Gary Shaw, a well-known boxing promoter who passed away, was announced by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman on Thursday. Shaw, aged 79, had a successful career in the boxing industry, promoting or co-promoting 175 events over 13 years with his company, which he founded in September 2002. His final event was the middleweight title fight between Miguel Cotto and Daniel Geale in Brooklyn in June 2015.
Sulaiman fondly remembered Shaw for his infectious smile, lively personality, and deep love for the sport of boxing. Before establishing Gary Shaw Productions, Shaw played a significant role in major boxing matches as the COO of Main Events in New Jersey. Notably, he was involved in the 2002 heavyweight championship bout between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson.
Throughout his career, Shaw promoted several Hall of Fame boxers, including Tim Bradley, Diego Corrales, Shane Mosley, and Winky Wright. One of his most memorable events was Corrales' epic 2005 fight with Jose Luis Castillo, regarded as one of the greatest boxing matches in history.
Shaw also ventured into MMA promotion briefly as the president of EliteXC, organizing 20 events from February 2007 to October 2008. This move allowed fighters like Cris Cyborg to showcase their talents in the United States.
EliteXC, co-founded by Showtime, had a close relationship with Shaw, who was instrumental in creating the concept for ShoBox, a Showtime series aimed at developing boxing prospects into champions.
Prior to his promotional career, Shaw began as an Inspector for the New Jersey Athletic Commission, where he served for 28 years. He not only regulated boxing events but also promoted numerous fights during his tenure with the commission.
