Vic Darchinyan calls Showtime ‘The Darchinyan tournament’

PanARMENIAN.Net - Showtime officially announced its four-man, single-elimination, bantamweight (118 pounds) tournament, which will begin with semifinal bouts on Dec. 11 in Leon, Mex, Fanhouse reported.

The event will feature Colombian-born IBF king Yonnhy Perez in a co-feature, rematch with Ghana's Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko, whom Perez dethroned for the crown on Halloween by unanimous decision, and rising former WBC and WBA super flyweight (115 pounds) champion Vic Darchinyan of Australia defending his IBO crown against Mexican-born Abner Mares.

The winners will meet in a title bout in 2011, and the losers, in a consolation match up.

"Meaningful match-ups with high stakes in boxing's most competitive divisions - that's our promise to boxing fans. I hold these four world championship competitors in the highest regard for taking the fights that the fans want to see," said Ken Hershman, Showtime sports executive vice president and general manager. "They are risking their status as one of the world's best to prove they are the sole champion in the division. When you consistently fight and defeat the best, you deserve to be recognized as such."

"I think that this is a beautiful thing that Showtime is doing, but it isn't a bantamweight tournament, it's The Darchinyan tournament. Everyone who faces me will feel my power and be a loser," said Darchinyan.

"I owe Agbeko because he got away with one last time. But it doesn't matter who I fight," said Darchinyan. "Even the winner in the other bracket will be a loser because he will eventually have to face me and lose."

But first, Darchinyan will have to get beyond Mares.

"Boxing fans know that the little guys always make for the best fights, and this tournament is guaranteed to prove that again. This is a great opportunity for all of us to prove ourselves in the spotlight," said Mares.

"I am excited that this fight will take place in Mexico with all of the support of my people for the first time in my career," said Mares. "Of course, I am also grateful and looking forward to having a rematch with Yonnhy in the final. I felt I did enough in our first fight to win a unanimous decision. I know if I do my best again, I'll come away with the IBF belt."