre-fight show,
said.

"But this fight speaks for itself and I don’t have to do anything.

"The extra isn’t needed."

Darchinyan, 33, does not care.

"He’s dumb," the Sydney fighter said.

"I’m going to make him look dumb and stupid."

The 29-year-old Arce has won 51 of his 56 professional fights, with 39
of his victories knockouts.

Darchinyan has a 31 win (25 KO) one loss, one draw record and enters
the fight the short-priced favourite with bookmakers.

The fight is scheduled to begin 1pm AEDT on Sunday.

AAP