Darchinyan Stops Arce in Long-Awaited Grudge Match

By Jake Donovan

Former flyweight titlist Vic Darchinyan began 2008 on the comeback trail, and ended the year as a unified three-belt champion and strong contender for Fighter of the Year.

With Manny Pacquiao, last year’s winner, not fighting until May, Darchinyan jumped out to an early start in 2009, adding to his impressive run of collecting junior bantamweight scalps with a systematic beatodwn of Jorge Arce. A grudge match three years into the making, Darchinyan dominated throughout en route to an 11th round knockout in their Showtime-televised main event.

The bout aired live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The crowd never seemed to know which way to root for much of the high-contact affair.read more