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DARCHINYAN, ARCE BOUNCE BACK
by Jake Donovan
FOXSports.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/bo xing/story/9178006/Darchinyan,-Arce-bounce-back
Fe b 5 2009
The foundation was laid nearly three years ago for this weekend's
battle of little big men. Small only in stature, but full-fledged
heavyweights when it comes to knocking 'em out and talking trash.
Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce are two of the few in the sport who
are equally entertaining in and out of the ring.
After almost three years of hurling insults at one another and
basically everyone else in the sport, a dream fight at the lower
weights becomes a reality. Showtime Championship Boxing kicks off
its 2009 season with a gem when Darchinyan puts his multiple super
flyweight titles on the line against his longtime rival Arce in
Anaheim, Calif., (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET).
There has always been genuine disdain between the two, but a great
fight needs more than just a little trash talk to sell to the
masses. There was many a boxing fan that longed for the fight in
2006, and believed the fight would never happen after both suffered
humiliating losses a year later.
What a difference a little patience makes.
Both fighters hit the comeback trail and kept winning. With
the results often coming in highlight reel fashion, interest was
suddenly renewed. The matchup went from interesting to perhaps the
most significant fight to be made in the junior bantamweight division
the moment both fighters scored knockout wins in their last respective
fights.
It was what went down that November night that makes this weekend's
collision well worth the wait.
When this matchup was first discussed, both fighters held titles in
separate weight classes, but the balance of star power was heavily
one-sided. Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 knockouts) was an established
flyweight titlist, but was far more cult favorite than ticket seller.
On the other hand, Arce (51-4-1, 39 knockouts) was being groomed as
HBO's next darling, with four fights coming in the form of pay-per-view
undercards and Boxing After Dark headliners, as well as a co-feature
slot on a Showtime pay-per-view card in October 2005.
Boxing fans clamored for a bout between the two, but the economics
heavily favored Arce -- so much so that the Mexican had the freedom
to pick and choose his battles, deciding that Darchinyan needed
to bring more to the table than just trash talk in order to "earn"
the right to fight him.
In the ring, Darchinyan most certainly did his part. An Armenian
based out of Australia, but who now calls Glendale, Calif. home,
he was enjoying regular appearances on Showtime -- four straight in
a span of less than 12 months. All told, all seven of his flyweight
title-fight wins ended inside the 12-round distance, even if one
went to the scorecards on a technicality. But it was his promoting
of his October '06 bout with Glenn Donaire that ended in a knockout
that earned further accolades among boxing fans.
The fight served as the co-feature to the rubber match between Joel
Casamayor and Diego Corrales. Darchinyan scored a knockdown and won
every round handily when Donaire, fighting with a broken jaw since
the third round, was given the green light by the ringside physician
to bow out of the contest six rounds into the evening. Darchinyan
believed his opponent quit after growing tired of absorbing punishment,
which in his mind should've resulted in his ninth straight knockout.
The rulebook read different, instead deeming the fight a technical
decision. Darchinyan still won, his 27th straight without a loss
at the time, but he was hardly in celebratory mode. Nor was he able
to celebrate win No. 28, a 12th round stoppage of Victor Burgos in
which his opponent slipped into a coma and was immediately brought
to a hospital for emergency treatment.
While Burgos' health would change for the better, both Darchinyan
and Arce would see their luck turn for the worse.
Arce was on a hot streak of his own, winning 27 straight from 1999
through January 2007. The last win of that run was a 12-round decision
over Julio Roque Ler, snapping a streak of eight straight knockouts
after his opponent spent nearly the entire bout fighting as if lasting
the full 12 was his only goal of the night.
Leading up to that fight, the Mexican celebrity was better known
for his ability to thrill the crowd, draw blood (often his own)
and close the show. The former lineal junior flyweight champion was
doing so while leapfrogging weight classes, moving up to flyweight
in 2005 before setting his sights on the super flyweight division
later in 2006.
Two straight HBO-televised wins led to a shot at a super flyweight
alphabet title against Cristian Mijares. Arce and his handlers
believed at the time that it would be one more win to put that much
more distance between him and Darchinyan, and any other fighter at
or around the 115-pound division looking for a jackpot fight.
Twelve rounds later, they were proven very wrong. It didn't even take
that long, though, to realize that Arce was never going to win the
fight. Unheralded at the time, Mijares put on a boxing clinic from
the outset, and fought to close the show down the stretch, though
Arce was able to remain upright. It was perhaps the only thing he did
right that April '07 night, dropping a lopsided decision, and forced
to rebuild without the benefit of a major network along for the ride.
Darchinyan and his handlers thought the moment would prove to be
their proverbial last laugh, but his world came crashing down just
three months later. A title defense against Nonito Donaire couldn't
have proven more disastrous, losing every round before landing on the
wrong end of the year's best knockout and biggest upset. A left hook
separated him from his senses, so much that he had no recollection
of being knocked out in the post-fight interview.
Next up for both was a trip on the comeback trail. Arce's tour has
been limited to independent Top Rank PPV undercard appearances, save
for a couple of bouts on TV Azteca. Five straight wins have come of
it, though none against particularly notable competition and one in
which he was lucky to escape with the decision, in his disputed April
'08 win over David Lookmanhanak.
Arce's ninth-round knockout of Rafael Concepcion last September was a
reminder of what the Mexican was capable of when forced to deal with
adversity. The bout turned out to be a Fight of the Year contender,
with Arce overcoming several rough moments to come on strong down the
stretch to force a stoppage. The same could be said of his last bout,
though in more condensed fashion, as he began slow before picking up
steam and stopping Isidro Garcia last November.
The win was his fifth straight, but it -- much like his comeback as
a whole -- paled in comparison to what Darchinyan would achieve that
same night and throughout 2008.
A 12th-round knockout of Federico Catubay came four months after the
worst possible night of his career, a confidence builder to get a
head start on his 2008 campaign.
His year ended almost as soon as it began, trading knockdowns with Z
Gorres and looking shaky early on before gathering his composure to
seemingly outfight the Filipino over the course of their 12-round
bout a year ago. The judges and an uncooperative referee helped
change that equation, with several knockdowns going ignored as the
brash Armenian was forced to settle for a split-decision draw.
A rematch was ordered, but Gorres was forced to pass after being placed
on the injured list from the brutal war. Gorres' loss was Vic's gain,
in ways far greater than anyone could imagine.
Darchinyan went on to receive a title shot, with the winner said to
come back around for a fight with Gorres. Darchinyan faced Dimitry
Kirilov in August, dominating the Russian before knocking him out in
the fifth round of their Showtime headliner.
With a belt back around his waist, Darchinyan wasn't content on
settling for title defenses. Bigger game was what he demanded, and
what he received in a November unification match with top-rated super
flyweight Cristian Mijares. Three belts were on the line in what
rated as possibly the division's biggest fight since Johnny Tapia's
narrow points win in his grudge match with Danny Romero more than a
decade prior.
Most boxing experts polled before the fight had Mijares winning
handily, and staking his claim as a major contender for Fighter of
the Year honors.
The fight was won handily, and a Fighter of the Year nominee emerged
from the rubble. Only it wasn't Mijares. Darchinyan defied the odds
in a big way, once again jumping out to an early start. Mijares hit
the deck in the opening round, and was dominated throughout, winning
just one round on each of the three scorecards before getting laid
out in the ninth.
With the win, Darchinyan became the first three-belt champion in the
history of the super flyweight division. It can be argued that he
also becomes the lineal champion by default; the top threat, Fernando
Montiel, is now contending as a bantamweight, having claimed to no
longer being able to make weight.
In the meantime, Darchinyan makes as notable a first defense of the
three unified titles as you can ask. Arce may be on the wrong side of
his prime, but his popularity has hardly waned. Still high among his
country's favorite stars, the free-swinging Mexican boasts a fighting
style that will always be in high demand.
Darchinyan's colorful blend of punching power and genuine disdain for
anyone that dares share ring space will always allow him to enjoy a
no-middle-ground, love-him-or-hate-him relationship with boxing fans.
Once upon a time, those traits were enough to get boxing fans talking
about this fight in the mythical matchup sense. With plenty at stake
in this fight -- Darchinyan's titles and standing as the world's
best junior bantamweight, Arce's possible last chance to add to his
lengthy résumé, it's enough to generate network interest, as well
as enough money to get both to agree to make it a reality.
Add all of it together, and come fight night, it makes all of it well
worth the wait.
by Jake Donovan
FOXSports.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/bo xing/story/9178006/Darchinyan,-Arce-bounce-back
Fe b 5 2009
The foundation was laid nearly three years ago for this weekend's
battle of little big men. Small only in stature, but full-fledged
heavyweights when it comes to knocking 'em out and talking trash.
Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce are two of the few in the sport who
are equally entertaining in and out of the ring.
After almost three years of hurling insults at one another and
basically everyone else in the sport, a dream fight at the lower
weights becomes a reality. Showtime Championship Boxing kicks off
its 2009 season with a gem when Darchinyan puts his multiple super
flyweight titles on the line against his longtime rival Arce in
Anaheim, Calif., (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET).
There has always been genuine disdain between the two, but a great
fight needs more than just a little trash talk to sell to the
masses. There was many a boxing fan that longed for the fight in
2006, and believed the fight would never happen after both suffered
humiliating losses a year later.
What a difference a little patience makes.
Both fighters hit the comeback trail and kept winning. With
the results often coming in highlight reel fashion, interest was
suddenly renewed. The matchup went from interesting to perhaps the
most significant fight to be made in the junior bantamweight division
the moment both fighters scored knockout wins in their last respective
fights.
It was what went down that November night that makes this weekend's
collision well worth the wait.
When this matchup was first discussed, both fighters held titles in
separate weight classes, but the balance of star power was heavily
one-sided. Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 knockouts) was an established
flyweight titlist, but was far more cult favorite than ticket seller.
On the other hand, Arce (51-4-1, 39 knockouts) was being groomed as
HBO's next darling, with four fights coming in the form of pay-per-view
undercards and Boxing After Dark headliners, as well as a co-feature
slot on a Showtime pay-per-view card in October 2005.
Boxing fans clamored for a bout between the two, but the economics
heavily favored Arce -- so much so that the Mexican had the freedom
to pick and choose his battles, deciding that Darchinyan needed
to bring more to the table than just trash talk in order to "earn"
the right to fight him.
In the ring, Darchinyan most certainly did his part. An Armenian
based out of Australia, but who now calls Glendale, Calif. home,
he was enjoying regular appearances on Showtime -- four straight in
a span of less than 12 months. All told, all seven of his flyweight
title-fight wins ended inside the 12-round distance, even if one
went to the scorecards on a technicality. But it was his promoting
of his October '06 bout with Glenn Donaire that ended in a knockout
that earned further accolades among boxing fans.
The fight served as the co-feature to the rubber match between Joel
Casamayor and Diego Corrales. Darchinyan scored a knockdown and won
every round handily when Donaire, fighting with a broken jaw since
the third round, was given the green light by the ringside physician
to bow out of the contest six rounds into the evening. Darchinyan
believed his opponent quit after growing tired of absorbing punishment,
which in his mind should've resulted in his ninth straight knockout.
The rulebook read different, instead deeming the fight a technical
decision. Darchinyan still won, his 27th straight without a loss
at the time, but he was hardly in celebratory mode. Nor was he able
to celebrate win No. 28, a 12th round stoppage of Victor Burgos in
which his opponent slipped into a coma and was immediately brought
to a hospital for emergency treatment.
While Burgos' health would change for the better, both Darchinyan
and Arce would see their luck turn for the worse.
Arce was on a hot streak of his own, winning 27 straight from 1999
through January 2007. The last win of that run was a 12-round decision
over Julio Roque Ler, snapping a streak of eight straight knockouts
after his opponent spent nearly the entire bout fighting as if lasting
the full 12 was his only goal of the night.
Leading up to that fight, the Mexican celebrity was better known
for his ability to thrill the crowd, draw blood (often his own)
and close the show. The former lineal junior flyweight champion was
doing so while leapfrogging weight classes, moving up to flyweight
in 2005 before setting his sights on the super flyweight division
later in 2006.
Two straight HBO-televised wins led to a shot at a super flyweight
alphabet title against Cristian Mijares. Arce and his handlers
believed at the time that it would be one more win to put that much
more distance between him and Darchinyan, and any other fighter at
or around the 115-pound division looking for a jackpot fight.
Twelve rounds later, they were proven very wrong. It didn't even take
that long, though, to realize that Arce was never going to win the
fight. Unheralded at the time, Mijares put on a boxing clinic from
the outset, and fought to close the show down the stretch, though
Arce was able to remain upright. It was perhaps the only thing he did
right that April '07 night, dropping a lopsided decision, and forced
to rebuild without the benefit of a major network along for the ride.
Darchinyan and his handlers thought the moment would prove to be
their proverbial last laugh, but his world came crashing down just
three months later. A title defense against Nonito Donaire couldn't
have proven more disastrous, losing every round before landing on the
wrong end of the year's best knockout and biggest upset. A left hook
separated him from his senses, so much that he had no recollection
of being knocked out in the post-fight interview.
Next up for both was a trip on the comeback trail. Arce's tour has
been limited to independent Top Rank PPV undercard appearances, save
for a couple of bouts on TV Azteca. Five straight wins have come of
it, though none against particularly notable competition and one in
which he was lucky to escape with the decision, in his disputed April
'08 win over David Lookmanhanak.
Arce's ninth-round knockout of Rafael Concepcion last September was a
reminder of what the Mexican was capable of when forced to deal with
adversity. The bout turned out to be a Fight of the Year contender,
with Arce overcoming several rough moments to come on strong down the
stretch to force a stoppage. The same could be said of his last bout,
though in more condensed fashion, as he began slow before picking up
steam and stopping Isidro Garcia last November.
The win was his fifth straight, but it -- much like his comeback as
a whole -- paled in comparison to what Darchinyan would achieve that
same night and throughout 2008.
A 12th-round knockout of Federico Catubay came four months after the
worst possible night of his career, a confidence builder to get a
head start on his 2008 campaign.
His year ended almost as soon as it began, trading knockdowns with Z
Gorres and looking shaky early on before gathering his composure to
seemingly outfight the Filipino over the course of their 12-round
bout a year ago. The judges and an uncooperative referee helped
change that equation, with several knockdowns going ignored as the
brash Armenian was forced to settle for a split-decision draw.
A rematch was ordered, but Gorres was forced to pass after being placed
on the injured list from the brutal war. Gorres' loss was Vic's gain,
in ways far greater than anyone could imagine.
Darchinyan went on to receive a title shot, with the winner said to
come back around for a fight with Gorres. Darchinyan faced Dimitry
Kirilov in August, dominating the Russian before knocking him out in
the fifth round of their Showtime headliner.
With a belt back around his waist, Darchinyan wasn't content on
settling for title defenses. Bigger game was what he demanded, and
what he received in a November unification match with top-rated super
flyweight Cristian Mijares. Three belts were on the line in what
rated as possibly the division's biggest fight since Johnny Tapia's
narrow points win in his grudge match with Danny Romero more than a
decade prior.
Most boxing experts polled before the fight had Mijares winning
handily, and staking his claim as a major contender for Fighter of
the Year honors.
The fight was won handily, and a Fighter of the Year nominee emerged
from the rubble. Only it wasn't Mijares. Darchinyan defied the odds
in a big way, once again jumping out to an early start. Mijares hit
the deck in the opening round, and was dominated throughout, winning
just one round on each of the three scorecards before getting laid
out in the ninth.
With the win, Darchinyan became the first three-belt champion in the
history of the super flyweight division. It can be argued that he
also becomes the lineal champion by default; the top threat, Fernando
Montiel, is now contending as a bantamweight, having claimed to no
longer being able to make weight.
In the meantime, Darchinyan makes as notable a first defense of the
three unified titles as you can ask. Arce may be on the wrong side of
his prime, but his popularity has hardly waned. Still high among his
country's favorite stars, the free-swinging Mexican boasts a fighting
style that will always be in high demand.
Darchinyan's colorful blend of punching power and genuine disdain for
anyone that dares share ring space will always allow him to enjoy a
no-middle-ground, love-him-or-hate-him relationship with boxing fans.
Once upon a time, those traits were enough to get boxing fans talking
about this fight in the mythical matchup sense. With plenty at stake
in this fight -- Darchinyan's titles and standing as the world's
best junior bantamweight, Arce's possible last chance to add to his
lengthy résumé, it's enough to generate network interest, as well
as enough money to get both to agree to make it a reality.
Add all of it together, and come fight night, it makes all of it well
worth the wait.