JEFF Fenech says his former charge Vic Darchinyan can fight his way back to the top of world boxing by going back to the basics that made him the IBF and IBO flyweight champion.
Despite being at almost unbackable odds, Darchinyan was sensationally knocked out in the fifth round by unheralded Filipino Nonito Donaire in their world title bout in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Sunday.
Darchinyan had alarmed many close to his camp with his air of arrogance going into the fight and an attitude that given his immense punching power, hard training was no longer a necessity.
He paid a terrible price, losing for the first time in 29 fights when Donaire caught the powerful southpaw with a precision left hook that blasted away his world titles and cloak of invincibility.
Three-time world champ Fenech, who trained Darchinyan until last year, said it was sad to see the fighter’s sudden demise. But he said the loss was not unexpected.
“If Vic wants to be world champion again he has to get back to the fundamentals,” Fenech said.
“He has to get super-fit so he can take a punch and he must now realise that having great punching power means nothing when an opponent can see every blow you’re throwing.
“Big punchers knock people out with shots an opponent doesn’t see coming. Vic lets you know a week in advance what he’s going to throw. Even when his big shots were landing Donaire was prepared for them and able to ride out 80 per cent of the power.
“But Vic is still a talent, he just made some mistakes with his career. Hopefully he’ll learn from this loss and come back better for it.”
Even Darchinyan, 31, admitted his 10 consecutive wins inside the distance going into the Donaire fight had him relying too much on power-punching.
“I was trying to load up too much,” Darchinyan admitted.
His trainer Billy Hussein said that in the corner Vic “wasn’t listening at all, he wasn’t focusing”.
“He wants to prove he can knock everybody out, the same old Vic that we’re used to, but he just got beat by a better person on the day,” Hussein said.
