Promoter Gary Shaw on Chad Dawson, Vic Darchinyan, Rafael Marquez, Others

Promoter Gary Shaw has been on a roll of late, most recently witnessing last week's overwhelming performance by WBO junior welterweight king Tim Bradley against previously unbeaten challenger Lamont Peterson at 140 pounds.

Shaw also has witnessed impressive efforts out of Bradley's promotional stablemates such as Alfredo Angulo, Chad Dawson, Vic Darchinyan, Antonio Demarco, Danny Green, Rafael Marquez and Yonnhy Perez, among others.

FanHouse caught up with Shaw on Friday to discuss what's next for several of his fighters:


Alfredo Angulo (17-1, 14 KOs):
A Mexican-born, 27-year-old who resides in Coachella, Calif., Angulo successfully rebounded from May's unanimous decision loss to Kermit Cintron by scoring his second consecutive knockout against Harry Joe Yorgey (22-1-1, 10 KOs), whom he stopped in the third round on Nov. 7.

In victory, Angulo earned the WBO's interim junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt.

"Angulo will most likely fight in April, with an outside possibility of it being May, in the Los Angeles area," said Shaw, who declined to name a possible opponent for Angulo. "I didn't make a deal yet, but that will be for his interim title."


Vic Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs)
The 33-year-old Armenian-born southpaw from Sydney, Australia, scored a devastating second round knockout over Tomas Rojas (32-12-1, 22 KOs), of Veracruz, Mexico, last weekend in defense of his WBC super flyweight (115 pounds) crown.

Shaw would like to match Darchinyan against either interim WBA titlist Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KOs) or 30-year-old Fernando Montiel (39-3-1, 29 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico.

A native of the Philippines who is nicknamed "The Filipino Flash," the 27-year-old Donaire stopped Darchinyan in five rounds in July 2007 to earn the IBF flyweight (112 pounds) title.

Montiel is scheduled to face Ciso Morales (14-0, eight KOs) in February, while Donaire will challenge WBA super flyweight king Gerson Guerero (34-8, 26 KOs) of Mexico -- also in February.

"It [the proposed fight with either Donaire or Montiel] will probably be in April," said Shaw. "But I'm not sure where yet."


Chad Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs):
Coming off of his second career unanimous decision victory over Glen Johnson on Nov. 7, the 27-year-old southpaw IBO and WBC interim light heavyweight (175 pounds) champion was calling out Bernard Hopkins.

But Dawson didn't get his way, so he will instead go after WBC titlist Jean Pascal (25-1, 16 KOs) of Quebec, Canada, "probably in June, and most likely, in Canada," said Shaw.

The 27-year-old Pascal (25-1, 16 KOs) has won four straight since losing a unanimous decision to England's Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) in December 2008, for the WBC's vacant super middleweight (168 pounds) title.

Last weekend, Pascal successfully defended his 175-pound crown by a lopsided unanimous decision over 31-year-old Adrian Diaconu (26-2, 15 KOs), despite having to overcome a right shoulder injury which required surgery to repair it this past Wednesday.

Although Pascal is expected to be unable to train or fight for at least three months, Shaw said, "He should be ready to go in June."


Antonio Demarco (23-1, 17 KOs)
The 23-year-old, Mexican southpaw lightweight (135 pounds) looked sensational on Oct. 31, winning every round before dropping 25-year-old Jose Alfaro (23-5, 20 KOs) three times in the 10th and forcing referee Joe Cortez to wave an end to their matchup at 2:07.

Demarco's 12th consecutive victory ended Alfaro's four-bout winning streak while improving his own unbeaten streak to 15-0-1 with 10 knockouts since losing a six-round majority decision to Anthony Vasquez in February 2006.

Demarco's third straight knockout also earned him the WBC's interim title.

Shaw would like to match Demarco against WBC champ Edwin Valero (25-0, 25 KOs) of Venezuela on Feb. 6 in Monterrey, Mexico.

A 28-year-old, southpaw, Valero will make his first defense on Saturday against 34-year-old Hector Velazquez (51-13-2, 35 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, before Valero's hometown fans at the Polideportivo José María Vargas, in La Guaira, Mexico.

If Valero wins, promoter Bob Arum said he would like to match the hard-hitting knockout artist against an opponent -- perhaps Demarco -- on the March 13 undercard of the welterweight (147 pounds) clash between WBO champion Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs).

Pacquiao-Mayweather is likely to take place in either Las Vegas or Dallas.

Stay tuned.


Ali Funeka (30-2-3, 25 KOs)
Funeka is coming off of a controversial Nov. 28 majority draw for the vacant IBF lightweight crown with Joan Guzman (29-0-1, 17 KOs), which many believe the 31-year-old South African dominated.

Afterward, an incensed Shaw rallied for support from the IBF and the Boxing Promoter's Association.

Shaw was campaigning for Funeka to be declared the organization's interim champion, but, instead, was awarded another potential shot at the crown.

"We're in a negotiating period right now with Rolando Reyes," said Shaw. "And that may put that fight on Feb. 6, in Monterrey, Mexico, with Demarco."

The 30-year-old Reyes (31-4-2, 20 KOs) has won five consecutive bouts -- four of them by knockout -- and is coming off of April's fifth-round stoppage of Julio Diaz.

"Ali will will be fighting again for the IBF world title," said Shaw. "Maybe this time, the judges will see it like we saw it."


Danny Green (28-3, 25 KOs)
Nicknamed "The Green Machine," this 36-year-old IBO cruiserweight (200 pounds) champion is coming off the biggest win of his career.

On Dec. 2, Green took just 2 minutes, 2 seconds to knock out Roy Jones, the only man in boxing to win crowns in the middleweight (160 pounds), super middleweight (168), light heavyweight (175) and heavyweight divisions.

Green earned his third straight knockout and his sixth among seven consecutive wins since losing to countryman Anthony Mundine (37-3, 23 KOs) in May 2006 by unanimous decision.

The 40-year-old Jones (54-6, 40 KOs) had been scheduled to face 44-year-old Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs), whom Green is now pursuing for the most lucrative matchup of his career.

"We're trying to do Danny Green and Bernard Hopkins, and that fight would probably be in very late March or early April. And on my end, it looks very, very good," said Shaw.

"We're just waiting right now for a number from HBO, and then hopefully for Bernard to say yes, and it's a done deal," said Shaw. "I'm very confident that we will make that fight. Sydney, Australia, that's where the fight would be."


Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs)
The Showtime-televised, Marquez-Israel Vazquez IV matchup will happen on May 22 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

After battling through a classic super bantamweight (122 pounds) trilogy, the duo will fight as featherweights (126) when they face each other this time.

Marquez, 34, is coming off of May's third-round knockout of Jose Francisco Mendoza, and the 31-year-old Vazquez (44-4, 32 KOs) is coming off October's ninth-round KO of Angel Antonio Priolo.

Marquez stopped Vazquez in the seventh round of their initial meeting in March 2007, but was beaten twice after that, by sixth-round knockout and decision, respectively, in August 2007 and March 2008.


Yohnny Perez (20-0, 14 KOs)
The Colombian-born, resident of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., dethroned IBF bantamweight (118 pounds) champion Joseph Agbeko (27-2, 22 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, on the way to a one-sided unanimous decision on Oct. 31.

The 30-year-old Perez will probably fight in April, said Shaw, adding that one possibility for a rival could be Abner Mares, a Mexican-born 24-year-old who lives in Montebello, Calif. Mares is 19-0, with 12 knockouts -- including two straight stoppages.


Leonardo Zappavigna (22-0, 15 KOs)
The 22-year-old resident of Sydney, Australia, is coming off of a six-round unanimous decision over Sergrio Macias in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

"We'll probably bring him back on the Darchinyan card," Shaw said of the 135-pounder.

"We're not sure who he will be fighting, but it will definitely be a step up. I want to move him toward a 135-pound title as quickly as I can."