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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. [details]
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. [details]
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