Christian Mijares, who's the No. 10 pound-for-pound rankings, is among the game’s most intellectual fighters. And he, along with WBO light flyweight champion Ivan Calderon, No. 9 on the list, possibly the replacement to Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the best defensive fighter in boxing.
Mijares has the unparalleled skill that few own of being able to stand stationary in front of an opposition and not get hit. He started boxing at 12 and was taught the game by his uncles. But he said that was something that always came naturally to him. He’s formed the workmanship as a pro.
Vic Darchinyan battles like an octopus. Like an furious octopus. Maybe like a raging octopus with brass knuckles.
He’s ham-fisted, he’s a nonstop puncher and he’s dead set on bruising Cristian Mijares when they come across Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., in a fight for the IBF-WBA-WBC super flyweight championships that will be televised across the country by Showtime.
It’s casual to be deluged by Darchinyan, who has KO'd 24 of his 32 opponents and has bewildered nine of those knockouts in three rounds or less. Mijares, though, simply laughs softly at the thought of being browbeaten by Darchinyan. If it’s possible, Darchinyan babbles out a more adept game than he fights, and he fights a pretty good one.
“I’ve got the ability to do away with him with one punch, but my enigma for this fight is that I don’t have to do that,” said Darchinyan, who holds the IBF title and is 30-1-1. “I’m going to use my brain and fight intelligently. If I just fight a midway smart fight, there’s no way this guy can come close to baffling me.”
