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Boxing: Darchinyan's title defence against Jimenez rescheduled

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  • Boxing: Darchinyan's title defence against Jimenez rescheduled

    Doghouse Boxing, Canada
    July 30 2005

    DoghouseBoxing Speaks with Vic Darchinyan
    Darchinyan's title defence against Jimenez rescheduled for August

    Interview by Anthony Cocks, Site Editor (July 30, 2005)


    IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan has had his title defence
    against Jair Jimenez postponed after the rugged 26-year-old Columbian
    encountered visa problems that would have prevented him from arriving
    in Australia until three days before the bout.

    Originally scheduled to take place on July 27th, the d-Rush promoted
    card will now go ahead on August 24th at the Sydney Entertainment
    Centre in Darchinyan's adopted hometown of Sydney, Australia.

    Speaking exclusively to Doghouse Boxing shortly before the
    postponement was announced, Darchinyan said he was looking forward to
    the fight and revealed his plans to unify the division if he succeeds
    in defeating Jimenez.

    `What I can say about him is he's a very good strong fighter,' said
    Darchinyan, 23-0 (18), of Jimenez. `I saw his tapes, a very good
    power puncher, a busy fighter and he can punch and punch for twelve
    rounds. He's a good hard fighter.'

    IBF #9 Jimenez, who lost back to back fights to Gerson Guerrero in
    his last two outings while fighting at super flyweight, returns to
    his natural weight class to face the power punching Armenian-born
    Australian. Billy Hussein, who co-trains Darchinyan with former three
    division champion Jeff Fenech, believes that Jimenez's two recent
    losses are deceptive.

    `He's a well balanced, good walk up fighter, but he's going to be
    shorter than Vic,' explained Hussein. `In his two fights against
    Gerson Guerrero he was beaten both times, but he fought at super
    flyweight. It's going to be a hard fight for Vic. This guy is a good
    puncher, he's a good style of fighter and he comes to fight.

    `They would've watched Vic fight Pacheco as they're both from
    Columbia. They wouldn't have taken this fight if they unless they
    believed they could beat Vic. This guy is a good up and coming
    fighter and Vic's got to be on his game to win.'

    Despite his two recent losses, Jimenez, 22-4-1 (16), is a world class
    fighter who will be determined to wrest the title from Darchinyan. In
    2002 Jimenez lost a razor thin majority decision for the WBO interim
    flyweight championship to Adonis Rivas, who subsequently lost his
    title to reigning champion Omar Narvaez.

    `In the ring we will show who is the stronger, better puncher, who is
    better,' said Darchinyan. `But what I can say about him it will be an
    exciting fight because he loves to fight and there will be support
    for this fight and support for me.'

    The postponement of the fight is an obvious setback for Darchinyan,
    who added the IBO title to his IBF strap with an 8th round TKO of
    South African Mzukisi Sikali in his last fight. According to Hussein,
    this had been Darchinyan's best preparation since his first attempt
    at a world title challenge to then-champion Irene Pacheco, a fight
    that ironically was also postponed due to Hurricane Frances.

    `He's had a real good preparation,' said Hussein, who also co-trains
    his world ranked brothers Nedal `Skinny' Hussein and Hussein Hussein.
    `He has boxed guys like Lovemore Ndou, Hussy, Ahmed Elomar and Billy
    `The Kid' Dib. He's done a lot of sparring for this fight and he's in
    great shape. It's different to the last defence when he fought
    against Sakali. This is probably the best preparation he's had since
    the first Pacheco fight, which was postponed. He's got his head
    screwed on and he wants to defend his title on home soil.'

    While Hussein has been working hard on developing Darchinyan into a
    more well rounded boxer, the 2000 Olympian's strong suit will always
    be his bone crunching power.

    `Vic hits so hard for a flyweight,' admitted Hussein. `His power
    punching intimidates a lot of fighters. They actually fight
    differently when they fight Vic. Jair Jimenez is good at cutting off
    the ring, but he's not so great when he gets hit to the body and
    that's one thing we're going to attack, his body.

    `Vic's a good power puncher. Let's see how he responds when Vic does
    hit him with a good shot or two. And with Vic being a southpaw it is
    going to make things even harder for Jimenez.'

    Darchinyan agrees with Hussein's assessment and says that once he
    starts landing with his heavy hands on the challenger the course of
    the fight is bound to change.

    `I know I'm very strong for anyone in my weight and when I start
    punching I think he is going to really understand my power and he
    can't do things that he could do with all these other guys,' said
    Darchinyan.

    Since winning the IBF title with an impressive 11th round stoppage of
    formerly unbeaten Columbian Irene Pacheco last year, Hussein says
    that the 29-year-old southpaw has improved in leaps and bounds.

    `Without doubt,' agreed Hussein. `The biggest difference is his
    confidence. He knows that he can blow any flyweight, super flyweight
    or bantamweight out. He believes in his power so much that we've been
    trying to ease him back on that and keep teaching him the technique
    and skills and reminding him that these are the little things you've
    got to do right. As a person he's a great person and as a fighter I
    think he's going to be a great fighter. I think he can unify the
    flyweight division, not a problem.'

    As far as Darchinyan's future plans go, it looks like a mandatory
    defence against Ireland's Damaen Kelly is next in line before a
    potentially explosive bout with WBA flyweight champion Lorenzo Parra,
    25-0 (17), in 2006.

    `I think we've got to make a mandatory defence against Damaen Kelly
    of Ireland next,' said Hussein. `Hopefully once we get through this
    we will fight Damaen Kelly towards the end of the year. Lorenzo Parra
    is going to fight Brahim Asloum from France and I think the winners
    will eventually meet each other by March next year. Our aim is to
    fight Parra or whoever wins that next fight.'

    The 26-year-old Venezuelan is regarded by some pundits as the best in
    the division, but Darchinyan is convinced that he has the tools to
    defeat the unbeaten power puncher and stake his claim as the best in
    the world in the 112 pound weight class.

    `I would like to fight for the WBA title against Lorenzo Parra
    because he's recognized as a big power puncher in America,' said
    Darchinyan of his future plans.

    `That's why I want to fight him. I want to show that I am the best
    mover, the best fighter and that I can beat him. I want to prove I'm
    the best in any division. The best mover, the best puncher and the
    best fighter.'

    The d-Rush promoted card will be shown live in Australia on Sky
    Channel and Main Event pay-per-view on August 24th from 7:30pm and
    will also feature rising star Billy Dib defending his IBO Asia
    Pacific super featherweight title against American southpaw Shamir
    Reyes, unbeaten Ahmed Elomar squaring off against Matt Powell for the
    vacant IBO Asia Pacific featherweight title, cruiserweight Adam
    Lovelock doing battle with Jarrad Treloar and heavyweight Mark de
    Mori against an opponent to be named.
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