The symbolic award in boxing is the iconic belt, and seldom, if ever, has another kind of award been prominently used. The magnitude of this mega-fight, however, calls for exactly that. “We are thrilled that the fight all of us have been waiting for is about to take place, and that the WBA will memorialize the victory of the champion with a beautiful piece of art created by SARTONK,” intimated Gilberto Mendoza, Jr., Vice President of the WBA.
In addition to its coveted Super Champion Belt, the WBA will award Saturday’s victor the “Man of Triumph.” This bronze sculpture stands 16″ tall, with fists gloriously raised overhead, and is designed to immortalize the concept of triumph. “We’ve long been mesmerized by the 330 B.C. Hellenistic sculpture, ‘Boxer of Quirinal’ or The Pugilist, and have imagined how his fight ended. Our ‘Man of Triumph’ is in sculptural conversation with the classical masterpiece, and depicts a possible outcome, but in modern form,” described SARTONK President, Edward S. Majian.
“While belts are the hallmark of SARTONK’s work, they do not define the limits of our capabilities and creativity. We wanted to do something special for this fight and the WBA’s commission set our imagination and skills to the test,” commented Hasmig Tatiossian, Executive Manager of SARTONK. We asked ourselves, ‘What kind of sculpture would be worthy of two great athletes who, having put everything on the line, will engage in a fight that will define this era in boxing?’ I think we’ve done it,” she continued, with a smile.
The artistic use of geometric formations and intersecting planes convey the chiseled anatomy of an ideal we universally recognize as triumph. With the MGM Grand arena in mind, super stylization allows for the sculpture’s formal information and character to be read from afar.
“Our highly skilled team worked very hard to bring this piece to life, and we couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this historic occasion in boxing,” said Majian.
The winner of the fight will go home with the “Man of Triumph” along with a gold-plated WBA Super Champion belt. The opponent will take home a rhodium-plated version of the same belt. The occasion-specific belts will feature metal portraits of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Photographs of the “Man of Triumph” and the Belts will be released May 1, 2015, and a documentary tracking the creation of these pieces will be completed shortly thereafter.
