Darchinyan v Arce
Posted: 13 Jan 2009, 17:51
Vic Darchinyan aiming still
By Hannah Ireland
January 14, 2009 12:00am
BEING the undisputed world champion is a crown that many boxers dream of wearing.
Vic Darchinyan has fought valiantly to earn his IBF, WBA and WBC belts and become king of the super-flyweight division, but is not content to sit back and enjoy the view from his throne.
The Armenian-born, Australian-based southpaw will meet Mexican Jorge Arce in California on February 7 and he says this may well he be his last fight as a super-flyweight.
"I became undisputed world champion in just three months but now I'm putting all my titles on the line," he said.
"After this fight, I don't think anyone (in the super-flyweights) is going to fight me because they are going to see what I am going to do with Arce. I'm not going to wait for them, I'm going to move up to bantamweight."
The imminent rise in weight divisions has not dulled the lead-up to the February bout.
Both fighters have delivered many rounds of trash talking but Darchinyan laughs off the idea that Arce could ever have him spooked.
"He sucks a lollipop and wears a little cowboy hat," he said with a mocking smile. "He talks too much. I talk too but I say I'm going to knock out my opponents and I deliver."
His words reek of confidence but Darchinyan has put in the hard yards to ensure that it will be his opponent who gets cosy with the canvas.
Elias Nasser, Darchinyan's manager, claims preparation has allowed him to live up to his alias, the Raging Bull. "His conditioning is second to none," Nasser said.
"He has sparred more than 120 rounds against boxers who are up to six weight divisions above him.
"Vic is going to go into the ring and just break him."
After summoning his very first amateur coach to his corner, Darchinyan insists that Arce does not have what it takes to gain the keys to the kingdom.
"He's a big puncher but I am smart. I will outsmart him, knock him out and then go to his corner and thank him for the challenge."
