DARCHINYAN BEATEN BY MARES

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Canelo Demands $100 Million for Crawford Rematch

By Dong Secuya

When fight figures cross into nine-digit guarantees, the conversation usually turns cynica…

Abner Mares.

Cocky Australian Vic Darchinyan who often belittled the achievements of Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire who won the IBF/IBO flyweight title via a smashing 5th round knockout in July 2007, has been beaten by US-based Mexican Abner Mares in tnhe ?Winner Take All? bantamweight tournament at the Emerald Qqueen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

To the credit of Darchinyan, it was an action-packed fight for the WBC silver belt in which he dropped Mares in the second round with a left straight after Mares was cut on the left eye due to an accidental head-butt in the opening round which turned Mares face into a bloody mess beginning round three.

Mares was deducted a point for a low blow in round four but came back strongly and dropped Darchinyan in round seven and continued to be the aggressor as the 34 year old Darchinyan began to fade.

Two of the three judges had Mares the winner by scores of 115-111, 115-112 while a third judge scored the fight for Darchinyan 115-111.

With the win Mares kept his undefeated record in tact and improved to 20-0- 1 with 13 knockouts while Darchinyan dropped to 35?3-1 with 27 knockouts.

In the other semi final former IBF bantamweight champion Joseph ?King Kong? Agbeko regained the title in another furious battle with previously undefeated Colombian Yhonny Perez who had beaten him in their first clash. Agbeko used his solid right to catch Perez time and again and won on the scorecards of all three judges, 116-112, 115-113 and 117-111.

Donaire who won the WBC Continental Americas bantamweight crown last week with a smashing 4th round knockout of former champion Wladimir Sidorenko earlier told the Inquirer he was prepared to face the winner of the tournament but that his first priority was beating WBC/WBO champion Fernando Montiel in their eagerly awaited February 11 showdown.

The loss by Darchinyan who has often claimed that Donaire was scared to give him a rematch effectively takes him out of the picture as far as ?The Filipino Flash? is concerned.