IT was a familiar sight of a familiar victory in the ring reminiscent of 14 years ago.
As Eumir Marcial sent Arman Darchinyan of Armenia down on the canvas in the men’s middleweight quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics, boxing fans couldn’t help but recall the same spectacle of Nonito Donaire’s stunning knockout of Vic Darchinyan in their world flyweight title in Connecticut USA on July 7, 2007.
The 27-year-old Arman happens to be the nephew of Vic, a former two-weight world division champion who also represented Armenia in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Marcial scored an RSC (Referee Stopped Contest) win over Darchinyan after knocking him down with a perfect right to the jaw. The Filipino earlier forced the Armenian to a standing eight count in what appeared to be a prelude to the smashing victory at the Kokugikan Arena on Sunday.
The second straight RSC victory for the 25-year-old Marcial advanced him into the medal play where he’s already assured of a bronze medal in his first ever Olympic stint.
Donaire also clinched the first of his several world titles with his upset of the mean-punching Darchinyan in their IBF (International Boxing Federation) flyweight title fight at The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport more than a decade ago.
The ‘Filipino Flash’ was a heavy underdog against the then undefeated Darchinyan, who was making the seventh defense of his flyweight crown.
But Darchinyan found himself in a war with Donaire the moment the opening bell rung as both fighters engaged in a toe-to-toe battle, landing one heavy punches after the other.
Eumir Marcial
Donaire however, managed to setup his signature left hook that landed flush right on the jaw of the Armenian champion and send him reeling down to the floor in the fifth round.
Darchinyan didn’t know what hit him as he tried to stand on wobbly legs only to fall on the ropes, forcing the referee to stop the fight that was later adjudged as the 2007 Upset of the Year.
The two would have a rematch in 2013 in a non-title bout at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Darchinyan managed to last longer, but again fell prey to another Donaire left hook to lose it by TKO.
Seven years after that final meeting, Marcial imitated that same knockout victory against another Darchinyan in yet another big stage in boxing.
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