Fights brew at the hard rock’s cafe
by GRANTLEE KIEZA
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
August 26, 2006 Saturday
State Edition
HIS trainer made history winning world titles at three different
weights but flyweight firebrand Vic Darchinyan says he can surpass
even the achievements of his mentor Jeff Fenech.
He reckons he can equal Oscar De La Hoya and win six.
Darchinyan, who may be the most feared man in world boxing, defends
his IBF flyweight title in Las Vegas on October 7 but admits the fight
against California-based Filipino Glenn Donaire is an anti-climax after
proposed battles to unify the flyweight championship all fell through.
His US promoter Gary Shaw flew to Argentina this month hoping to
sign WBO champ Omar Narvaez to face Darchinyan in a battle for the
two titles.
But just like everyone else in the world at 51kg, Narvaez had second
thoughts about waging war with the fearsome little bull ant who has
won his five world title fights by knockout and boasts a record of
26 wins in 26 starts, 21 inside the distance.
"Narvaez said yes and then pulled out of the fight," Darchinyan
said yesterday at Vic’s Cafe, his new eatery at the Italian Forum
in Leichhardt.
"Lorenzo Parra, the WBA champ, and Pongsaklek Wongjongkam, the WBC
champ, have both been offered more money than they’ve ever made to
fight me but they won’t take me on.
"It is very frustrating because I wanted to be like Kostya Tszyu and
win all the belts in my weight division.
"If I cannot win any more titles at flyweight I will keep moving up
in weight. I believe I can win as many as six world titles if I put
my mind to it.
"Many times I have sparred with Gairy St Clair, the new IBF
junior-lightweight champion. He knows how strong I am.
"There is no reason I cannot win six world titles all the way from
51kg to 59kg."
Darchinyan says he would love to face mighty Mexicans, IBF bantamweight
champ Rafael Marquez and super-bantamweight king Israel Vazquez even
though they’ve got a few kilos on him.
"I’ve sparred Vazquez with big gloves in Los Angeles and we are both
big punchers," he said.
"I would love to fight him with small gloves to see who is the
toughest."
Darchinyan, who can bench press double his body weight and thinks
nothing of doing 1000 push-ups a day, says time is running out for him.
"It seems like yesterday I was fighting for Armenia at the Sydney
Olympics but that is six years ago. I am 30 now and boxers only have
a short career.
"I’m hungry for as many world title belts as I can get and I don’t
want to waste time. Let all the world champs from flyweight to
junior-lightweight know that I am coming after them."
Darchinyan leaves for Las Vegas next week where he will meet up with
trainer Fenech and Sydney featherweight Billy Dib, who will be his
main sparring partner for the Donaire fight, his fifth defence of
the IBF crown.