Official picks thread for Agbeko-Darchinyan

by SC on Jul 9, 2009 7:44 PM EDT in Fight Previews Comment 34 comments

It's been a while, but finally there's another major fight to get down some proper picks. For those of you with casually interested boxing friends like I have, or those that you've made into boxing fans like I have, or even the skeptics who went, "That's it?" when you invited them over for some big fight, this is one to recommend.

Joseph Agbeko v. Vic Darchinyan (Saturday, Showtime, 9 ET - 12 Rounds - Agbeko's IBF bantamweight title on the line)

This is one of those fights that has Fight of the Year Contender stamped all over its violent face. Vic Darchinyan (32-1-1, 26 KO) would probably leap into my pound-for-pound top five were he to dominate Joseph Agbeko in this fight. It'd be a third weight class where he's won a title belt, and he cleaned out 115 pounds to the point where there was legitimately no reason to stay any longer. He's been phenomenal in his last three fights, the best he's ever looked, dominating Dmitri Kirilov, Cristian Mijares and Jorge Arce. All three of them were completely out of their depth against the re-focused "Raging Bull."

"Bull," meet "King Kong" Agbeko. Born in Ghana and now living in the Bronx, Agbeko is a double-tough customer with good power (26-1, 22 KO), tons of guts, and an ability to win a war, which he'll probably have to do against Darchinyan. In terms of pure boxing skills, Darchinyan is his superior, an underrated technician who pulls it out to gain control of a fight. Darchinyan mixing his old amateur form with the "crab-style" power game he's known for has made him one of the best fighters in the sport today. Agbeko will need to out-bomb him to win, I believe.

And there's the rub: If this turns into a firefight, all bets are off. We have seen Vic Darchinyan knocked silly by Nonito Donaire at 112 pounds. Yes, it was one of the most perfectly timed punches you'll ever see, but he was in freaking Dreamland. Agbeko has the sort of power that can dent Vic's chin if he gets to it, and he's not going to stop trying to get to it.

We didn't do a picks thread for Ortiz-Maidana, but if we had, I would've told you that was a 50-50 fight to me on paper. Like that one, this has a favorite, but it's a toss-up bout in my view. Darchinyan deserves to be in that favorited role. But Agbeko is an excellent opponent and the type of guy it's hard to bet against. He won't have much real size advantage and he doesn't figure to be the most daunting opponent of Vic's career. That has turned out to be Donaire, obviously, and many felt that Mijares would totally dominate Vic, too. He didn't. Darchinyan is not the same fighter he was when he lost to Donaire.

I expect a war, I expect fireworks, and I expect some mean-spirited fighting. This is gonna be a good one. Darchinyan TKO-11

Non-Official Pick: Give me Antonio DeMarco in a heck of a good undercard scrap over Anges Adjaho.

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Darchinyan KO 9

btw i have never seen agbeko throw it down. can anyone recommend some of his more impressive/entertaining throw downs?

The Dude Abides

by battle axe of doom on Jul 9, 2009 7:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i’ve only seen him in his last fight, which was a good one against William Gonzalez ….

by 3zilla on Jul 9, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

vic is on fiyah right now … theres no way i can pick against him against king kong

i see a 10th rond tko for vic .. cant wait for this one!

by 3zilla on Jul 9, 2009 8:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

VIC

7th round KO

by Option27 on Jul 9, 2009 9:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Vic-tko 10

by Upstait on Jul 9, 2009 9:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan KO7

by keyz on Jul 9, 2009 9:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I've watched a few Darchinyan fights now...

He takes this one easily…. TKO in the 8th…. toys with Agbeko for the first 7 rounds.

George Lucas is a major douche bag... do everyone a favor and forget how to use the internet.

by Gunslinger20 on Jul 9, 2009 9:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan KO6

-Brian

by bp on Jul 9, 2009 9:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan TKO11

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Jul 9, 2009 10:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

vic UD

i really really want to pick agbeko here, i can see him catching and blasting vic out similar to ninito did but i’m going to go the safe route and say vic by UD.

vic better not get cocky and have his defensive lapses like he did vs majeris thats for sure. if he does hes getting knocked out.

by sonofapsycho on Jul 9, 2009 10:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was thinking the same as you

"Good, so it can’t go any deeper." - Arturo Gatti after being told he was cut to the bone

by sigidy on Jul 10, 2009 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

vic ko 8. lookin forward to this fight.

Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.
-George Foreman

by jsims2 on Jul 9, 2009 11:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Vic UD — same thoughts as sonofapsycho.

by schraubd on Jul 9, 2009 11:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan – UD. Agbeko will hang in there and war i can see Vic taking a big shot and end up on his back and thats my gut feeling but ill go past it and hope Vic uses more boxing than brawling trying to KO a tough guy.

"Good, so it can’t go any deeper." - Arturo Gatti after being told he was cut to the bone

by sigidy on Jul 10, 2009 1:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, vacation and surgery have kept me out of the loop, leaving me hopelessly behind jrok, but at least I’m healthy and back, predicting a Darchinyan UD.

Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"

by Matt Miller on Jul 10, 2009 2:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agbeko TKO 8

I’ll take a flyer on King Kong. I agree with SC, this has fight of the year potential. I expect both guys to be down. I wish I had a better grasp on how much difference there is in these small weight classes. Vic has looked unstoppable but maybe, just maybe he pushes it too far in this spot. He will be tested because Agbeko always brings it.

Agbeko in a war.

by BabyBull1289 on Jul 10, 2009 3:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan KO first 30 seconds

WAR EVIL VIC!!!

Gimme 1 round!

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Jul 10, 2009 7:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

ok not really. Darchinyan TKO rd 8

Gimme 1 round!

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Jul 10, 2009 7:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan

KO8.

Wear something sexy to my funeral.

by Pops Daniels on Jul 10, 2009 9:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan – TKO 10

by Brett87 on Jul 10, 2009 9:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan

TKO 10

by Fj-3 on Jul 10, 2009 11:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan- TKO 7

Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)

by Chaos100 on Jul 10, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agbeko via KO around 7 or 8 rd.

by ultimoshogun on Jul 10, 2009 3:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Vic UD - 12

Andy Reid is the only coach in NFL history that uses the pass to set up the pass.

by SSreporters on Jul 10, 2009 3:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Vic UD- Vic is just too awkwardly effective for Agbeko. Agbeko is the bigger and younger guy but Vic has the advantage of experience. Also Agbeko doesn’t commit enough to his left hook to beat Vic, he just doesn’t seem to turn it over properly most of the time. If there’s any punch that beats Vic Darchinyan it’s a well timed, properly turned over left hook, because even when he’s in his crab shell; he keeps his right hand around his waist area, leaving the path for the hook open. Agbeko’s double right hand combo that he likes to throw will keep the fight competitive, but Vic will use his experience and awkward over and under punching angles to take over in the later rounds to secure the UD

by dervish686 on Jul 10, 2009 4:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan KO 6

Never seen Agbeko fight; just a guess

by SkeedTom on Jul 10, 2009 7:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He doesn’t fight often.

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Jul 10, 2009 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Crabman with the 8th round KO.

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Jul 10, 2009 7:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Darchinyan — KO9

by thirdslip on Jul 10, 2009 9:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh-oh… Here comes Darchinyan with a spine-tingling KO over Joe… Kong looked ill at ease against lefty Gonzalez… and Darchinyan is no Bill Gonzalez. They are both in for a tough night, and Vic will be zapped with some artillery for sure. But look for a volcanic, irreversible shift around the middle of round five or six.

Darchinyan KO 7

"This fight'll be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious."
-- Randall 'Tex' Cobb

by jrok on Jul 10, 2009 9:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs