KEITH SULLIVAN was getting ready to enter the ring at the SSE (Odyssey) Arena in Belfast, to congratulate Paddy Donovan, for not only defeating Lewis Crocker in their all-Ireland showdown, but doing so convincingly.
It had been a fight that Sullivan, who co-manages Donovan along with Andy Lee, had worked tirelessly on making for some time. The stakes were high. It was not only for territorial bragging rights, but more importantly the winner would become the IBF’s mandatory challenger in the welterweight division.
However, with Crocker essentially finished, Donovan launched one last right hand after the bell had rung ending the eighth round. The punch leveled Crocker, who was far behind on points as it was. It is highly debatable whether Crocker would have even been allowed to come out for the following round if Donovan had not registered the final hit, such was the punishment that he had endured.
Paddy’s coming-out party, the fight that would introduce him to the world as a star in the making, took a bum turn as the referee, Marcus McDonnell, disqualified him. With that, Donovan lost not only the opportunity to box for the title in his next fight, but his unbeaten record as well.
Whether it was his fault, that of the referee, or extenuating circumstances, this much is obvious: Paddy Donovan had defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. And no one knew it more than the fighter himself.
After initially celebrating when he thought the fight was stopped in his favor, Donovan was beside himself when the realisation hit home that it was he and not Crocker who had been terminated by the referee.
A distraught Donovan threw himself to the canvas in disbelief. He then desperately pleaded with promoter Eddie Hearn to help him right what he felt was wrong, but Hearn who promotes both men was reluctant to come to Donovan’s defence.
Lee, who also serves as the lead trainer, tried to put a positive spin on things, consoling Donovan by telling him how great he looked and that they should focus on that, not the result itself. Lee knew that as always Sullivan would take charge of what needed to be done in the aftermath.
By now, Sullivan had entered the ring, looking shell-shocked, but in reality, he was absorbed in deep thought, playing out all the different scenarios in his head, not so much about what just happened, but what Team Donovan would do about it.
Sullivan had been down this road before in his 27 years as a litigation attorney in New York City. “I always compare a trial and a courtroom presentation to a fight,” he says. “You have to win the overall case even though you’re going to lose some rounds along the way.”
Sullivan was born, raised, and has always lived in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. He originally thought he might become a High School History Teacher, but as things worked out Sullivan was able to open his own law practice (Sullivan and Galleshaw) with his childhood friend, James Galleshaw, in which they have been together for 19 years now. He also serves as a New York City commissioner on the Board of Elections.
“I got into boxing as everyone does initially, as a fan,” says Sullivan. “I used to work out in the famous Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. I met a man there who was very special, who unfortunately we lost during Covid, trainer Bob Jackson. I think of him often and the advice he gave me over the years about life.
”After learning that I was an attorney, Bruce Silverglade, the owner of the gym, asked me if I would review a contract for a fighter who was offered a management deal. I looked at the contract for the kid and the promoter was taking 40%.
“Needless to say I renegotiated for the kid on much more favorable terms. I made no money but I was compensated by seeing him go on and have a decent professional career and put some money in his pocket.
”That sort of became the norm. Bob or Bruce would ask me to help fighters pro-bono by looking over management, promotional and sponsorship deals. To be honest, I hate contracts. It’s boring, slow and methodical work but I’m actually very good at it.
“I took on the representation of Joey Gamache, a former world champion who was brutally knocked out by Arturo Gatti in a match that never should have taken place. The day before the bout at Madison Square Garden, a fraudulent weigh-in took place. Gatti was well over the weight limit, stepped off the scale, and immediately rehydrated despite the objections from the Gamache camp.
“The New York Commission refused to reweigh Gatti even though the balance beam scale they used at the time never balanced steady in the middle as required. It bounced up and down as Gatti stepped on and off.
“On fight night the unofficial weigh-in done by HBO showed Gatti had put on an astronomical amount of weight, if you believe he actually made the weight on the scale the day prior. We sued and won and proved that the weigh-in violated the New York rules and regulations. They now use an electric scale that must be properly tested and calibrated on a frequent basis and a fighter doesn’t get off the scales until both camps approve of the weight reached.”
Ironically, Sullivan would later join the New York State Athletic Commission as a Deputy Commissioner, a role he served in for five years. “I was appointed under the Chairwoman Melvina Lathan,” says Sullivan.
“I really enjoyed my time at the commission and learned a lot about the administration of the sport from one of the busiest commissions in the world. I don’t envy the people at the top as running a commission is not easy. You’re always dealing with different personalities, promotional companies, political influences, and everyone around you has an agenda.
“However, if everything you do is measured against the backdrop of honesty, integrity and the protection of the fighters from health and safety to financial issues, despite all the crazy and wild things that will come up in the course of a show and the lead up to it, I think you’ll always come out okay. In New York, the commission sits ringside, literally up against the apron.
“Some nights you had to duck from blood splattering and sweat flying out of the ring. It was exciting being a part of the commission and seeing the sport behind the scenes and literally as close as you could get without putting on a pair of gloves yourself. However, I always yearned for something else and that was to be an advocate, the representative, the advisor and fighter for the fighters. I feel that’s where my skills, knowledge and assets are best utilized in the sport, to help fighters.”
Sullivan’s work within the industry is remarkable. For the last 15 years, he has served as the legal counsel for the Boxing Writers Association of America and on the Board of Directors of the Atlas Foundation.
”I enjoy the occasional call I receive from an overzealous writer who is seeking advice on whether they need to tone it down so they can avoid a defamation lawsuit,” says Sullivan about one of his responsibilities within the BWAA.
“Out of all the people I represent, I have to laugh, because the professional writers are the most stubborn. Once they get a viewpoint that they want to spill out onto paper it’s hard to pivot them out of it. I appreciate that because it usually stems from journalistic integrity.
”I met Teddy Atlas because I reached out to him for some advice and insight on a legal issue I was dealing with. We quickly formed a bond of trust and respect for one another and have a strong friendship some 20 years later.
“He invited me to serve as a board of director on his charity foundation which I accepted and wanted to be a part of. It’s a great charity that does real work for people in need, cutting through the typical red tape that you find in charity foundations and ensuring that we preserve the dignity of those in need.”
Atlas speaks glowingly of Sullivan. “He is not only fully invested in the foundation, but in humanity. He is a man who cares more about other people than himself.
”If a young fighter came to me asking to recommend a manager, Keith Sullivan would be the only one on my list. He is not only highly competent, but is a person of great character as well. I would have nothing to do with someone who had bad things to say about him. I would do anything for Keith Sullivan.”
It was Sullivan’s relationship with Andy Lee which led to his association with Paddy Donovan. Says Sullivan, “I met Andy Lee when he was living in New York City. He had management issues and was facing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit. He saw no point in continuing to box due to the futility of fighting to line other people’s pockets.
“That was a tough negotiation and an aggressive one. I was so happy when years later Andy went on to win the WBO middleweight world title. There’s a picture of him getting off the plane with the belt in the Shannon, Ireland, airport.
“I get chills every time I walk through the airport and see that photo. I think the world of Andy. He was an exciting fighter and has morphed into a world class trainer and analyst. On top of that he is an even better person and family man.”
Lee confirms how integral Sullivan was to his becoming a world champion. “Keith was instrumental in keeping my boxing career on track,” says Lee. “I had run into some contractual issues at one point in my career and I thought I might’ve had to retire.
“I then met Keith through Joey Gamache and Keith turned everything around. He approached my issues very practically and ended up getting me a favorable outcome. He’s a no nonsense, straightforward person who has earned my total trust. I know he has Paddy’s best interests at heart.
“I managed Paddy alone for a number of years but when I knew we needed to go to the next level I approached Keith about coming on board as co-manager. He’s been an incredible asset to both Paddy and I. We’re very fortunate to have Keith in our team, the job he’s done lodging the appeal with the IBF is immaculate. We’re still waiting on the appeal and we’re not sure how it will go but Keith has put forward a very good case.”
IBF President Daryl Peoples agrees although as of this writing he is non-committal on what the ruling will be. “Keith was right on it and lodged an appeal immediately, then followed up. He was very thorough in doing his job,” says Peoples. “It will be up to the IBF’s championship committee to decide, but Keith has done everything possible from his end.”
“The Crocker fight, what a debacle that was!” says Sullivan. First, let me take you back to the build- up. This was billed as the greatest Irish fight in history. Whether it was or not, it’s not for me to decide, but that’s what the media and the promotion touted it as.
Crocker is a tough fighter, a talented fighter who throws ferocious punches. Paddy Donovan is simply a notch above. He’s world class. Although many people doubted Andy Lee and I in our assessment of Paddy, I think the Crocker fight proved our assessment was spot on.
”That Belfast crowd was absolutely electric, intense with thunderous cheering. That is truly a great fight town. Paddy absolutely loved it, relished in it and thrived in that atmosphere of adversity. It’s a trait that every professional athlete in every sport strives for with abysmal results. For Paddy it’s in his DNA. There was nowhere else he would rather be than walking into that arena with 7,000 people booing and doubting him. He loved it.
”I knew from the beginning of the bout we were going to have problems with this ref. In the first round there was a clinch. The only clinch of the fight. Crocker threw a cheap rabbit punch to the back of Paddy’s head. Paddy foolishly reciprocated and the ref stepped in presumably to warn both fighters to keep it clean. He turned and chastised Paddy and never said a word to Crocker. From that moment, I knew I was on notice, that this was a problem ref. Crocker spent the entire fight coming in spearing with his head.
“Paddy’s a fast slick moving boxer so he had to bob and weave around Crocker’s head to move to the left and to the right on the outside to adjust the angle of his shots. If you’re fighting an opponent who is keeping his head in the gap by moving forward, inevitably there is going to be clashes of the heads. Who is at fault for that happening under those circumstances?
“Certainly not the fighter who’s responding to his opponent who initiates the contact by spearing his head into the gap in the first place. The ref kept warning Paddy and ultimately took points away in the 6th and 8th rounds. It was really offensive refereeing.
“In the eighth round with 20 seconds left, Paddy dropped Crocker. I don’t think the referee should have allowed Crocker to continue from that point,” claims Sullivan. “When he stood up his left eye was completely shut and blood was dripping out of it. The referee didn’t so much as call time and ask a doctor to assess the ability of Crocker to continue or whether he was in serious medical danger.
“Reckless and dangerous. The timekeeper never gave the 10 second warning, the referee never announced 10 seconds and in the final moments when Paddy went in to finish Crocker with less than 10 seconds left in the round, the referee instead of placing himself on top of the fighters close to the action to signal to them individually that the round was coming to an end, he was actually eight feet away and backpedaling further away from the fighters.
“Thus, he was in no position to give a verbal command when he heard the bell, and was in no position to put his arm or body between the fighters. There was a total breakdown of the systems that are in place to alert the fighters that they are in the final 10 seconds of the round and they need to stop boxing immediately. None of that ever took place.
“The ref was quick to fault Paddy for not realizing the round had ended despite him having no knowledge of it whatsoever. When you watch the videotape, the referee doesn’t even call time. That’s how delayed his reaction was to the situation. Yet he faults Paddy and claims that Paddy threw the punch with the intent of committing a foul against his opponent. That’s offensive, it’s wrong and should not be allowed to stand.
“I was stunned at how the fight ended. Stunned. It took me almost an hour to come to terms with what had just happened. Paddy was boxing beautifully and coasting to a knockout victory. Then suddenly he was disqualified and the dreams of boxing for a world title next vanished. I have seen pictures and videos where I can see the stunned look on my face, but at the same time my brain was working in overdrive trying to figure out the next steps I needed to take to get Paddy the justice he deserved.
“About half an hour later from the arena I called Daryl Peoples, the president of the IBF to advise them that we intended on filing an appeal under the sanctioning body regulations. Each sanctioning body and commission have their own rules and regulations that you need to be familiar with.
“I got Daryl on the phone, the noise in the arena was so loud and the connection was so bad that I then sent him a text message and followed that up with an email. As you can imagine, the media was in a frenzy and wanted statements from Andy, Paddy, Eddie Hearn and myself.
“In the arena there was a lot of security around us. A few brawls broke out in the stands after the fight. It was a feisty riled up crowd. It really was a wild experience.”
As this is being written the IBF has yet to rule on Sullivan’s appeal, but regardless of how it turns out he has Paddy Donovan’s gratitude not only on this matter but for everything that his co – manager has done for him thus far. “My relationship with Keith is nothing less than amazing,” says Donovan. “Since Keith joined my team, my career has changed for the better rapidly. Keith’s helped me so much. If not for him I wouldn’t be in the position that I am today and I’m forever grateful for that.
“When Andy advised me that it was best for us that Keith join our team, I said to myself, Keith Sullivan, all the way from New York City, wants to help me advance my career. From that moment I knew things were going in the right direction.
“After the fight ended against Lewis Crocker, I felt quite lost but there was one person I looked to and it was Keith. He was so positive in the things he was saying to me and how he was going to appeal for the rematch. It gives me so much confidence and belief that I have the best person in boxing working on the appeal. I spoke to Andy Lee every day since the fight and I am so thankful for the work Keith is doing. I have seen the appeal that Keith put together and sent over, and have so much belief that things will become right. Let me end on this note, Keith is the best thing that has happened to my career.”
Although Donovan is the biggest name that Sullivan represents, he manages other boxers with diverse backgrounds whom he is excited about. “I like to represent fighters that have something unique about them,” he says. “My heavyweight Pryce Taylor (7-0), from Brooklyn, has potential to go far. He’s 6’4” and 270 lbs who came late to the sport of boxing and has done well despite having a fast tracked amateur career.
”I represent Nisa Rodriguez, a middleweight from New York, who is unbeaten in three professional fights. She had an outstanding amateur career in the area. She is an active New York City police officer. She is a great person who you want to see do well in the ring and in life.
”I represent three-time world champion from Japan, Miyo Yoshida. She is a delight to work with and has a feel – good story where she came to America as a single mother with her beautiful daughter on this journey to continue boxing and be a world champion.
”I represent Fei Faiva who is known as the female Mike Tyson. I have never seen a woman move so fast and hit so hard. Everyone stops in the gym when she’s hitting the heavy bag or sparring.
“I represent Jim Donovan [Paddy’s Cousin] who’s a 10 – time all-Ireland champion. He’ll be making his pro debut shortly.#
”I’m happy to sign more fighters but to be honest I’ve turned away more than I’ve signed. Working with a fighter means we have to spend a lot of time with each other, we have to have good communication, and we have to trust one another. Most importantly, if I’m going to spend time out of my day working on your behalf and traveling to camps and fights for you, I have to like you. I have to believe in you. I have to like how you live your life inside and outside of the ring. Fortunately, I don’t have to rely on boxing to make my living. I love it. I am dedicated to my fighters and give it my 100%, but I’m financially situated such that I don’t need to sign every fighter that calls me.
“Sometimes they are not just the right fit for me. I still give them advice and help, I just might not agree to sign them to a management contract. Regardless of how good they are, I want to work with people that have some unique characteristics to them, are a quality fighter and above all else, most importantly, are a good person who I would want to invite over my house to dinner with my wife.”
Although Sullivan is very involved in his fighters’ careers, he makes it a point not to overstep his boundaries. “I’ve been called the quiet man in the corner,” he says. “I don’t believe it’s my role to give fight instructions or motivational speeches to the fighter in the locker room or when we’re standing on the ring apron moments before the fight. Nor will I ever work the corner.”
For a long time, it looked like Sullivan would be a lifetime bachelor, but three years ago at the age of 47, he married the beautiful Michelle Darcy from Tipperary, Ireland. Adjusting to married life, running a law firm, and managing a stable of boxers in addition to many other endeavors keeps Sullivan busy round the clock, but one way or another he finds the time to get the job done.
