Tweet
“Ready to go”: Nonito Donaire more than willing for a rematch with Vic Darchinyan
December 2, 10:12
Boxing Examiner
Chris Robinson
Just recently rumors have begun to leak about the possibility of Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan hooking up again. Donaire was the first man to defeat Darchinyan when he shockingly stopped him in the fifth round a few years back and 8 Count News recently reported that a rematch is in the works, according to Darchinyan’s promoter Gary Shaw.
If Donaire-Darchinyan II does come off it would be a crucial fight in both men’s careers. Each man has work in front of them for the moment, however, as Darchinyan is scheduled to defend his WBA and WBC Super Flyweight titles against Tomas Rojas next weekend while Donaire is slated for a February 13th bout at the Mandalay Bay against Gerson Guerrero.
Whatever happens from this point forward, July 7th, 2007 will always be a special night in Donaire’s life as he was able to seize the moment in upsetting Darchinyan, who was undefeated at the time. Looking back on what that fight meant to him, Donaire concedes that his early motivation for the bout stemmed from the idea of becoming a champion, but that he later took things personally.
“It was just about the opportunity,” Donaire reflects of his initial thoughts on getting the bout lined up. “Just the chance to fight for a world championship was what I always wanted. If you want to make it in boxing you have to face that one person who is in your way. By the time I got into that fight it wasn’t about winning or becoming a champion; it was all about wanting to kick his butt for what he said beforehand. That was the whole mentality going into that fight.”
Another one of the reasons that the Darchinyan bout was so meaningful was because of the way Donaire’s early career progressed. Never a fighter who was groomed accordingly like other emerging talent, the Filipino always felt that if you kept fighting whoever was in front you that good things would eventually happen. Seeing the Darchinyan bout become a reality was a confirmation of his beliefs.
“Before that I was at the bottom and never had the luxury or options of picking my opponents,” Donaire reflects. “I was never one of those fighters who got taken care of and I always fought whoever was in front of me. I just always wanted to make fights happen. I never ask who, what or where, I just know that I am going to be there.”
When Donaire and Darchinyan did set foot in the ring the contrast in styles was strikingly evident, as Donaire was slick and elusive while Darchinyan was crude and aggressive. From the outset of the bout Donaire controlled the contest and befuddled the ultra-confident champion with his in and out movement and superior speed. Coming into the bout Darchinyan was undefeated in 28 bouts and accustomed to dominating many of his opponents with his awkward attack and punishing power. However on this night the look of frustration on his face told a completely different story.
Donaire built up and early lead and began dominating the contest in the third and fourth rounds, often catching Darchinyan with shots that he didn’t see coming. In the fifth round Donaire unleashed a perfectly timed left hook that landed flush on the Armenian’s chin and sent him sprawling to the canvas and through the ropes. Dazed and confused, Darchinyan’s pride allowed him to rise but he was in no shape to continue and the bout was called off moments later. Donaire screamed in joy as the realization hit him that he had made his dream a reality.
“When I realized that I had won that is when I started running around screaming ‘I’m a world champ!’,” Donaire reflects. “It was unbelievable. That feeling of victory was just something else, especially when you beat somebody who is thought of as being invincible by others. And I didn’t just beat him, I knocked him out. It was incredible.”
After the bout Donaire’s career was expected to take off but things haven’t played out the way he initially expected. Getting the desired opponents in the ring with him has always been a problem, apparently now more so than ever. That coupled with an eleventh month layoff between December 2007 and November 2008 put a damper on Donaire’s outlook momentarily.
“It was very frustrating,” Donaire says of sitting on the sidelines. “There was a time when I didn’t fight for a whole year. I kept hearing this and that and how I was supposed to fight this guy but all of sudden something would come up. Either somebody would pull out or go up in weight. It was hard to see my career grow and then not have the big fights happen. To be in the gym and train as hard as I did and not have the fights happen was frustrating.”
Despite the hardships of sitting idle, Donaire eventually began to push forward with his career again while also making the move up to the Super Flyweight limit. He is coming off of a twelve round decision over Rafael Concepcion in August and the follow up date against Guerrero should give him some extra motivation as well. Still, at the end of the day Donaire is at a point in his career where is looking to fight the biggest fights available and that is exactly what another tussle with Darchinyan represents.
“I’m been wanting that fight for a while. His people have said they’ll fight me time and time again in the past but it’s really up to them to make it happen. For me, I’m ready to go. If you ask a fighter if they want to fight of course they are always going to say yes, at least that’s how it is for me. I’m here and I’ve been waiting for it. They had the rematch clause in the first fight when I beat him but it never happened. If they are really serious about it then it’s a good thing.
Boxing Examiner
Chris Robinson
Just recently rumors have begun to leak about the possibility of Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan hooking up again. Donaire was the first man to defeat Darchinyan when he shockingly stopped him in the fifth round a few years back and 8 Count News recently reported that a rematch is in the works, according to Darchinyan’s promoter Gary Shaw.
If Donaire-Darchinyan II does come off it would be a crucial fight in both men’s careers. Each man has work in front of them for the moment, however, as Darchinyan is scheduled to defend his WBA and WBC Super Flyweight titles against Tomas Rojas next weekend while Donaire is slated for a February 13th bout at the Mandalay Bay against Gerson Guerrero.
Whatever happens from this point forward, July 7th, 2007 will always be a special night in Donaire’s life as he was able to seize the moment in upsetting Darchinyan, who was undefeated at the time. Looking back on what that fight meant to him, Donaire concedes that his early motivation for the bout stemmed from the idea of becoming a champion, but that he later took things personally.
“It was just about the opportunity,” Donaire reflects of his initial thoughts on getting the bout lined up. “Just the chance to fight for a world championship was what I always wanted. If you want to make it in boxing you have to face that one person who is in your way. By the time I got into that fight it wasn’t about winning or becoming a champion; it was all about wanting to kick his butt for what he said beforehand. That was the whole mentality going into that fight.”
Another one of the reasons that the Darchinyan bout was so meaningful was because of the way Donaire’s early career progressed. Never a fighter who was groomed accordingly like other emerging talent, the Filipino always felt that if you kept fighting whoever was in front you that good things would eventually happen. Seeing the Darchinyan bout become a reality was a confirmation of his beliefs.
“Before that I was at the bottom and never had the luxury or options of picking my opponents,” Donaire reflects. “I was never one of those fighters who got taken care of and I always fought whoever was in front of me. I just always wanted to make fights happen. I never ask who, what or where, I just know that I am going to be there.”
When Donaire and Darchinyan did set foot in the ring the contrast in styles was strikingly evident, as Donaire was slick and elusive while Darchinyan was crude and aggressive. From the outset of the bout Donaire controlled the contest and befuddled the ultra-confident champion with his in and out movement and superior speed. Coming into the bout Darchinyan was undefeated in 28 bouts and accustomed to dominating many of his opponents with his awkward attack and punishing power. However on this night the look of frustration on his face told a completely different story.
Donaire built up and early lead and began dominating the contest in the third and fourth rounds, often catching Darchinyan with shots that he didn’t see coming. In the fifth round Donaire unleashed a perfectly timed left hook that landed flush on the Armenian’s chin and sent him sprawling to the canvas and through the ropes. Dazed and confused, Darchinyan’s pride allowed him to rise but he was in no shape to continue and the bout was called off moments later. Donaire screamed in joy as the realization hit him that he had made his dream a reality.
“When I realized that I had won that is when I started running around screaming ‘I’m a world champ!’,” Donaire reflects. “It was unbelievable. That feeling of victory was just something else, especially when you beat somebody who is thought of as being invincible by others. And I didn’t just beat him, I knocked him out. It was incredible.”
After the bout Donaire’s career was expected to take off but things haven’t played out the way he initially expected. Getting the desired opponents in the ring with him has always been a problem, apparently now more so than ever. That coupled with an eleventh month layoff between December 2007 and November 2008 put a damper on Donaire’s outlook momentarily.
“It was very frustrating,” Donaire says of sitting on the sidelines. “There was a time when I didn’t fight for a whole year. I kept hearing this and that and how I was supposed to fight this guy but all of sudden something would come up. Either somebody would pull out or go up in weight. It was hard to see my career grow and then not have the big fights happen. To be in the gym and train as hard as I did and not have the fights happen was frustrating.”
Despite the hardships of sitting idle, Donaire eventually began to push forward with his career again while also making the move up to the Super Flyweight limit. He is coming off of a twelve round decision over Rafael Concepcion in August and the follow up date against Guerrero should give him some extra motivation as well. Still, at the end of the day Donaire is at a point in his career where is looking to fight the biggest fights available and that is exactly what another tussle with Darchinyan represents.
“I’m been wanting that fight for a while. His people have said they’ll fight me time and time again in the past but it’s really up to them to make it happen. For me, I’m ready to go. If you ask a fighter if they want to fight of course they are always going to say yes, at least that’s how it is for me. I’m here and I’ve been waiting for it. They had the rematch clause in the first fight when I beat him but it never happened. If they are really serious about it then it’s a good thing.
Comment