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Press-Enterprise (subscription), CA
June 4 2006
Patient Darchinyan breaks through
IBF Flyweight Title: A solid 1-2 combination helps him stop
Maldonado.
10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, June 3, 2006
By DAVID A. AVILA
The Press-Enterprise
LAS VEGAS - Eager to show that little guys can pop, Australia's Vic
Darchinyan used his powerful left hand to stop Mexico's Luis
Maldonado in a world flyweight title bout at the Thomas and Mack
Center on Saturday.
AP photo
A sparse audience of about 2,900 people -- the scheduled main event
between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was called off Friday
-- saw IBF champion Darchinyan crank it up slowly against Maldonado
(33-1-1, 25 KOs), who switched from right- to left-handed style
constantly in the battle between undefeated 112-pound fighters.
"My trainer told me to be patient," said Darchinyan (26-0, 21 KOs),
who fights out of Sydney, Australia. "I didn't use my left hand until
the sixth round."
In the sixth round a left hand behind the ear and a slight push
forced Maldonado to a knee. Referee Joe Cortez called it a knockdown.
Maldonado tried to use a body attack to weaken the Armenian from
Australia, but had limited success. In almost every exchange
Maldonado got the worst of it.
"He's too strong," Maldonado said. "You can't tell where the punches
are coming from."
After the knockdown Darchinyan began to slip into a more aggressive
gear.
"I didn't want to rush, but I knew I could knock him out," Darchinyan
said, who is trained by former Aussie great Jeff Fenech.
A solid 1-2 combination snapped Maldonado's head back and Darchinyan
moved in quickly with more wallops. Cortez decided it was too much
punishment and stopped the fight at 1:38 of the eighth round.
Darchinyan wants to meet the other flyweight titleholders or move up
to heavier weight divisions.
"I'd like to unify the titles, but I don't mind moving up to junior
bantamweight or bantamweight," Darchinyan said.
Other bouts
Former Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (9-0, 6 KOs) stormed out of the
corner and stopped Oscar Gonzalez (9-5-1, 3 KOs), of Florida, in 2:14
of the first round. Three successive uppercuts dropped Gonzalez for
the first knockdown, then a straight right hand finished the job in a
junior middleweight bout.
Las Vegas boxer Jose "Little Bazooka" Magallon traded knockout blows
with Mexico's Abraham Esquivel for all four scheduled rounds. It was
only surprising that no one hit the canvas in the bantamweight
contest. The judges scored it 40-36, 39-37 twice for Magallon
June 4 2006
Patient Darchinyan breaks through
IBF Flyweight Title: A solid 1-2 combination helps him stop
Maldonado.
10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, June 3, 2006
By DAVID A. AVILA
The Press-Enterprise
LAS VEGAS - Eager to show that little guys can pop, Australia's Vic
Darchinyan used his powerful left hand to stop Mexico's Luis
Maldonado in a world flyweight title bout at the Thomas and Mack
Center on Saturday.
AP photo
A sparse audience of about 2,900 people -- the scheduled main event
between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was called off Friday
-- saw IBF champion Darchinyan crank it up slowly against Maldonado
(33-1-1, 25 KOs), who switched from right- to left-handed style
constantly in the battle between undefeated 112-pound fighters.
"My trainer told me to be patient," said Darchinyan (26-0, 21 KOs),
who fights out of Sydney, Australia. "I didn't use my left hand until
the sixth round."
In the sixth round a left hand behind the ear and a slight push
forced Maldonado to a knee. Referee Joe Cortez called it a knockdown.
Maldonado tried to use a body attack to weaken the Armenian from
Australia, but had limited success. In almost every exchange
Maldonado got the worst of it.
"He's too strong," Maldonado said. "You can't tell where the punches
are coming from."
After the knockdown Darchinyan began to slip into a more aggressive
gear.
"I didn't want to rush, but I knew I could knock him out," Darchinyan
said, who is trained by former Aussie great Jeff Fenech.
A solid 1-2 combination snapped Maldonado's head back and Darchinyan
moved in quickly with more wallops. Cortez decided it was too much
punishment and stopped the fight at 1:38 of the eighth round.
Darchinyan wants to meet the other flyweight titleholders or move up
to heavier weight divisions.
"I'd like to unify the titles, but I don't mind moving up to junior
bantamweight or bantamweight," Darchinyan said.
Other bouts
Former Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (9-0, 6 KOs) stormed out of the
corner and stopped Oscar Gonzalez (9-5-1, 3 KOs), of Florida, in 2:14
of the first round. Three successive uppercuts dropped Gonzalez for
the first knockdown, then a straight right hand finished the job in a
junior middleweight bout.
Las Vegas boxer Jose "Little Bazooka" Magallon traded knockout blows
with Mexico's Abraham Esquivel for all four scheduled rounds. It was
only surprising that no one hit the canvas in the bantamweight
contest. The judges scored it 40-36, 39-37 twice for Magallon