In terms of opportunity, financial backing, and global logistics, boxers from Africa have the hardest time achieving a breakthrough on the world stage. Over the last two decades, only Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Sam Peter, and Ike Ibeabuchi stand out as performers who could command premium dates on American TV based on their drawing power alone. Now another Ghanaian boxer is trying to make that leap, but will have an even more difficult time given the weight class he fights in. As an African bantamweight, Joseph ‘King Kong’ Agbeko has to overcome the proverbial double whammy. However, Agbeko has the attacking style to emerge from the pack, just as his high profile opponent, Vic Darchinyan, has already done. If Agbeko is to become a feature attraction, he needs to usurp Darchinyan’s momentum with an impressive win on Saturday night.
Nothing has ever come to Joseph Agbeko easily, even though it appeared he had achieved a breakthrough with a thrilling victory over Luis Perez in 2007. The compelling brawl was televised by Showtime, on the undercard of Chad Dawson – Epifanio Mendoza, and despite Agbeko winning every round, the abundance of action both men provided stole the show. The Ghanaian underdog won by a seventh round stoppage, the referee halted the battering (because Perez’ pupils were not responding), and took the IBF bantamweight title in the process. Veteran British boxing journalist Graham Houston said of Agbeko, “A star was born”. Everyone wanted to see more of Agbeko, but a subsequent bout with malaria put Agbeko out of action for 14 months.
The malaria induced layoff stopped Joseph Agbeko in his tracks, much as opponents who come at him are, with fan awareness and positive press from the Perez bout virtually forgotten. The new champion had become an afterthought. As it is, premium television networks HBO and Showtime are not buying many Don King events, so Agbeko followed up his trouncing of Perez with another all action win against Argentine toughman William Gonzalez, a fight that was twice postponed, on a Versus televised card. Again, fan and press reaction was overwhelmingly positive. The Darchinyan fight represents a second chance that not many lower weight boxers get on the premium networks, and Agbeko needs to build on his momentum this time around with a career defining victory over the brash challenger.
A member of the Ewe tribe, Joseph’s mother sold beans at a market while his father worked as a carpenter. Agbeko began to box at age 11, but was fighting on the rugged streets of Accra well before he donned the gloves. “I think my name, King Kong (it is a given name, listed on his passport, not a nickname), pushed me into boxing. Everybody was scared of me.” Agbeko found as many problems as solutions in school. “When I was in school and they beat up my friends, then they would come and get me to fight for them.” The school’s avenger went on to have a commendable amateur record of 56-4, capped by a bronze medal at the All-Africa Championships. Soon thereafter, Agbeko turned pro, at age 21, and embarked on a fistic journey that took him to various parts of Africa, England, Germany, and now the United States.
Agbeko has been fighting for just over a decade. Unfortunately, that only amounts to 27 bouts, Less than three a year on average, or else he would be a more established figure at bantamweight. A man of conviction, his steadfast mindset caused Agbeko to lose some paydays. Before becoming a champion, Agbeko gave up two and a half years of his prime (from 2005 to 2007), in order to allow what he considered an unfair contract with a previous manager to expire. In only his twelfth outing, Agbeko was put in a 12 round title fight, for the African bantamweight title, and amazingly rallied down the stretch to outpoint undefeated South African Johannes Maisa. Boxing News described the fight as, “One of the most relentless slugfests seen in a South African ring.”
All of Agbeko’s major victories have come on foreign fields of battle, and a lone disputed loss came in Germany, which even Vic Darchinyan scored in his favor, telling Agbeko “You were robbed in Germany.” Now Agbeko fights out of the Bronx, where he is a stablemate of former welterweight titlist Joshua Clottey and is trained by countryman Kwame Asante. For Darchinyan they chose to train and get acclimated in sunny Florida, preparing the last two months for the anticipated assault. Some found it curious when Agbeko said he had only been sparring with amateurs, but given Darchinyan’s rather rudimentary attacking style it might not be as unwise as it first appears. Besides, with a record of 26-1, 22 KO’s, and a 81 percent kayo ratio it is hard to question anything
Agbeko has done to this point. The knockout percentage speaks to his heavy hands, and impressive killer instincts, which Agbeko shares with Darchinyan, and makes their clash so appealing.
A formal media poll, done by Showtime, favored Vic Darchinyan heavily. With 22 of 28 boxing experts predicting a Darchinyan victory. Just as shockingly, for me at least, is that most of those surveyed thought Darchinyan would win via stoppage. Only three of the 28 insiders thought the fight would go the distance. It is easy to see why the media loves Darchinyan, since he is very accessible and a veritable quote machine. In the final press conference Darchinyan quipped, “No matter how many times they remake “King Kong” the ending is always the same…it’s beauty that kills beast. And who’s more beautiful in the ring than I am?” Memorable remarks like that make our job easy.
Listening to Darchinyan spout off, I half expect him to quote the famous Denzel Washington line, from the Oscar winning performance in Training Day, “King Kong ain’t got sh*t on me.” And Darchinyan did come close with some other remarks. Agbeko is no shrinking violet when it comes to trash talk, but his voice is soft and the inflection on his words are muted, even if the words he puts forth are biting. He told English boxing writer James Slater, “I believe I have better skills than him, and I believe I am a better puncher than him. It was just raging bulls**t what he was saying. Vic has never fought anyone in my class before.” During a teleconference Agbeko stated, “I want him to know that taking this fight is the biggest mistake of his career, because he’s going to get the worst beating of his career.”
Both men have been as aggressive and intense in the pre-fight build up as they are expected to be during the fight. Darchinyan, as is his style, fired the first verbal salvo. “I’m going to take it easy early and slow him down. I’m going to make him look stupid and knock him out.” But unlike his pre-fight taunts of Jorge Arce and Christian Mijares, Darchinyan sprinkled a compliment or two in Agbeko’s direction. “I know you are a good
fighter, I saw your fight against Wladimir Sidorenko. You were robbed in Germany. I feel you never lost. You won that fight. I love it when my opponents have never lost.” Darchinyan does have a point, the Sidorenko bout was close and Agbeko was the constant aggressor. Still, that fight also proved good movement can curtail Agbeko’s effectiveness.
Although Agbeko’s ring activity leaves a lot to be desired, he is lucky that his last two wins (over Luis Perez and William Gonzalez) have come against world class southpaws, just as Vic Darchinyan is. The task is greater this time, with Darchinyan entering the fight on an incredible run of form. In his last four fights Darchinyan has won three titles, in two weight classes, and earned a place on most people’s top ten pound for pound boxer lists. Agbeko is, also, trying to stop Darchinyan from staking a claim as one of boxing’s few active three weight champions. Even in our era of junior and multiple titles, that would be an impressive feat. It will take all of Agbeko’s considerable skill, power, and resiliency to prevent Darchinyan from becoming only the fourth man in 110 years to win world titles at flyweight and bantamweight.
The dynamic duo are nearly identical physically, which is somewhat unexpected given that Darchinyan won his first title at 112 pounds. Agbeko enjoys an inch height advantage, but conversely suffers from a two inch reach disadvantage. Agbeko argues that his real age is 29, the Ghanaian boxing federation has his birth year as 1977, while Darchinyan is four years older (perhaps) at age 33. If there is one clear advantage for Agbeko that I have seen, it is that he can effectively switch to a southpaw stance during the course of a round. It’s a versatility that Darchinyan, because of his awkward stance and intense angles from which he punches, posseses to a lesser but more offensive extent. Overall, this is an extremely even match of physiques and skills that should produce explosive results.
While the fight is an exceptional clash of equals, near their primes, I don’t expect the atmosphere in the arena to be enthralling. Because Don King won the purse bid to stage the fight, it is being held at Sunrise, Florida’s BankAtlantic Center, only a couple miles away from Don King’s home office and thousands of miles away from any large concentration of Armenian or Ghanaian peoples to draw an audience from. Or even fans who do not like Darchinyan, i.e Mexican, who would buy a ticket to root against the little egomaniac. Gary Shaw, Darchinyan’s promoter, told writer Michael Marley, “It should’ve been in L.A where we could get a lot of Armenians to come out for Vic. I don’t understand it.” At least it will be televised, by Showtime 9 PM Eastern, where the impact of both men’s punches have shown significant results already.
Accuracy is the key to one of these two men emerging with a victory. In terms of physicality and aggressiveness this is an even affair, and the duo are also level in terms of mental certitude. I favor Agbeko for a couple reasons, the most compelling is the natural advantage of having fought at bantamweight his whole career. I also believe he is a more well rounded boxer defensively. Darchinyan is a better fighter, and there is a difference, but when everything else is even I favor the man who can fall back upon a consistent jab or footwork. I am not one to underrate Darchinyan’s boxing acumen because of his unorthodox style, but that awkwardness works better against men who are not as physical as Darchinyan such as Jorge Arce and Christian Mijares. Agbeko’s accuracy and the way he selects certain points of clear advantage to up his volume punching favors him. I believe Agbeko has the eyes, reflexes, and chin to deal with Darchinyan’s early power plays as well.
I don’t see long stretches where one man takes control or dominates the other. It should be a fight of momentum changes, with Agbeko’s leads and counters more impressive and pleasing to the eye. The title holder has the right attitude entering the showdown. “Vic is nothing special to me, not really. He has made a name for himself and become a world champion, but I don’t think he’s a special fighter. Anything he can do, I can do better and I want to prove to the world how good I am.” Agbeko is certainly aware that this is the man, rated one of the ten best at any weight, he needs to defeat in order to re-establish his momentum, telling the assembled media, “This is the fight of my life.” Of course fans are a little less needy in this regard, and will settle for a fight to be remembered for the rest of our lives.
