DARCHINYAN KO?S KIRILOV, WINS IBF TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 04 Aug 2008
Former IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan battered and totally dominated Dimitri Kirilov to win the IBF super flyweight/junior bantamweight title with a smashing fifth round knockout at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.
Darchinyan earned the mandatory title shot after he drew in an eliminator against Z ?The Dream? Gorres in an ugly brawl in Cebu last February 2 . IBF Championship Committee chairman Lindsey Tucker told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Darchinyan got the title shot since he was ranked No.3 at the time and Gorres No.4.
The cocky Australian who lost the IBF flyweight title to Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire via a fifth round, one-punch knockout on July 7 last year started aggressively and began to batter Kirilov in the very first round with vicious left hands. Kirilov?s eyes began to swell as early as the second and as Darchinyan maintained his relentless attack, Kirilov appeared to wilt.
However, the champion recovered in round four and began to trade shots with Darchinyan but the Australian continued to ram through Kirilov?s defense with his powerful left.
A hard, three-punch combination sent Kirilov down early in the fifth round and he took a standing eight count. The champion who is trained by Freddie Roach tried to fight back but moments later Drachinyan connected with another hard left to the head that sent Kirilov down, flat on his back.
The Russian gamely tried to get back on his feet by grabbing the ropes but it was clear he couldn?t beat the count> The end came at 1:05 of the fifth round.
With the win Drachinyan improved to 30-1-1 with 24 knockouts while Kirilov dropped to 23-4-1 with 9 knockouts.
Gorres? manager, Michael Aldeguer of the famed ALA Gym who watched a television coverage of the title fight said Drachinyan was ?a different fighter? from the one who fought Gorres and had added a jab to his arsenal and ?really battered Kirilov."
At the same time the young Aldeguer who has assumed the mantle of boxing operations from his respected father and boxing patron Tony Aldeguer said they were confused by the statement of IBF Championship Committee Chairman Lindsey Tucker that Gorres would have to fight another eliminator for the No.1 spot to earn a mandatory title shot at Darchinyan.
Aldeguer said he was under the impression that since Gorres drew with Darchinyan they would ?wait for the winner? of the Kirilov-Drachinyan fight before Gorres would get a title shot.
He said Gorres who was cut in the eliminator due to the roughhouse tactics of Darchinyan had ?never stopped training? and would probably figure in a fight this October.
Top photo: IBF junior bantamweight defending champion Dimitri Kirilov, left, takes a blow from challenger Victor Darchinyan during the fifth round of the title boxing bout in Tacoma, Wash., Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008. Darchinyan knocked out Kirilov in the fifth round to claim the title. (AP Photo/Ingrid Barrentine)
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