24th of August, Sydney Entertainment Centre.

As the bell rang for the first round in last nights IBF World championship bout, in Sydney, you just knew who was going to win. Armenian born Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan was defending his world title and was desperate to make an impression with the Australian boxing fans, and also stake his claim as the best flyweight on the planet.

Last night, I think he achieved both, by battering the tough and experienced Colombian, Jair Jimenez ,[ W22 L5 D1 ] in 5 rounds to retain his title , in what could only be described as an awesome display of sheer power and aggression .

Known as “The Raging Bull” to his fans, Darchinyan charged the smaller looking Jimenez and sent out a fast , piston like jab to establish his range, before opening up from his awkward southpaw stance to land some huge , debilitating left hooks to the Colombians mid section, before finishing his accurate combinations with a straight left hand to the challengers teak tough head.

Jimenez never had a chance and had never experienced this kind of onslaught in his entire career, and it was clear from the first body shot landed by the Sydney 2000 Olympian, that this fight was going to be over sooner than later.

Round 1. Darchinyan stalks Jimenez around the ring, jabbing out consistently before unleashing his power shots catching the Colombian to the body with seconds to go.

Round 2 . Huge body shot to begin the round has Jimenez struggling for breath, but the brave challenger sucks it up, but is throwing nothing but arm punches . Darchinyan continuing to target the body with great results.

Round 3. Brilliant right left combination stuns Jimenez , stopping him on his feet but regains his composure to survive the round, but only just. Big shots from the champion in the last seconds of the round, and the Colombians legs were gone.

Round 4. This was the beginning of the end for Jimenez. After a huge head and body combination flurry from Darchinyan, the referee gives Jimenez a standing eight count , and still punch after punch continues to rain down on this hard as nails boxer, Jair Jimenez.

Round 5. Just before Darchinyan came out for the 5th, his trainer, Fenech calls out,” Finish him and lets go home” Darchinyan gives a wicked little smile, shrugs his shoulders and does what he has been told. Darchinyan is battering the Colombian at will and is landing to the head with big lefts and Jimenez looks like he is going to cry. At 2:23 seconds of the round, Jimenez is saved by the referee. TKO.

Vic Darchinyan decided to make the move to Australia after the 2000 Games in Sydney, and after a lot of setbacks in his 5 year career, he is now on top of the world. Darchinyan is champion of the world and is where he deserves to be.

This quiet, often funny little man trains as hard as any boxer I’ve seen in the gym, and will spar anyone. Fighting out of triple world champion, Jeff Fenech’s acclaimed gym, Darchinyan pushes himself to the extremes and after all the sacrifices he has made to get to the top, god help anyone who wants what is his. Interviewing him after the fight, he said “ My goal has always been to win the world title then unify. I want the WBA champ, Lorenzo Parra, then WBC champion, Pongsaklek Wongjongkam. If I get these fights, I’ll be happy. Jimenez was tough , but no-one can take my power.”

Now a world champion, Darchinyan and his people only want the big fights , and is desperate to attract a following with the Aussie fight fans, and capture their hearts ,like another famous immigrant boxer did, all those years ago in 1991. That man was Kostya Tszyu.

While it is unlikely that he will ever make as much money or attract the same household status as the rat tailed “Thunder from down under”, he could achieve the same hall of fame achievements in the ring, by becoming an undisputed champion.

"Raging Bull set to lock horns"
Vic Darchinyan v Jair Jimenez IBF. / IBO. Flyweight World Titles.
Sydney Entertainment Centre.
27th of July, 2005.

Australia's ,proud world champion, Vic Darchinyan has vowed to unify the flyweight division, after he takes care of business against the hard punching Colombian , Jair Jimenez.

Jimenez[ W22 [16kos] L4 D1 ] has fought most of his pro fights in Colombias sweathouses, since 1999, before stepping up in class to face Adonis Rivas in Nicaragua for the right to fight for the WBO flyweight world title in 2002. In a fight , in which the Colombian gave his heart and soul, he was out jabbed by Rivas over the twelve rounds.

Since that defeat, Jimenez has kept himself in the title mix, fighting for the WBC Continental Americas Flyweight title in 2003. His opponent , Willie De Sousa, was busted up and stopped in the ninth round by the stronger looking Jimenez. With this win, Jimenez's people believed their man would be fighting for the world title by the end of that year. It seemed no-one wanted to know , and frustration set in. Almost one year later, Jimenez decided to move up in weight to fight at super flyweight. He challenged the WBO Latino champion, Gerson Guererro for his title.

Guerrero was a good tecnical boxer who proved too slick for Jimenez and out boxed him to retain his title in 2004. Later that same year, Jimenez fought in a rematch with Guerrero, and this time the slick boxer turned it on and stopped the Colombian , Jimenez in the sixth round .
Almost 8 months later, Jair Jimenez is back at flyweight and challenging for the IBF world title.

Vic Darchinyan [ W23 [18kos] L0 D0 ] is without doubt , the strongest flyweight in the world. The IBF/IBO Champion simply over powers his opponents in the ring. Fighting out of the southpaw stance , he is awkward and he constantly makes good fighters miss before they kiss the canvas.

Since turning professional after the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Darchinyan moved to Australia from Armenia and hooked up with three time world champion and hall of famer, Jeff Fenech, and joined other contenders, Lovemore N'Dou , Hussy and Skinny Hussein, and Danny Green at his gym in Sydney. This was a new way of life and Darchinyan quickly settled in, and forged new friendships along the way, all the while, punching his way up the rankings of the flyweight division.

Fast forward , five good years and Vic Darchinyan is now a world champion. All the sacrifices, the hours in the gym, sweating and enduring this funny old game. "The Raging Bull" still isn't satisfied . He wants to unify and at his press conference yesterday in Sydney, he told the media in attendance that he would only be satisfied when he collects all the belts.

Strong words from a strong man.

Darchinyan has a solid team behind him, with new manager , Robert Joske and promoter, William Takataka of D-Rush promotions, all united, in the 29 year old Australian's quest for greatness.
To achieve this he has to get past Jair Jimenez on the 27th of July.

The battle to be the undisputed little big man , is no easy road. The WBO has the hard as nails Argentinian, Omar Navarez, and the WBA has Lorenzo Parra, not to forget the legendary WBC champion from Thailand, Pongsaklek Wongjongkam.

These fights are tremendously exciting match ups so lets hope it comes off for everyone so we can see the "Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan, lock horns with the other bulls in the division.