The Bantamweight Division Is Equally Interesting As That Of The Welterweight

On July 11, Armenian-born Australian Vic Darchinyan (32W-1L-1D-26KO) will challenge Ghana's knockout artist and reigning IBF Bantamweight Champion Joseph Agbeko (25W-1L-22KO) in Sunrise, FL.

Raging Bull

Darchinyan is an offensive-minded southpaw, highly entertaining and often controversial.

After winning the IBF Junior Bantamweight Title back in August of 2008 from what was described as a career-best performance against Dimitri Kirilov, he went right back into action three months later, unifying his IBF belt with the WBA and WBC Super Flyweight Belts at the expense of it's holder—Christian Mijares of Mexico.

Darchinyan is as of to date the only man in history to unify all three belts of the 115 pound division, making him the Undisputed World Champion of The Super Flyweight or The Junior Bantamweight Division.

Last February, he successfully defended his championship, winning by TKO over the bloodied and battered Jorge Arce. 

 

King Kong

Agbeko is the current IBF Bantamweight champion, and isn't called King Kong for nothing. His 86 percent knockout percentage is staggering.

His only loss came via a highly controversial 12 round majority decision against Wladimir Sidorenko in Germany 2004. Sidorenko is a Germany-based Russian.

When he defended his title last December against William Gonzalez, he was inactive for more than a year due to his contraction of Malaria on his last trip to his native land.

Nevertheless, he successfully defended his title and won via majority decision against Gonzalez last December.

 

The Raging Bull Vs. King Kong

Both fighters are heavy hitters, and capable of shooting the lights out of their opponent.

Agbeko is a slick boxer capable of adjusting well to an opponent. His style, whether offense or defense, varies accordingly.

But Agbeko had often been inactive. And his last defense was not as impressive.

Darchinyan's defense is almost always a cause for worry, as he always has the tendency to drop his defense and lunge forward to attack.

But a good fighter is a busy fighter, as Freddie Roach stated.

Thus, a busy fighter learns much more after each fight than the idle one.

Looking at the Darchinyan-Mijares bout, Mijares was only able to land a couple of combinations to Darchinyan on the fifth round, and nothing more before and after that.

It was a Darchinyan domination throughout the Darchinyan-Arce bout.

Having said that, Darchinyan must have developed some defense after his devastating KO in the hands of Donaire.

If so, The Raging Bull will be unstoppable against the often-inactive King Kong.

 

Cochulito's (The Rooster) Early Cock-A Doodle-Doo

Current WBO Interim Bantamweight Champion Fernando Montiel of Mexico has stated interest in the up-coming Darchinyan-Agbeko Hard-hitter Showdown by "wishing"Darchinyan to capture Agbeko's IBF Belt.

Though having an up-coming fight himself, Montiel is already looking past his next opponent - Eric Morel, and is looking forward for a unification bout with Darchinyan at the bantamweight level.

 

The Filipino Flash's Silent Stalking

After his recent four-round slaughter of Mexican-American Raul Martinez for his third defense of the IBF Flyweight Title, Filipino-Amercian Nonito Donaire expressed intention to go up a notch and have his next fight at the Bantamweight level.

The defense landed Donaire in the No. 8 spot of the Pound for Pound Rankings, followed only by Darchinyan.

Donaire's camp is currently in the midst of transaction for a possible fight with Jose Lopez, for the latter's WBO Super Flyweight Title.

It is important to note that Donaire and Darchinyan fought in 2007, handing Darchinyan his only loss.

Donaire knocked Darchinyan out during the fifth round of their bout, catching The Raging Bull with a lightning-fast left hook as the latter lunged forward to throw a left of his own.

The knockout went down as Ring Magazine's 2007's "Knockout of the Year", and the fight as 2007's "Upset of the Year".

The clamor for a rematch was suppressed as Donaire parted ways with Gary Shaw, the promoter he shares with Darchinyan, after a conflict which resulted from the promoter's apparent failure to disclose past fights revenue.

***

Should Darchinyan manage to capture Agbeko's IBF Bantamweight Title and Montieldefends his WBO Interim Bantamweight Title, I'd love to see both fighters attempt to unify the belts of the Bantamweight Division.

I'd love to see Darchinyan capture his second Undisputed Championship in the Bantamweight Division.

After which, I'd love to see Donaire go up another notch should he win the WBO Super Flyweight Title from Lopez, and issue a challenge for the Bantamweight Championship.

It'll be one hell of a story to tell....

"The hyper-active Raging Bull maimed the dreaded but lazy King Kong and got his crown as the king from another kingdom - the Rooster observes from a distance. The Rooster had wanted so much for the Raging Bull to capture King Kong's crown for his own mysterious reasons...maybe in his own mind, it is easier to tame the Bull than the giant ape and unify the Kingdom. Meanwhile, a traveller-warrior by the name of the Filipino Flash..."