Should Arce Retire?

By Boxing News - 02/09/2009 - Comments

arce633By Jim Dower: Unless Jorge Arce (51-5-1, 39 KOs) can fight better in the future against top level opposition in the super flyweight division, I think he needs to get out of the sport as soon as possible to save himself from getting seriously hurt. He looked completely shot in losing by an 11th round TKO against Vic Darchinyan on Saturday. Arce’s legs looked weak starting from the 1st round, his hand speed was slow, his power mediocre and his size was inadequate for the super flyweight division.

I understand that he moved up from the flyweight division because he was having problems making the flyweight division, but he doesn’t look good at this weight class. The problem for him is that even if he could move back down to the flyweight division, he would have his hands full against excellent champions like Nonito Donaire, Omar Narvaez, Denkaosan Kaowichit and Daisuke Naito. I couldn’t see Arce beating any of them, and with the strain of having to melt down to 112, Arce would probably be too weak to beat them anyway.

If Arce decides on sticking it out in the super flyweight division, he doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot of options, because Darchinyan currently holds most of the belts except for the World Boxing Organization belt held onto by Fernando Montiel. Arce isn’t ranked in the top 15 in the WBO, so that would make a fight with Montiel appear highly unlikely.

At the same time, I can’t see Arce being able to work his way up to title contention against him because there’s a lot of good fighters in that division that could probably beat him. Arce mentioned wanting a rematch with Darchinyan after the fight on Saturday, and I’d have to say that’s probably not ever going to happen either.

The fight was hopelessly one-sided from the very start, and it’s doubtful that Darchinyan or boxing fans would want to waste their time in seeing another Darchinynan-Arce bout. Maybe if Arce had fought Darchinyan toughly, but he looked bad, barely getting any shots off all night long.

To me, Arce looked shot as a fighter and far older than his 29 years. Some of that was because he was facing Darchinyan, who is easily the best fighter in the super flyweight division, but much of it was just Arce himself, a fighter that hasn’t quite looked the same since losing a lopsided loss to Cristian Mijares in April 2007.

Since then, Arce has won five consecutive fights, albeit against much softer opposition than the likes of Darchinyan. I suppose Arce could hang around the super flyweight division for several more years, but I doubt he would be content with just being a contender and not holding a title. He probably can still land a big fight or two – and, of course, lose them – before he gets out of the sport.

I think a fight against Donaire would be a great fight at least on paper. Donaire needs a big name opponent and it doesn’t look as if Darchinyan will be stepping back in the ring with him for a rematch anytime soon if ever. I think Donaire might be open to a fight with Arce if the money were right.

Naturally, given the way Arce fought against Darchinyan, I see him having virtually no chance against Donaire, but it might be a little more entertaining to watch for a few rounds before Arce gets cut up and stopped.



Comments are closed.