TOTOWA, NJ (November 28, 2008) — World super flyweight champion and Fighter of the Year candidate VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN is ready to defend his crown by kicking a little Arce, as they say Down Under. Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs), from Sydney, Australia by way of his native Vanadzok, Armenia, will be making the first defense of his newly unified titles against WBA interim super flyweight champion Jorge Arce (51-4-1, 38 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico. Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Top Rank, Darchinyan vs. Arce will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2009 and will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing.
“I can’t get enough of Mexican fighters. They bounce real good off the canvas when I hit them,” boasted Darchinyan. “Let’s see, I’ve stopped Cristian Mijares, Victor Burgos and Luis Maldonado over the past two years. Unlike Jorge Arce, those three fighters were very tough hombres.. Defeating Arce won’t take much training. It won’t even be a fight for me –more like pest control..
I’m going to swat that Spanish Fly. How do you take a guy like Arce seriously? He sucks on lollipops and wears a cowboy hat from a toy store. He looks like “Woody” from the movie “Toy Story.” I can picture him running around his house on a broom pretending he’s riding a horse. He’s a regular Schlepalong Cassidy. When I finally meet him at the press conference do I say “Hola Jorge” or “Howdy, Doody?” Arce is going to be my human piñata. Our fight will be like a Chihuahua against a bull…a raging bull!”
Darchinyan, the former IBF/IBO flyweight champion, unified his IBF junior bantamweight title with Mijares’ WBC/WBA super flyweight belts on November 1, knocking him out at the end of the ninth-round of their November 1 rumble at The Home Depot Center. Televised live by SHOWTIME, Darchinyan became the first man in the history of the 115-pound division to unify the three major belts. Darchinyan’s victory ended Mijares’ (35-4-2, 13 KOs), two-year title run and nine-bout winning streak
Darchinyan vs Arce On Feb. 7 – Showtime
NEW YORK (Nov. 26, 2008) – A must-see matchup that fans, media and the fighters themselves have been clamoring for will take place when two of boxing’s biggest little men and hardest punchers, Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce, clash on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (SHOWTIME, 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). Darchinyan’s newly acquired 115-pound International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) world titles will be on the line.
The once-beaten Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Armenia, will be making his first defense since unifying the 115-pound division with a demonstrative ninth-round knockout over Mexico’s Cristian Mijares Nov. 1, 2008, on SHOWTIME.
Darchinyan, who entered the ring as the IBF champion, walked out with Mijares’ WBC and WBA belts after blowing away the favored champion in a career-defining performance.
The popular, crowd-pleasing Arce (51-4-1, 39 KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is the current WBA interim super flyweight champion and is a former WBC 115-pound and WBO 108-pound titleholder.
Arce has been victorious in five consecutive fights, including a fourth-round TKO over Isidro Garcia Nov. 1, 2008, to capture the interim WBA strap, and has won 31 out of his last 32. The only loss during his scintillating run came on a 12-round decision to Mijares on April 14, 2007.
The 12-round world title fight, co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc., will take place at a site to be announced.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.