NEW YORK (July 18, 2008) – International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight champion Dimitri “The Baby” Kirilov (29-3-1, 9 KOs) will defend his title against former IBF flyweight champion and knockout artist Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan (29-1-1, 23 KOs ), Saturday, Aug. 2, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
In the co-feature, U.S. Olympian and undefeated prospect Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell (15-0, 10 KOs) puts his flawless record on the line against fellow unbeaten Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall (17-0-1, 4 KOs ) in a 10-round super middleweight brawl.
The telecast will originate from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma , Wash. and is promoted by Gotham Boxing, Inc.
Kirilov, who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, captured the IBF crown by winning a close unanimous decision against former U.S. Olympian Jose Navarro on Oct. 13, 2007. The scores were 116-112, 114-113 twice.
In his most recent outing in February, the Russian-born Kirilov wasn’t able to finish Cecilio Santos (22-8-3, 12 KOs ) and had to settle for a draw. Although one judge scored the fight for Kirilov, 116-112; the other two scored it even at 114 each.
Darchinyan had an iron grip on the flyweight division, successfully defending his IBF title six times - five inside the distance. He eventually lost his 112-pound strap in a major upset to Filipino star Nonito Donaire. Darchinyan now aims to wreak havoc on the 115-pound, super flyweight division.
Kirilov-Darchinyan is a match up of varying styles. Kirilov, known for his tremendous speed and ability to outbox his competition, relies heavily on his quick hands. He
[COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma][COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma]loves[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] to pepper his opponents with a precise left jab.
Darchinyan, a southpaw, is quite the opposite from his counterpart. Not nearly as polished and refined as Kirilov, Darchinyan employs an in-your-face game plan that has produced 23 knockout victories for the Armenian-born boxer. Darchinyan is often described as possessing bone-crushing power.
Dirrell, who has fought on the prospect-based series ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME, will attempt to prove he is no longer a prospect but a championship contender when he faces the undefeated Paschall in the co-feature.
In his last fight in May, Dirrell looked extraordinary against Anthony Hanshaw (21-2-1, 14 KOs ), registering a fifth round TKO on ShoBox.
Despite a slow start, Dirrell came on strongly and with a left hand to the head sent Hanshaw to the canvas at the end of the fourth round near his opponent’s corner. Following a flurry of unanswered punches to Hanshaw’s head early in the fifth, referee Pat Russell stopped the contest at 1:13.
Dirrell, who won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games for the United States , is a tall, agile southpaw with solid power in both mitts.
In his 18 fight
[COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma][COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma]career[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR], Paschall has scored several impressive unanimous decision victories against
[COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma][COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma]veteran[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] boxers. The prospect is taking a tough test on August 2 against Dirrell. With only four knockouts to his
[COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma][COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma]credit[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR], Paschall will have to rely on his boxing skills if he hopes to stay undefeated.
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING announcers Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from
[COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma][COLOR=blue ! important][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Tahoma]ringside[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing