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MEXICO'S MIJARES VS. ARMENIA'S DARCHINYAN
By David A. Avila
The Sweet Science
Monday Oct 13, 2008
USA
LOS ANGELES-Sitting inside a restaurant seemingly without a care in
the world was Cristian Mijares looking like a Mexican Don Juan with
his shirt opened, groomed black hair and brilliant looking smile.
A few feet to his left, sat the always menacing Vic "Raging Bull"
Darchinyan looking like a Tasmanian Devil ready to pounce on whatever
target he's pointed.
You couldn't ask for two more different characters. But both represent
the best of the 115-pound junior bantamweight or super fly division.
With only two weeks remaining, Mexico's Mijares will put up his WBC
and WBA world titles against Darchinyan's IBF to discover the best
fighter in the division on Saturday Nov. 1 at the Home Depot Center.
A surprisingly packed crowd arrived at El Paseo Inn restaurant in
historic Olvera Street. Both the Spanish language and English press
arrived in force to cover the press conference promoted by Gary Shaw
Productions and DiBella Entertainment.
Whenever Darchinyan is part of a boxing card the word "knockout"
gets bandied about. It's the Armenian fighter's favorite word.
"I can't tell you if it will be 12 rounds or a knockout," said
Darchinyan (30-1-1, 24 KOs) whose nickname is Raging Bull. "But I
always knock everybody out."
Mijares, ever the burgeoning matinee idol of his homeland, maintains
the same poise he displays inside the ring, always calm always subdued
but sharp as a tack.
"I don't like to talk a lot," said Mijares (36-3-2, 15 KOs), who
lives in Durango, Mexico. "We'll definitely have a great fight."
Darchinyan, 32, now lives in Australia and is training in Las Vegas. If
you love boxing then you have to look forward to the man with dynamite
in his fists and a single goal to dismantle whoever is inside the
boxing ropes when the bell rings.
Last August, most were surprised at the ease he destroyed Russia's
Dimitri Kirilov. It wasn't supposed to be that easy because of the
supposed boxing ability of the former champion.
"I knocked him out," Darchinyan said.
Knockouts, knockouts, knockouts. If that word wasn't available
Darchinyan would be at a loss for words because he probably wakes up
in the morning in a cold sweat dreaming about that word.
Or maybe it's from being knocked out.
As a flyweight he terrorized the 112-pound division and hospitalized
Mexico's Victor Burgos the last time he fought at the same Home
Depot Center. Then he met Nonito Donaire who decided to drop down in
weight and was smacked into dreamland with a left hook he never saw
or remembered. He didn't even know he was knocked out and asked his
corner why the fight was stopped.
"My fight with Nonito Donaire was just a mistake," said Darchinyan
who was left unconscious for almost two minutes. "He caught me on
the jaw. It was a lucky punch."
You have to admire his total commitment to the knockout.
"I'm going to punish him," Darchinyan promises.
Mexico's Mijares, 27, comes from a fighting family and is the nephew
of former lightweight contender Vicente Mijares Saldivar. It's his
first fight in Southern California.
"It's going to be great for the fans," said Mijares who has already
fought three times including August 30 when he knocked out Thailand's
Chatchai Sasakul in three rounds. "I'm going to win this fight and
I'm going to win comfortably."
Always smiling, Mijares resembles a ballad singer with his spiffy
clothes and mild manner. When he first captured the world title,
he was just a name on a fight card in Japan. He was expected to lose
but surprised Katsushige Kawashima and the crowd with his nimbleness
in the ring and boxing smarts.
Opponents and boxing fans are beginning to catch up to the very
technical Mijares who basically embarrassed fellow Mexican fighter
Jorge Arce when they met in the ring a year and a half ago in San
Antonio.
During this press conference Darchinyan predicted -what else- the
fight will end a in a knockout win when he meets Mijares.
The Mexican boxer looked over his shoulder without changing his
expression and then smiled faintly.
"I like it when guys talk a lot," he said. "It brings out the best
in me."
Tickets are priced between $25 and $200 at Home Depot Center.
By David A. Avila
The Sweet Science
Monday Oct 13, 2008
USA
LOS ANGELES-Sitting inside a restaurant seemingly without a care in
the world was Cristian Mijares looking like a Mexican Don Juan with
his shirt opened, groomed black hair and brilliant looking smile.
A few feet to his left, sat the always menacing Vic "Raging Bull"
Darchinyan looking like a Tasmanian Devil ready to pounce on whatever
target he's pointed.
You couldn't ask for two more different characters. But both represent
the best of the 115-pound junior bantamweight or super fly division.
With only two weeks remaining, Mexico's Mijares will put up his WBC
and WBA world titles against Darchinyan's IBF to discover the best
fighter in the division on Saturday Nov. 1 at the Home Depot Center.
A surprisingly packed crowd arrived at El Paseo Inn restaurant in
historic Olvera Street. Both the Spanish language and English press
arrived in force to cover the press conference promoted by Gary Shaw
Productions and DiBella Entertainment.
Whenever Darchinyan is part of a boxing card the word "knockout"
gets bandied about. It's the Armenian fighter's favorite word.
"I can't tell you if it will be 12 rounds or a knockout," said
Darchinyan (30-1-1, 24 KOs) whose nickname is Raging Bull. "But I
always knock everybody out."
Mijares, ever the burgeoning matinee idol of his homeland, maintains
the same poise he displays inside the ring, always calm always subdued
but sharp as a tack.
"I don't like to talk a lot," said Mijares (36-3-2, 15 KOs), who
lives in Durango, Mexico. "We'll definitely have a great fight."
Darchinyan, 32, now lives in Australia and is training in Las Vegas. If
you love boxing then you have to look forward to the man with dynamite
in his fists and a single goal to dismantle whoever is inside the
boxing ropes when the bell rings.
Last August, most were surprised at the ease he destroyed Russia's
Dimitri Kirilov. It wasn't supposed to be that easy because of the
supposed boxing ability of the former champion.
"I knocked him out," Darchinyan said.
Knockouts, knockouts, knockouts. If that word wasn't available
Darchinyan would be at a loss for words because he probably wakes up
in the morning in a cold sweat dreaming about that word.
Or maybe it's from being knocked out.
As a flyweight he terrorized the 112-pound division and hospitalized
Mexico's Victor Burgos the last time he fought at the same Home
Depot Center. Then he met Nonito Donaire who decided to drop down in
weight and was smacked into dreamland with a left hook he never saw
or remembered. He didn't even know he was knocked out and asked his
corner why the fight was stopped.
"My fight with Nonito Donaire was just a mistake," said Darchinyan
who was left unconscious for almost two minutes. "He caught me on
the jaw. It was a lucky punch."
You have to admire his total commitment to the knockout.
"I'm going to punish him," Darchinyan promises.
Mexico's Mijares, 27, comes from a fighting family and is the nephew
of former lightweight contender Vicente Mijares Saldivar. It's his
first fight in Southern California.
"It's going to be great for the fans," said Mijares who has already
fought three times including August 30 when he knocked out Thailand's
Chatchai Sasakul in three rounds. "I'm going to win this fight and
I'm going to win comfortably."
Always smiling, Mijares resembles a ballad singer with his spiffy
clothes and mild manner. When he first captured the world title,
he was just a name on a fight card in Japan. He was expected to lose
but surprised Katsushige Kawashima and the crowd with his nimbleness
in the ring and boxing smarts.
Opponents and boxing fans are beginning to catch up to the very
technical Mijares who basically embarrassed fellow Mexican fighter
Jorge Arce when they met in the ring a year and a half ago in San
Antonio.
During this press conference Darchinyan predicted -what else- the
fight will end a in a knockout win when he meets Mijares.
The Mexican boxer looked over his shoulder without changing his
expression and then smiled faintly.
"I like it when guys talk a lot," he said. "It brings out the best
in me."
Tickets are priced between $25 and $200 at Home Depot Center.