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By Jake Donovan - The super flyweight division continues to keep pouring out the hits, with this weekend’s action certainly no exception. Two separate telecasts feature three fights that figure to heavily factor into the division’s future landscape as 2008 slowly begins to make way for 2009.
Chief among all of the battles between little big men this weekend is of course Showtime’s main event featuring a three-belt alphabet unification match between one of the sport’s best fighters in Cristian Mijares, and one of its purest punchers in Vic Darchinyan (Saturday, Carson, CA, 9PM ET/PT).
Competing in separate bouts on a separate telecast are two fighters whose careers head in opposite directions. Box office attraction Jorge Arce continues to pick up the pieces following his humiliating loss to Mijares some 18 months ago.
This weekend, he appears on the undercard of a Top Rank PPV (Saturday, Las Vegas, 9PM ET/6PM PT), when he takes on former titlist Isidro Garcia. Appearing on the same show is flyweight titlist Nonito Donaire, who ends a forced 11-month hiatus with his first fight under the Top Rank banner as he defends his strap against South African contender Moruti Mthalane.
Further proof in the depth at the lower weight classes is the positioning of the four major players this weekend. Once upon a time, the most desired matchup – one that would prove to be a hit at the box office as well as determine lower-weight supremacy – was the head-on collision the rivalry between Arce and Darchinyan appeared to be heading, or so fans hoped.
Such a match-up is still a possibility, and one that fans will gladly embrace whenever it takes place. Only, neither fighter resides at the top of a particular division, nor are they favored to carry a significant winning streak if such a fight were to ever become a reality. Not after the other two fighters mentioned in this equation were through with them. [details]
Chief among all of the battles between little big men this weekend is of course Showtime’s main event featuring a three-belt alphabet unification match between one of the sport’s best fighters in Cristian Mijares, and one of its purest punchers in Vic Darchinyan (Saturday, Carson, CA, 9PM ET/PT).
Competing in separate bouts on a separate telecast are two fighters whose careers head in opposite directions. Box office attraction Jorge Arce continues to pick up the pieces following his humiliating loss to Mijares some 18 months ago.
This weekend, he appears on the undercard of a Top Rank PPV (Saturday, Las Vegas, 9PM ET/6PM PT), when he takes on former titlist Isidro Garcia. Appearing on the same show is flyweight titlist Nonito Donaire, who ends a forced 11-month hiatus with his first fight under the Top Rank banner as he defends his strap against South African contender Moruti Mthalane.
Further proof in the depth at the lower weight classes is the positioning of the four major players this weekend. Once upon a time, the most desired matchup – one that would prove to be a hit at the box office as well as determine lower-weight supremacy – was the head-on collision the rivalry between Arce and Darchinyan appeared to be heading, or so fans hoped.
Such a match-up is still a possibility, and one that fans will gladly embrace whenever it takes place. Only, neither fighter resides at the top of a particular division, nor are they favored to carry a significant winning streak if such a fight were to ever become a reality. Not after the other two fighters mentioned in this equation were through with them. [details]
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