Inducted on November 11, 2010
Gary Shaw is President and Chief Executive Officer of Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, one of boxing’s most successful promotion companies, which he founded in 2002. The only major promoter with a regulatory background, Mr. Shaw began his professional affiliation with boxing in 1971, when the chairman, former World Heavyweight Champion Jersey Joe Walcott, appointed him Inspector to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Commission (NJSAC).
Mr. Shaw’s 28-year tenure with NJSAC included a promotion to Chief Inspector followed by his nomination by Governor Florio and confirmation by the State Senate to the Board, formerly the NJSAC, a position he held until 1999, when he became the Chief Operating Officer of Main Events, another premier boxing promotional company.
Mr. Shaw has promoted or co-promoted many of the biggest grossing fights in boxing history, including Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson, the biggest grossing pay-per-fight with 1.8 million PPV buys, generating approximately $103 million in gross PPV revenue; Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas; Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko; Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad; Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo and Shane Mosley vs. Winky Wright. Mr. Shaw has also promoted or co-promoted many of our generation’s greatest world champions, including: Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, Arturo Gatti, Winky Wright, Manny Pacquiao, and Diego Corrales.
Mr. Shaw created the initial concept and helped develop the TV series “ShoBox: The New Generation,” a live boxing program still running monthly on Showtime. Mr. Shaw has also promoted or co-promoted events at many of the world’s most famous venues, including Staples Center, Madison Square Garden, The Playboy Mansion, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Caesars Palace, Wynn Las Vegas, Foxwoods Resort Casino, the Mohegan Sun Hotel Casino and Chumash Casino Resort, as well as international events in St. Martin, China, Poland and England. Mr. Shaw has worked in partnership with HBO, Showtime, ESPN and SKY and all have televised many of the events Mr. Shaw has promoted or co-promoted. Mr. Shaw has also negotiated the international sale of many of his televised events, including closed circuit and Pay-Per-View. Self-described as an “entrepreneur by trade,” Mr. Shaw has run his own businesses and businesses for others since graduating from the University of Miami with a degree in Physical Education. His professional resume includes executive positions with American Airlines Hotel Division and the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. He became a principal with a Holiday Inn franchisee in New Jersey. Mr. Shaw also served as a vice president of an architectural firm and LEVCOM, a large shopping center development company, directing and managing the new business division for both companies.
Mr. Shaw was also retained to develop and launch restaurants for a private equity group. Mr. Shaw’s successful private enterprises include owning and operating a chain of eight Hallmark Greeting Card stores and Stars Vending, which supplied and serviced retail machines, games, juke boxes and pool tables to hotels, movie theater chains and restaurants.
Honors and appointments including induction into the Hospitality Hall of Fame, President of the New Jersey Hotel Motel Association (NJHMA), and Presidential Appointment to the National Tourism Advisory Board for the U.S. by Ronald Reagan. Mr. Shaw has been married 30 years to Judy, and is the father of three sons, Jason, AJ and Jared, and grandfather to Ryan and Zach.
In 2009, Gary was inducted to the California Boxing Hall of Fame.