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EastsideBoxing.com
Feb 1 2009
Vic Darchinyan-Nonito Donaire II - Will It Ever Happen?
by James Slater -
When Filipino flyweight Nonito Donaire flattened the fearsome punching
Vic Darchinyan in five rounds back in July of 2007, "The Filipino
Flash" sent shockwaves through not only the Armenian-born Australian,
but through the sport of boxing itself. Until then, "The Raging Bull,"
as Darchinyan is known, had beaten everyone in his path, including
Nonito's older brother, Glenn Donaire..
The younger brother not only took Darhinyans's IBF flyweight title, he
also restored the family name. Since then, the 26-year-old who has
only ever lost once as a pro (way back in just his second fight), has
further enhanced his reputation by successfully defending his
112-pound crown on two occasions - beating Luis Maldonado and Moruti
Mthalane, both inside the distance. The Mthalane fight, Donaire's most
recent, came in November of last year, after a near 12 month inactive
spell.
During this time, the flyweight boss saw the man he shocked make the
move up to super-flyweight and restore his own reputation with
splendid victories over Dimitri Kirilov and Cristian Mijares, both of
whom Darchinyan stopped. Now, the word is, after his highly
anticipated battle with Mexico's tough and always colourful Jorge Arce
is over with, the 33-year-old Australian citizen will move up yet
again, this time to bantamweight. The question is, will we never get
the chance to see Darchinyan-Donaire II, and will Vic never really
care if he does not get the chance to avenge his sole career loss?
As great as he has looked up at 115-pounds, and as fine a fighter as
he has proven himself to be in general, does Darchinyan not need to
get back in there with the man who stopped him; so as to silence the
few critics of his that remain? Of course, if Darchinyan can no longer
make super-flyweight comfortably, no-one can blame him for moving up -
certainly no-one is accusing him of ducking Donaire. But if he were to
hang around at 115 for just a while longer, surely the two rivals
could meet in a rematch that would prove to be highly interesting.
Donaire has a March defence coming up against the unbeaten Raul
Martinez of San Antonio, Texas, and it would really have been
something if he and Darchinyan had agreed to meet at super-flyweight
immediately after their two respective fights. Donaire would almost
certainly have agreed to a second fight, at the slightly higher
weight, but with Darchinyan seemingly headed to bantamweight we can
forget it. And this is a shame.
The fans would love to see if "The Filipino Flash" could once again
slay "The Raging Bull," and the fight would have almost definitely
been a big seller. Who knows, maybe the rematch will still happen, but
it looks doubtful. This part two, as is often the case in boxing,
seems destined to go unmade.
Will Darchinyan, and to a lesser degree, Donaire, live to regret not
meeting again? And, in the case of the 33-year-old, will there always
be a sense of his wondering, "could I have ever beaten him?"
Feb 1 2009
Vic Darchinyan-Nonito Donaire II - Will It Ever Happen?
by James Slater -
When Filipino flyweight Nonito Donaire flattened the fearsome punching
Vic Darchinyan in five rounds back in July of 2007, "The Filipino
Flash" sent shockwaves through not only the Armenian-born Australian,
but through the sport of boxing itself. Until then, "The Raging Bull,"
as Darchinyan is known, had beaten everyone in his path, including
Nonito's older brother, Glenn Donaire..
The younger brother not only took Darhinyans's IBF flyweight title, he
also restored the family name. Since then, the 26-year-old who has
only ever lost once as a pro (way back in just his second fight), has
further enhanced his reputation by successfully defending his
112-pound crown on two occasions - beating Luis Maldonado and Moruti
Mthalane, both inside the distance. The Mthalane fight, Donaire's most
recent, came in November of last year, after a near 12 month inactive
spell.
During this time, the flyweight boss saw the man he shocked make the
move up to super-flyweight and restore his own reputation with
splendid victories over Dimitri Kirilov and Cristian Mijares, both of
whom Darchinyan stopped. Now, the word is, after his highly
anticipated battle with Mexico's tough and always colourful Jorge Arce
is over with, the 33-year-old Australian citizen will move up yet
again, this time to bantamweight. The question is, will we never get
the chance to see Darchinyan-Donaire II, and will Vic never really
care if he does not get the chance to avenge his sole career loss?
As great as he has looked up at 115-pounds, and as fine a fighter as
he has proven himself to be in general, does Darchinyan not need to
get back in there with the man who stopped him; so as to silence the
few critics of his that remain? Of course, if Darchinyan can no longer
make super-flyweight comfortably, no-one can blame him for moving up -
certainly no-one is accusing him of ducking Donaire. But if he were to
hang around at 115 for just a while longer, surely the two rivals
could meet in a rematch that would prove to be highly interesting.
Donaire has a March defence coming up against the unbeaten Raul
Martinez of San Antonio, Texas, and it would really have been
something if he and Darchinyan had agreed to meet at super-flyweight
immediately after their two respective fights. Donaire would almost
certainly have agreed to a second fight, at the slightly higher
weight, but with Darchinyan seemingly headed to bantamweight we can
forget it. And this is a shame.
The fans would love to see if "The Filipino Flash" could once again
slay "The Raging Bull," and the fight would have almost definitely
been a big seller. Who knows, maybe the rematch will still happen, but
it looks doubtful. This part two, as is often the case in boxing,
seems destined to go unmade.
Will Darchinyan, and to a lesser degree, Donaire, live to regret not
meeting again? And, in the case of the 33-year-old, will there always
be a sense of his wondering, "could I have ever beaten him?"