"AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH!"
World Flyweight Champion
VIC "RAGING BULL" DARCHINYAN
READY TO FILL THE BREACH AND CHALLENGE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION JERMAIN TAYLOR

For Immediate Release

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (March 16, 2007) -- Undefeated IBF/IBO flyweight champion VIC "RAGING BULL" DARCHINYAN is looking to move up in weight in search of a bigger challenge. Actually, Vic is looking to move up 10 WEIGHT DIVISIONS for that challenge. Specifically, undefeated middleweight champion JERMAIN TAYLOR.

"Everyone made such a big deal when Roy Jones moved up two weight classes to challenge heavyweight champion John Ruiz and when Bernard Hopkins moved up two divisions to fight Antonio Tarver. That's old hat. The only way I can prove that I'm boxing's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter is to move up pound-by-pound -- 48 pounds to be exact -- jumping 10 divisions and challenge Taylor since he has the same problem I do, finding someone to accept the challenge. I just fulfilled my mandatory title defense a few weeks ago and since Jorge Farce (you can't spell Farce without A-R-C-E) has eaten enough lollipops to run away from me into another division, and the rest of the alleged "champions" in my division -- Lorenzo Parra (WBA), Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (WBC) and Omar Navarez (WBO) -- have refused to rumble with me in a unification fight, I might as well go for the only other champion everyone seems to be avoiding -- Jermain Taylor."

Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Darchinyan (28-0, 22 KOs), a native of Armenia, now living in Australia, hasn't gone the distance in a fight since August 8, 2003 when he won a lopsided 10-round decision over Alejandro Montiel. His victory by knockout percentage is over 78.5%. Darchinyan captured the IBF title in 2004, knocking out undefeated defending champion Irene Pacheco in the 11th round, ending his four-year reign, and has successfully defended it six times since.

"Just because I fight at 112 lbs doesn't mean I can't punch with the big boys," continued Darchinyan. "I regularly spar with jr. welterweights who are 28 pounds heavier than I am, with absolutely no problem. So tell Jermain to stop fooling with 'Contenders' and fight a fellow world champion...ME! The rules only state that I can't exceed 160 lbs to fight for the middleweight title. Heck, even Secretariat had to carry extra weight just to make it a fair race. I'm the Secretariat of fighters. If I have to handicap myself to get the better fights, so be it."

Did somebody say "Post Time?"