Fresh off one of the biggest nights of his life, Gary Shaw is determined to strike while the iron is hot for his fighter Chad Dawson after beating the legendary Bernard Hopkins last Saturday in Boardwalk Hall. “The fight I want next is Dawson-Andre Ward. I’m not thinking about (Gabriel) Campillo, or the winner of Tavoris Cloud and Jean Pascal, we want Andre Ward” said Shaw over the phone with me today.
Dealing in tragedy with the death of his Mom a mere 24 hrs ago, Gary was still working hard. Regardless of the situation that is going on with the WBO, Shaw explains, “The HBO card with Dmitry Pirog and Daniel Geale in August is a go. We’ll work it out with Paco (Varacel). It’s a unification bout that will be an exciting fight. (Austin) Trout is off the undercard and Jonathan “Mantequilla” Gonzalez will replace him against Serhiy Dzinziruk in 154 lb bout.”
Shaw has certain fighters that have possible bouts looming depending approval with Ajose Olusegen and WBC lightweight champion Antonio Demarco. “Well with Demarco, we’re trying to make a fight with Hank Lundy and we’re waiting for Showtime’s approval. I know the dates are filling fast but that’s an exciting fight that Showtime and (Stephen) Espinoza the head of Showtime should approve”, explained Shaw. He however is doubtful for his fighter Olusegen. “We’re pushing the WBC to make a purse bid for the champion at 140 Danny Garcia and my fighter Ajose but odds are they won’t take the fight because they’ve (Golden Boy) been ignoring it ever since Garcia won the belt from Erik Morales”.
Shaw knows its tough dealing with certain promoters and at times doesn’t even deal with some. “Top Rank, yeah I don’t deal with them. Life goes on”, said Shaw. But he has worked well with others mainly the team that has helped him establish Team Puerto Rico. “Well I wanted to go out there because there’s tons of talent. So I hooked up with Javier Bustillo who is a friend of mine and we established this team. I have Jose Pedraza and Thomas Dulorme. I hooked up with Leon Marguilles and added Jonathan Gonzalez. I bought into Luis Del Valle with Lou Dibella, and Cesar Seda with Bustillo. It’s a great team and we’re already making noise.”
As much noise as you make, there are times when you lose some guys on your roster. With Shaw’s in the recent year’s Alfredo Angulo and Timothy Bradley joined other promotional stables. Shaw says, “The only guys I ever lost where guys with Cameron Dunkin like a Nonito Donaire and Timothy Bradley so read into that how you want. With Angulo, people got into his ear. He’s in political asylum that’s why people don’t know where he is now.”
There’s certain guys out there that consider Shaw a television packager who doesn’t really build fighters up and promote properly and even say that his company relies on the network fees to build his brand. Shaw simply states, “They’re haters. The (Steve) Kim’s of the worlds are haters. If I go into the hall of fame as a TV packager then I’m fine with that. Tell me who isn’t; besides a Mayweather, Cotto, Pacquiao, Canelo, and maybe Chavez Jr, what are promoters doing with the rest of their fighters, that’s right you guessed it, they package those guys on networks What has Top Rank done with a guy like Vanes Martirosyan? Nothing against the kid but that’s the business we’re in and that’s what every promoter does unless he has a major star in a sport where there aren’t many.”
Shaw doesn’t hide who he is and he says his fighters love that aspect about them. That’s why you never catch him in a suit and jacket ever. “I am who I am. I wear sweat suits and windbreakers wherever I go. If they could make a tuxedo sweat suit, I’ll be the first to wear it but I am who I am and that’s who I’ll be forever”.
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