Box: Darchinyan has chance to turnaround Australia’s fortunes
By Adrian Warren
AAP NEWSFEED, Australia
June 28, 2005, Tuesday 9:52 AM Eastern Time
SYDNEY, June 28 — IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan has the chance
to turnaround Australia’s recent disastrous run in world title fights
when he defends his title against Colombian Jaair Jimenez.
The July 27 bout at the Sydney Entertainment Centre will be the
second defence for the 29-year-old, who won the title from Irene
Pacheco last December before retaining it against South African
Mzukisi Sikali in March.
Since that victory Australia has suffered three successive defeats in
world title bouts with Paul Briggs, Kostya Tszyu and Anthony Mundine
all being beaten.
Jimenez, 26, the ninth ranked contender, has a record of 22 wins
(16 KOs) four losses and one draw.
Three of his four losses occurred outside Columbia.
He lost on points to Adonis Rivas in a fight for the World Boxing
Organisation interim flyweight title in 2002 and suffered defeats in
his two most recent bouts against Gerson Guerrero, both of which were
in fights for the WBO Latino super flyweight Championship.
“He (Jimenez) is a tough kid, but if Vic trains properly, he’s not
going to have a problem with anybody,” Darchinyan’s trainer Jeff
Fenech said.
“Vic has been training very hard, he ran 20km yesterday.
“He’s certainly looking stronger and more confident with the title,
he’s much more at ease.”
Darchinyan, who relocated to Australia after representing Armenia
at the 2000 Olympics, boasts an unblemished professional record of
23 wins (18 KOs).
Fenech reiterated Darchinyan was still not the finished product.
“We’ve got things to work on, his pressure and his overall fitness
and I’d like him to shorten his punches up a bit,” Fenech said.