By Jake Donovan

The news over the weekend of Vic Darchinyan re-upping with long time promoter Gary Shaw wasn’t anywhere near as surprising as the length of the agreement – lifetime.

Even more surprising was that the literal lifelong commitment took place without any ink having to dry.

In an industry where cut throat is a way of life and loyalty is often interpreted as a sign of weakness, New Jersey-based promoter Gary Shaw still prefers to conduct his business like a gentleman – with a handshake, and his word that he will deliver on every discussed promise.

That very transaction took place when Shaw first signed Darchinyan, Armenian-born but now fighting out of Sydney, Australia.

“We never had a signed piece of paper between us. Just a handshake and a hug,” Shaw stated shortly before he worked out a deal with Darchinyan’s manager Elias Nasser to remain a faithful member of the Gary Shaw Productions family.

The gentleman’s agreement between promoter, manager and boxer means for Shaw the guarantee to promote one of the very best pound-for-pound fighters in the world for as long as Darchinyan opts to lace ‘em up.

There are few in the sport that are as hot of a commodity as the outspoken Darchinyan, which speaks volumes of the efforts made by fighter and his team in the past two years.

A knockout loss to Nonito Donaire in July 2007 was suggested at the time as his death sentence. There was no room for recovery for a then 31-year old flyweight with as crude a style as the one he employed during his title reign, or so the rumors went.

If such words were true, then he’d be somewhere in gatekeeper town, serving as cannon fodder for the best of the rest in the lower weight classes. Instead, the loss only made him stronger, running through the junior bantamweight equivalent of murderer’s row in the span of just over a year.

A controversial draw with Z Gorres was a Darchinyan win in most observer’s eyes. There was nothing remotely debatable about his one-sided beat downs of Dimitry Kirilov, Cristian Mijares and Jorge Arce, losing a total of two rounds over the three-fight stretch, all of which ended inside the distance.

Darchinyan’s turnaround from Donaire to Mijares was so remarkable that several in the media plead his case for Fighter of the Year honors, even keeping in mind the unbelievable 2008 campaign posted by eventual winner Manny Pacquiao.

With such momentum and not a single piece of paper that contained his signature and the Gary Shaw Productions logo in the letterhead, it would’ve been so simple to walk away and play the market, offering his services to the highest bidder.

Instead, the message sent is that it doesn’t always require the most dollars in order to make the most sense.

“Elias has shown a level of friendship and loyalty that I’ve never felt from any other team,” insists Shaw, who has taken his chances on handshake agreements with other fighters for as long as he’s been a player in the game.

The face of his promotional company has changed its shape through the years, though one thing that has always remained is his reputation as a loyalist.

Jeff Lacy signed with Main Events after the 2000 Summer Olympics solely based on his relationship with Shaw, so much that he left the one-time boxing powerhouse the moment Gary Shaw Productions was formed in 2002.

Boxing superstars such as Lennox Lewis, Shane Mosley, Winky Wright and Manny Pacquiao all proudly fought under the GSP banner at one point or another, as did the always-thrilling Diego “Chico” Corrales from the day he was released from prison in 2003 until his untimely death in 2007. Even when relationships reached a point where a split was inevitable, Shaw’s reputation still preceded him.

A fight between Wright and then-middleweight champion Jermain Taylor was negotiated to take place on HBO. The fight was sealed right around the time Wright attempted to defect from Shaw to start his own promotional company. HBO declared in no uncertain terms that the fight wouldn’t take place without Shaw’s involvement.

There’s also his air tight relationship with Showtime, accentuated by his deep involvement in the networks critically acclaimed Shobox series since its inception in 2001.

But more so than his alliances within the industry, Shaw prides himself on his always being there for his fighters, no matter their status.

For much of his career, a handshake agreement is all that existed with current lightweight contender Antonio DeMarco, for whom Shaw insists  “would do anything for his family.” The journey began when the only name recognition DeMarco held was conjuring up memories of the former welterweight champion from fifty years ago.

Despite being a virtual unknown coming up, DeMarco was always secure in the knowledge that Shaw would work feverishly to make him a household name. While not quite there, the 23-year old Mexican southpaw receives his second straight high-profile showcase in July. His lightweight fight with Anges Adjaho serves as the televised co-feature to Darchinyan’s challenge of bantamweight titlist Joseh Agbeko.

It’s the second straight time DeMarco serves as the lead-in to a Darchinyan main event on Showtime, enjoying a similar role when he forced Almazbek Raiymkulov to quit on his stool after nine rounds.

That Shaw holds DeMarco in similar regards to a potential boxing superstar such as Darchinyan makes it all the more fitting that they continue to share TV time. For DeMarco, it’s been about building an unknown prospect from the ground up.

For Darchinyan, it meant Shaw proving that as a promoter he was capable of overcoming a major setback and find a way to rebuild one of the crown jewels of his stable.

It was a test that both promoter and fighter would pass with flying colors.

“When Vic lost to Donaire, I was there for Vic and the rest of the team knew where I stood,” says Shaw. “I told Vic as a promoter and as his friend what I thought he did wrong. They knew I was there for him, to be there through adversity.”

Shaw once again faces a similar challenge in convincing the boxing world that fire-breathing junior middleweight Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo is still very much for real.

The 2004 Mexican Olympian was marketed as one of the young stars to watch, but suffered his first setback in dropping a decision to Kermit Cintron this past May on HBO. Plans now call for him to return later this summer or early in the fall. Whenever that day comes, in his corner will be the same guy who’s helped build him from the ground up.

“I’m not walking away from Angulo,” dismisses Shaw, hardly the guy to step over a fallen fighter to leave with the winner. “I have to make him bigger and better; it’s my job.

“I honestly feel that we as promoters need to work hard to develop fighters. My fighters see and believe in what I do for them, which is why my way works.”

The results speak for themselves. Others avoid excessive paperwork for the sake of going green. Shaw doesn’t claim to be your garden variety environmentalist, although his way has been saving trees long before it became trendy. But he doesn’t do it to be “in”; he accepts a man’s extended hand and his word just because it’s who he is.

“I’m just a trusting person,” Shaw humbly admits. “I’m the guy whose money and credit cards are in plain sight when you come to my house or my hotel room. I love fighters more than I love the fight game or the money I earn from it. I loved this when I wasn’t make any money off of this. There’s a part of what you do that you have to love.”

Game recognizes game, which is why it remains business as usual for Shaw and his fighters. But that doesn’t necessarily mean his fighters always abide by his every word. If they did, Showtime wouldn’t be hosting a July 11 bantamweight title fight between Joseph Agbeko and the red-hot Darchinyan, who rises in weight for his latest challenge.

But then, it’s not the first time Shaw was forced to concede to Darchinyan’s in-ring demands.

“I was against the Mijares fight,” admits Shaw. “He just beat Kirilov, and I thought there was time before going after the guy everyone had as #1 at junior bantamweight and ranked in their pound-for-pound lists. I shared similar reservations about fighting Arce, but Vic and Elias told me not to worry about it.”

Team Darchinyan offered the same advice when it came time to securing their next fight.

“Now it’s this fight against Agbeko, which honestly scares me. He can punch and he’s a natural bantamweight. Where Vic has never fought. He’s supremely confident. Nobody in their right mind takes the top fights at 112, 115 and 118 then ask for the best fight at 122, which is what he’s already doing. He’ll only take the top names.”
And with the exception of that one bad night in Connecticut two years ago, Darchinyan is also beating them. Even more so, he’s blowing them out of the water.

“It makes Vic really special. The fact that he wanted Agbeko – I could’ve thought of 20 easier guys to ease into the weight class. But that’s who he is, and it’s hard to not believe when he insists he wants to eventually campaign at welterweight. He’s one fighter who I can’t tell you where he’s going. I’m just enjoying the ride.”

It’s not always a smooth ride, a lesson Shaw learned long ago. There will always be times where one man’s loyalty will exceed another man’s commitment. Yet through the years

“If there’s a bump in the road, I try to overcome it. Not always successful but I try. I’m constantly reloading and getting ready to sign more talent. The fighters feel the love and know that you’re trying on their behalf.”

Some know it so well that they’re willing to just shake on it. 

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .