AAP Newsfeed, Australia
April 18, 2009 Saturday 5:20 PM AEST
Box: Darchinyan back in town and ready to take on the world
by Adrian Warren
SYDNEY April 18
Vic Darchinyan declared his desire to unify the boxing bantamweight
division after returning from an overseas trip where he rubbed
shoulders with statesmen, entertainers and Australia’s other great
eastern European-born boxer Kostya Tszyu.
Undisputed super flyweight world champion Darchinyan, who will move up
to challenge IBF bantamweight title holder Joseph Agbeko in Florida on
July 7, returned from eastern Europe on Friday.
The Armenian-born boxer met the President of that country and also
spent time in Russia.
In Moscow, he attended a concert featuring Armenian entertainers
and was introduced to the crowd by former undisputed junior
welterweight world champion Tszyu, who was born in Russia, but
relocated to Australia.
His world title-winning feats have attracted corporate support
overseas, with Darchinyan estimating almost 95 per cent of his
earnings in that area coming from offshore.
After conquering the flyweight and super flyweight divisions, the
33-year-old Sydneysider is determined to do likewise at the
bantamweight.
"I want to unify the bantamweight division," Darchinyan said.
"I want to stay at bantamweight for six to nine months and unify the
title."
Darchinyan said if he beat Agbeko, but couldn’t attract the other
champion into a unification bout in that time frame he would move up
to super bantamweight.
He had no fears moving up in the weights would diminish the famed
punching power which has brought 26 knockouts in 32 wins.
"I will be even stronger at bantamweight," Darchinyan said.
"I know when I have been sparring at bantamweight I punch much more
stronger than a super flyweight."
New York-based Ghanaian Agbeko also has a formidable KO percentage,
registering 22 in his 26 wins.
"I don’t know much about him, but he’s a good fighter and a good
puncher and he’s beaten a few good fighters," Darchinyan said.
"He beat Luis Alberto Peres and he lost to Wladimir Sidorenko, who
I know and used to spar with. I will be ready for him."
Darchinyan will start sparring Australian boxers eight weeks before
the fight before heading to a Los Vegas training camp in early June.
It will be his second fight in Florida and his first since winning
the first of his world titles against Irene Pacheco in December 2004.