SOMETIMES the stars are aligned just right and the big fight you have been hankering for actually happens. Hooray! For today, Jorge Arce (51-4, 39 KOs) and Vic Darchinyan (31-1, 25 KOs) finally square off.
This fight will probably be an early candidate for fight of the year. Quick, hide the women and children.
Here?s how they stack up.
POWER. Twenty-five of Darchinyan?s 31 wins have come via the short route. Credit that to a deviously powerful left hand which he detonates on an opponent?s chin with uncanny precision. He?s so confident with his one-shot knockout power that he doesn?t even bother to set it up properly. If it lands, you?re going.
On the other hand, Arce is a very strong fighter who prefers to exert pressure and impose his strength until the other guy wilts. Advantage: Darchinyan
EXPERIENCE. Darchinyan exploded into the boxing public?s consciousness after he came from out of nowhere to pancake erstwhile undefeated Irene Pacheco to wrest the latter?s IBF flyweight title in 2004. Afterwards he has faced a retinue of top-notch fighters such as Nonito Donaire Jr., Christian Mijares and Z Gorres.
Banger Arce, on the other hand, has been around since 1999 and has faced the grizzled veterans like Michael Carbajal, Melchor Cob Castro, and Filipinos Joma Gamboa and Juanito Rubillar.
Other victims include Hussein Hussein, Rosendo Alvarez, Hawk Makepula, El Torito Concepcion, and Medgoen Singsurat (the last man to knock out Manny Pacquiao in 1999). Advantage: Arce.
SPEED. The Raging Bull possesses deceptive hand speed and might be a tad faster than Arce, who is no speedy Gonzales. Arce prefers to chase his opponents and he?s more than willing to take one or two coming in so he can answer with three, four and five. Advantage: Darchinyan
AGE AND PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT. Although Arce is the more battle-worn fighter and has been in more wars than the Abu Sayyaf, he is the younger man. Darchinyan is older at 33 and has a suspect chin. Advantage: Arce.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY. Nonito Donaire, who mentored his son Nonito Jr. into a title-winning knockout victory over Darchinyan, tips the latter to stop Arce.
?I think Darchinyan will win via knockout. Arce also gets cut easily. Darchinyan is very unorthodox and a lot stronger. Arce also has trouble fighting lefties,? Dodong opined.
What does Arce need to do for him to have a chance? ?He needs to move to Darchinyan?s right side to keep him off-balanced,? concludes Sr.
Boxing enthusiast Carlos Costa of Panama who hops around the globe just to watch live boxing events was with his countryman Rafael ?El Torito? Concepcion when the latter challenged Arce in September of last year and lost via RTD in the ninth. (If you will recall, Concepcion knocked out AJ Banal last year at the Cebu Coliseum)
What does he think? ?It will be a great fight. It?s hard to predict, but I think Vic will win by TKO. I think it will be same result as his fight with Mijares. Darchinyan is really a strong puncher. He is not so fast, but accurate. Opponents cannot read his punches because he throws them in a very unorthodox way. He likes to come forward throwing poisonous hard punches. Only a superb technical counter-puncher like Donaire could find the measure of Darchinyan.?
?Although I cannot count out a great fighter like Arce who has the heart of a lion, and the skill of a true warrior, I think Darchinyan will win.?
EXPECT THE FIGHT: Not to last the distance. If Arce comes wading in, Vic will find his range early. But if he fights in measured tones, alternately brawling and boxing, he might wear out Vic. The key here is for Arce to keep himself fresh for the championship rounds. I?m rooting for Arce to win this war by virtue of his superior chin.
LAST ROUND. It?s on my sis-in-law Claudine Navarro and my dad, Atty. Froilan V. Quijano who recently celebrated their birthdays. Keep fighting Dad. After every round, we?ll always be there in your corner. Cheers!
