By Brittany Alvarado
For over 40 years, one family has been crafting the title belts you see boxers proudly hoist into the air after nearly every championship match.
Edward Majian, his 94-year-old grandfather, Ardash Sahaghian, and a small group of fiercely loyal employees of SARTONK, craft belts for the WBA (World Boxing Association), WBO (World Boxing Organization), IBO (International Boxing Organization), and IBF (International Boxing Federation).
The roots of the small family run business out of Union City, New Jersey go deep, starting with Sahaghain, who immigrated to the U.S. from Romania with his wife, Nazeli in the 1960’s.
For years, Sahaghain, a skilled jeweler and leather craftsman, made championship belts out of love and devotion, but others began to claim originality on his work. So, Majian stepped in to establish SARTONK to not only reclaim his grandfather’s legacy, but to honor the inner champions of others.
We were lucky enough to visit SARTONK in October, and get to know their story on a deeply personal level.
