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Boxing: Kirilov Confident Heading Into Fight With Darchinyan

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  • Boxing: Kirilov Confident Heading Into Fight With Darchinyan

    KIRILOV CONFIDENT HEADING INTO FIGHT WITH DARCHINYAN
    By Dan Rafael

    ESPN
    http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/s tory?columnist=rafael_dan&id=3515083
    Aug 2 2008

    In 2007, Vic Darchinyan, known as the "Raging Bull," was all the
    rage. The big puncher from Armenia but based in Australia was a
    flyweight titleholder with a growing reputation as one of the fiercest
    punchers in boxing.

    He had made six defenses and was a darling of Showtime when he was
    matched with Nonito Donaire for what was supposed to be another big
    knockout performance.

    It was.

    However, the victim of the big knockout was not Donaire. Instead, it
    was Darchinyan, who was knocked silly via a spectacular fifth-round
    knockout. It was such a crushing knockout that when Darchinyan came
    around and was interviewed on Showtime, he had no recollection of
    having been stopped.

    Since then, Darchinyan (29-1-1, 23 KOs) moved up to junior
    bantamweight, in which he stopped Federico Catubay in the 12th round in
    October to get back on track before being held to a controversial draw
    in a February title eliminator against Z Gorres in the Philippines,
    where unruly fans marred the fight by tossing water bottles and debris
    into the ring.

    [+] EnlargeTom Casino/Showtime

    Darchinyan, left, is hoping to be the first fighter to knock out
    Kirilov.

    Despite the draw, Darchinyan is getting another title shot when he
    meets Russia's Dimitri Kirilov (29-3-1, 9 KOs) at the Emerald Queen
    Casino in Tacoma, Wash., on Saturday (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET/PT).

    Opening the telecast, 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Andre
    Dirrell (15-0, 10 KOs), coming off a sensational fifth-round knockout
    performance of Anthony Hanshaw in May, faces Mike Paschall (17-0-1,
    4 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout.

    As usual, Darchinyan, a southpaw, is predicting a knockout, even
    though Kirilov, who is making his second defense after his initial
    defense against Cecilio Santos in February resulted in a draw, has
    never been knocked out.

    "Kirilov has never been KO'd before. He's going to get his first
    knockout this Saturday," Darchinyan, 32, said. "I have not made any
    changes in my game plan. Against Nonito Donaire, I just got caught,
    that's all. If anything, I am more focused than I ever was before. My
    left hand is much stronger. My right hand is faster.

    "I never respect my opponents before I fight them. I respect them
    only after I knock them out. I help them wake up and help them to
    their corner. ... The people come out to watch the KO and that's what
    I am here for."

    Kirilov, 29, who is trained by Freddie Roach, is the boxer to
    Darchinyan's role of slugger. Kirilov understands that and says that
    is how he is approaching the fight.

    "Darchinyan has a very unorthodox style, but it makes no difference,"
    Kirilov said. "I will fight the way I always have. I will use my
    boxing skills and strategy to keep him off me. It does not matter how
    much power he has or he says he has. I've been in the ring with big
    punchers before. Whatever Vic Darchinyan has, it's not enough to beat
    me. Freddie tells me, 'The bigger they punch, the harder they punch,
    the harder they fall.'"

    Said Darchinyan: "Freddie Roach says I am predictable. The only thing
    he can predict is that his boy is going to get knocked out."

    Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
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