Gary Shaw challenges Wonjongkam to keep his word on Darchinyan fight

Gary Shaw challenges Wonjongkam to keep his word on Darchinyan fight WBC flyweight world champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam By Paul Upham: American promoter Gary Shaw has challenged WBC flyweight world champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam to stand by comments he made in a Thailand newspaper over the weekend about his desire to fight undefeated IBF/IBO flyweight world champion Vic Darchinyan. “Tell Wonjongkam to have his manager or promoter call me,” Shaw told SecondsOut on Sunday. “I’m ready to make the deal now for a fight with Darchinyan. Money is not the object. Getting Wonjongkam to fight out of Thailand is the object. We can fight in September or October on Showtime.” The Bangkok Post quoted Wonjongkam 65-2 (34) on Friday at the launch of his new book. “’Before retirement, I want to fight in the U.S. and take on Darchinyan, who is undefeated,” he said. Shaw, who promotes Darchinyan 28-0 (22), is ready to give the 29 year-old southpaw who has made seventeen successful WBC world title defences, exactly what he wants. “The fighter wants to fight,” he said. “I’m telling you my fighter will fight him. I’m telling you the fight can be made and it can go on American television. What more can I say?” Wonjongkam’s promoter Virat Wachiraratanawong was also quoted in the Thai newspaper article. “As a promoter, I prefer to have a fight abroad if it can earn more money but many offers are not interesting,” he said. Shaw says he has never spoken to any of Wonjongkam’s representatives about a Darchinyan fight before. “Don’t try to say that they have tried to make a deal,” he said. “I have never spoken to anyone, ever, representing Wonjongkam. The only person I spoke to was WBC President Jose Sulaiman, asking how we can get Vic Darchinyan to fight this guy.” Shaw took a swipe at Wonjongkam over his next opponent on July 18 in Japan. He will face Daisuke Naito for a third time in a world title fight despite already having beaten him twice. This includes a 34 second one round knockout win in April 2002. “I think it’s a joke. Even as an optional or any other way,” he said. “That’s not what boxing should be and it’s not what the sanctioning bodies should be about. Boxing should be about champions fighting the best fights out there. It should be about what the public needs, so boxing can survive.” While he would love Wonjongkam to face Darchinyan, Shaw says it is not just about his boxers getting big fights. “It’s not just Vic,” he explained. “I’m telling you this as a promoter who cares about the sport. It’s about fighting the best fighters out there. If Vic is not the best, which I think he is, then fight someone else who is considered to be at the top. Don’t fight the same guy three and four times. I don’t care if Wonjongkam has sixty title defences. If you don’t fight the best boxers out there, what does it say? It just doesn’t say anything. It doesn’t say you are a champion. It doesn’t say you are good. It says you are taking the safe way out. What does it prove? If Wonjongkam wants to be known as one of the great fighters of his time, then fight one of the great fighters of his era. That is Vic Darchinyan. If you beat Vic, then you really have a claim to fame.”