Professional Armenian boxer Vic Darchinyan, a former WBA, WBC and IBF champion, have arrived in Armenia to have a rest and meet his friends and relatives.
The Armenian athlete announced a plan to quit professional boxing several years ago, however when he received an offer to fight with Russian world boxing champion Yevgeny Gradovich, he was not able to reject it, Darchinyan told reporters at a news conference on Monday.
“He has a world title belt. If I win, it will be my 10th [belt]. I held a boat within thee weeks and sent its video to Moscow. They keep silent up to now, but keep saying we need to fight,” he said.
The boxing legend noted he has nine world champion belts, seven of which he ‘grabbed’ from the world champions. He now has a great desire to capture the 10th world title belt, which would mark the end of his professional boxer’s career.
Darchinyan also said Armenia does have good boxers, who can achieve heights, however, he added, it would be better for them to undergo trainings in the U.S. for several months. The sportsman unveiled plans to open a promotion company in Armenia, which would give Armenian boxers an opportunity to pave their way into progress.
Darchinyan says the boxers cannot achieve good results here in Armenia amid the lack of appropriate conditions, adding they need sparring partners.
“I want them to engage in many sparring matches abroad, I will give them an opportunity to take part in good tournaments, but it is up to them what achievements they will make in the future,” he said.
Vic Darchinyan says he is ready to train the Armenian boxers as a coach, but cannot devote his entire time to them, claiming it entails a great responsibility.
Asked whether he has any intention of trying himself in mixed martial arts, the boxer said he was previously considering MMA, but later he gave up the intention since he realized he could not make money through it.
The Armenian fighter never misses a chance to visit his homeland. “I love Armenia very much. When I was training, I still visited Armenia three times a year. I received a warm welcome here. I also visited Artsakh again to enjoy a very good welcome,” the boxer said.
Vic Darchinyan said he runs his own boxing club in Australia. He also added that his children also follow his matches, with his elder boy, who is 10 years old, having even been present at his competitions.