Nope. That was maybe a strong second. His greatest strength was a left hand that should be outlawed. Other fighters use their lead hand to jab. Darchinyan uses his more like a gun sight.
To Arce's credit, he remained on his feet to the end, something that didn't look likely in the early going. His toughness even impressed Darchinyan, who predictably toned down the rhetoric a bit after it was over.
"He surprised me," Darchinyan said. "I didn't expect him to fight like he did. He proved he was tough and a good fighter. I hit him with good shots and he fought back.
"I would have liked to knock him out, but it's OK the way it ended."
After it was over, Arce indicated that he was either more game than any human should be or all those head shots had done some damage.
"I realize he was a strong fighter," he said, "but the cut was from his elbow. I don't know why they stopped it going into the last round. A fighter always has a chance to win."
Realistically, Arce had none.
Later, after some time to think, Arce got it right.
"He's a great fighter," he said.
The sky seems to be the limit now for Darchinyan, both with his mouth and with his fists. He has even chattered about taking on Manny Pacquiao, the sport's current leading attraction. Pacquiao weighed 32 pounds more than Darchinyan's 115 when he destroyed boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya in December.
One thing is certain for the boxer whose nickname is, fittingly, the "Raging Bull."
With Vic Darchinyan, talk is never cheap.
--
bill.dwyre@latimes.com.
