Fox Sports
Aug 1 2009

Vic Darchinyan set to defend flyweight titles against Tomas Rojas in
December

By Adrian Warren

August 01, 2009 .Australia’s Vic Darchinyan has relinquished one of
his super flyweight world titles but will defend the other two in the
United States in December.

Darchinyan, who lost his challenge to IBF bantamweight champion Joseph
Agbeko in Florida last month, will have at least one more fight at
super flyweight before having another crack at a bantamweight crown.

Darchinyan’s manager Elias Nassar said his charge was now likely to
make a mandatory defence of his WBC super flyweight title against
Mexican Tomas Rojas on December 5.

The Sydney-based boxer’s WBA super flyweight title will also be on the
line.

Concerns over the short recovery time for Darchinyan following his
facial injuries suffered against Agbeko prompted him to relinquish his
IBF title.

The 33-year-old, who has a 32-2-1 (26 KOs) record, required 44
stitches in wounds caused by some head clashes during the Agbeko bout.

While Darchinyan had the stitches removed last week, Nassar was
concerned that the IBF wanted his fighter to make his mandatory
defence around October, which he felt was too soon after the wounds
had healed.

`It just would have been too soon. It would have been impossible, I
would have been risking his health,” Nassar said.

`Both cuts were right in the middle of the eyebrow, on either side,
and they were all the way to the bone. He copped quite a few head
butts in that bout.”

He said while the fight with Rojas hadn’t yet been signed, it was in
the process of being finalised.

A 29-year-old southpaw with a 31-11-1 (22 KOs) record, Rojas would
enjoy a height advantage of around seven centimetres over Darchinyan.

`Rojas has got a longer reach and he’s very powerful and a very
awkward fighter,” Nassar said.

Rojas is unbeaten in his last six fights since being stopped by a body
shot from Jorge Arce, one of Darchinyan’s former victims.

While Darchinyan could go back to bantamweight after his next fight,
Nassar said there was a chance he could stay at super flyweight for a
rematch with Filipino Nonito Donaire, the only other professional
apart from Agbeko to defeat the Australian.

Donaire is fighting Panamanian Rafael Concepcion for the interim WBA
super flyweight world title in Las Vegas on August 15.

Darchinyan is currently holidaying in eastern Europe and will resume
training in Sydney in early September for his December bout to be
shown again on American cable television network Showtime.

Nassar said Showtime was interested in taking Darchinyan’s next fight
following the contest with Rojas to either Australia, Armenia or
Russia.

AAP
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress