Vic Darchinyan in coaching camp for his 2013 rematch with Nonito Donaire. (Photograph by Chris Farina)
All-action power-puncher Vic Darchinyan talked an enormous recreation and most of the time backed it up. He all the time sought out the most important challenges, profitable a world title at flyweight earlier than unifying at junior bantamweight.
Darchinyan was born in Vanadzor, the third-largest metropolis in Armenia, on January 7, 1976.
“I really like my metropolis in Armenia, the place I used to be born,” Darchinyan instructed The Ring. “It’s a very good place, a very good metropolis, however a really robust metropolis.”
Darchinyan and his older sister have been well-provided for by their father, who had a very good job at a manufacturing facility, and their mom.
The younger Vic was rambunctious and went to a fitness center at 5 years outdated to blow off some steam.
“I went to boxing and I used to be small. They stated come again later,” he recalled. “I turned 8 and I began boxing.
“Once I was a child, I used to be robust. In my thoughts I couldn’t consider anyone may beat me. Once I was 8 years outdated, I used to be beating everyone. [When I got older] I wished to develop into one thing like Mike Tyson. I used to be watching his movies daily.”
The Armenian excelled as an beginner and claimed bronze on the European Championships and Goodwill Video games in 1998. He additionally fought on the 1997 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, dropping on the quarterfinal stage to eventual gold medalist Manuel Mantilla. He didn’t fare any higher on the 1999 Houston World Championships, the place he was defeated by Bulat Zhumadilov, who additionally ended Darchinyan’s Sydney Olympics marketing campaign within the quarterfinals.
Panamanian boxing stylist Anselmo Moreno (left) would make the ninth protection of his bantamweight title in opposition to Darchinyan in 2011. (Photograph by Jeff Gross/Getty Photos)
“Even within the amateurs, I used to be very highly effective,” he stated. “Within the amateurs, your opponents can run from you and also you lose a struggle and also you don’t understand how. Your opponent isn’t even connecting with punches, and also you lose the struggle. Beginner will not be my model. I wished to go skilled, and I wanted extra rounds to beat them by knockout.”
With that in thoughts, on the age of 24, the time was ripe to make the transition.
“I’d been all around the world preventing, and I like Australia. I discover the individuals pleasant,” he defined of his choice to to migrate to Australia after the 2000 Olympics. “I had been there for 10 days and I really like Australia, and I made a decision to remain and practice in Australia. I had contacts in Europe [and] America ready for me if I [turned] skilled. I began coaching in Australia, and if it didn’t work out I may transfer to America.”
“Beginner will not be my model. I wished to go skilled, and I wanted extra rounds to beat them by knockout.”
“Raging Bull” turned skilled with a six-round unanimous choice over fellow debutant Sande Kizito in Sydney in November 2000. After profitable his first six fights, Darchinyan stopped Kizito (TKO 7) in a rematch to say the vacant Australian flyweight title.
Over the following couple of years, Darchinyan remained lively and received an IBF regional title and bested former two-time world title challenger Alejandro Montiel (UD 10) to assist place himself for a world title shot.
“I waited a very long time for a title shot. I used to be going for the WBC title (held by Pongsaklek Wonjongkam) in 2002, however by some means I ended up going for the IBF,” he stated. “[Irene] Pacheco didn’t need to struggle me; I grew to become No. 1 and he nonetheless didn’t need to struggle me. After I pressed him, the IBF instructed him, ‘In the event you don’t struggle Darchinyan, you might lose your title.’ He knew I used to be profitable all my fights by knockouts.”
Lastly his huge probability got here when the 2 factions met in Hollywood, Florida, in December 2004.
“For Pacheco, I used to be coaching in 40 levels, I used to be operating and preparing,” he stated. “I used to be dreaming; I used to be sleeping and preventing this struggle in my goals. If I hadn’t been prepared, I couldn’t [have beaten] him. The struggle was presupposed to occur in September and the struggle was postponed. I used to be preparing for this struggle daily for six or seven months.
“I instructed him earlier than the struggle I used to be going to knock him out. They laughed at me. He’d by no means been knocked down.
“I knew I needed to knock him out to win. I used to be touchdown very huge pictures to the top and physique and he was taking them. I used to be profitable almost each spherical, however I used to be apprehensive if I didn’t knock him out that they wouldn’t give me the struggle. I used to be doing all the things to knock him out, and I did [in Round 11]. After the struggle in America, we had a very good get together; mates and folks got here to have fun with me.”
Rounds 1-6:
Rounds 6-11:
The highly effective southpaw, who fought out of an uncommon crouching place, tallied six profitable defenses, 5 coming inside the gap. He notably stopped Mzukisi Sikali (TKO 8) and Luis Maldonado (TKO 8), and he dominated Glenn Donaire earlier than an unintended head-clash broke the challenger’s jaw and the struggle led to a six-round technical choice.
In the summertime of 2007, Darchinayn met a then-unknown Nonito Donaire, who was seeking to achieve revenge for his brother.
“Perhaps he grew to become good after preventing me, however earlier than preventing me, he was nothing. He was the No. 8 contender,” stated Darchinyan, who was stopped in Spherical 5 by an enormous left hook in what was later awarded The Ring’s Knockout and Upset of The Yr. “On that day, my first son was presupposed to be born. Once I was in America for that struggle, I didn’t do one spherical of sparring for that struggle. I didn’t practice for that struggle. I used to be solely losing a few pounds and speaking all day with my spouse.
“After I misplaced, I instructed Nonito, ‘OK, I misplaced. I’ll develop into world champion. Combat me once more.’ He didn’t need to struggle me.”
Whereas some fighters wouldn’t be the identical after a devastating loss, Darchinyan returned up at junior bantamweight and acquired again within the win column earlier than drawing with Z Gorres in The Philippines in an IBF eliminator.
Subsequent got here a struggle with IBF junior bantamweight titlist Dmitry Kirillov on Showtime in Tacoma, Washington. The Russian was no match for Darchinyan and was dropped twice and counted out within the fifth spherical.
Darchinyan was again on high, however as a substitute of settling in as a champion, he sought out WBA/WBC counterpart Cristian Mijares, once more on Showtime, in November 2008.
“They instructed me, ‘You simply received the title. Why do you need to struggle Mijares?’ I instructed them, ‘I don’t have an excessive amount of time. I need to beat all of the champions,’” stated Darchinyan, whose aggression proved an excessive amount of in stopping the youthful Mexican in 9 rounds. “Mijares was favored; they thought he would outpoint me, however I misplaced perhaps just one spherical.”
Learn “Fearless Darchinyan is Good for the Sport” by Doug Fischer (2009)
Darchinyan then beat up Mexican toughman Jorge Arce for 11 rounds earlier than the physician known as a halt to their struggle. At that time, Darchinyan was rated No. 1 at 115 kilos by The Ring and No. 8 within the legendary pound-for-pound rankings.
He didn’t need to cease there and elected to chase extra glory up at bantamweight, the place he met Joseph Agbeko for the IBF title. The Ghanaian edged the victory with a unanimous choice – by only one level on two scorecards.
Darchinyan dropped again to junior bantamweight, the place he made two extra profitable title defenses earlier than heading again to bantamweight.
He was matched with Abner Mares (SD 12) and misplaced an unpleasant contest in December 2010.
“He punched me 20 instances to the balls,” stated Darchinyan, nonetheless clearly rankled by the way during which Mares fought.
After notching two extra wins, Darchinyan was dominated by WBA 118-pound titleholder Anselmo Moreno (UD 12) after which headed to Japan the place he gave WBC titlist Shinsuke Yamanaka a troublesome problem.
“The Japanese child was good. I feel I received that struggle and I used to be robbed,” he stated, pulling no punches. “The primary six or seven rounds, it was a fair struggle. The final three or 4 rounds, he was operating from me and simply surviving.
Yamanaka (left) escaped together with his title after scoring a unanimous choice victory over Darchinyan in 2012. (Photograph by Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP through Getty Photos)
That wasn’t it for Darchinyan, who received two extra fights at junior featherweight earlier than lastly securing the rematch with Donaire at featherweight in Corpus Christi, Texas, in November 2013.
“I used to be bothering him for seven years earlier than I acquired my probability,” he stated. “I’m not saying I used to be outdated, however I used to be 37. I used to be following him in all places, telling him, ‘Combat me once more, I need a rematch.’ I misplaced once more, however earlier than I misplaced I used to be profitable each spherical.
“Bob Arum got here to me and stated, ‘What are you doing? You have been profitable each spherical.’ And I instructed him, ‘I misplaced by knockout [in the first fight], and I wished to knock him out.’ It was 10 rounds; I didn’t suppose I had an excessive amount of time to knock him out and I [rushed] and went for the knockout, and he caught me with the left hook and the struggle was stopped. It’s OK. I had a very good profession. I received many world titles.”
He had two extra world title makes an attempt at featherweight, dropping to Nicholas Walters (KO 5) and Jesus Cuellar (TKO 8).
“I wished to knock out that man,” Darchinyan stated of the Walters struggle. “I used to be very upset. On the venue, he was speaking huge. He was good. He simply beat me as a result of I fought the improper struggle. I went for the knockout. If I used to be affected person and boxed, [I would have won], however he was a very good opponent.”
He fought a number of extra instances earlier than retiring with a file of (43-9-1, 32 KOs) after a struggle with Evgeny Gradovich didn’t materialize in 2018.
Darchinyan, now 48, is married, has three kids, two together with his first spouse and one together with his present spouse. He’s at the moment dwelling in Yereven, Armenia. Nonetheless, he hopes to maneuver to America and open a boxing fitness center.
“I’ve different companies not in boxing, however I need to become involved,” he stated. “I need to practice coaches who can practice children. I need to put the mentality inside them that they need to be world champion.”
He graciously took time to talk to The Ring about the very best he fought in 10 key classes.
BEST JAB
Christian Mijares: “Mijares had a very good jab.”
BEST DEFENSE
Nicholas Walters: “Abner Mares protected himself good; I couldn’t land a clear punch. I couldn’t land a very good punch in opposition to Walters; I feel he had the very best protection.”
BEST FOOTWORK
Anselmo Moreno: “He moved good within the ring; he didn’t let me get too near him. Donaire had good footwork.”
BEST HANDSPEED
Moreno: “He had fast fingers.”
SMARTEST
Moreno: “He was very sensible. He knew I used to be an enormous puncher; he simply outpointed me.”
STRONGEST
Cuellar: “He was very robust. He was a lot heavier than me – 10, 12 kilograms [more] than me.”
BEST CHIN
Cuellar: “I punched him with huge punches to the chin and he simply took the punch. I couldn’t consider it. He took a really huge punch and he held it.”
BEST PUNCHER
Cuellar: “He may punch. I feel he was a much bigger puncher than Donaire. He caught me with a punch within the ninth spherical within the second struggle.”
BEST BOXING SKILLS
Moreno: “It’s Moreno. I used to be getting upset as a result of I couldn’t punch him; I used to be lacking. He was essentially the most gifted boxer I ever fought.
BEST OVERALL
Irene Pacheco: “I used to be very hungry. I couldn’t consider anyone on this planet may beat me. That’s how I beat Irene Pacheco. He is without doubt one of the greatest opponents. I misplaced fights as a result of I didn’t clear my thoughts; I didn’t prepare as a result of I simply thought I used to be going to punish them and knock them out. He was the very best opponent.”
Questions and/or feedback will be despatched to Anson at [email protected].
