IFL names Jay Larkin Chief Executive Officer

The
International Fight League announced a change in its senior leadership, naming Jay
Larkin acting Chief Executive Officer. Larkin, who had joined the IFL as
President and Chief Operating Officer on September 21, 2007, replaces IFL
co-founder Gareb Shamus, who resigned his positions as chairman and chief
executive officer, effective immediately. Shamus will remain available to the
IFL as a consultant.

“Taking a
sports and entertainment entity from an idea to an established brand in 14
months is nothing short of amazing. Gareb should be commended for his vision
and leadership during that period,” Larkin said. “From first class events with
rising athletes to quality broadcast television and landmark licensing and
sponsorship deals, the IFL brand that has been built is very strong, and I look
forward to the challenge of taking that growing brand and working with our
television partners, business partners, staff, coaches and athletes to make it
the best organization possible for a very long time to come.”

Larkin
joined the IFL after having spent over 20 years at media giant Showtime, rising
from a junior publicist to one of the most powerful and respected dealmakers in
the sport of boxing, during his storied career. An accomplished television and
theatrical producer, his educational background has included time at the Boston
Conservatory of Music; the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television; and a
degree in theater and directing from C.W. Post. He began at Showtime in 1984,
and helped create some of the channel’s greatest entertainment specials
involving legends ranging from Frank Sinatra and Paul McCartney to The Rolling
Stones, Britney Spears, and The Spice Girls among others.

During
that time, the
Brooklyn native also oversaw
the channel’s growth in boxing, beginning in 1986 with Marvelous Marvin
Hagler’s middleweight title defense against John Mugabi. He negotiated the
deals and helped create some of boxing’s most legendary matchups of the last
quarter century, including numerous Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Julio
Cesar Chavez fights. He also was one of the key negotiators and co-executive
producer of what was then the biggest money fight in history, the 2002
heavyweight championship bout between Lennox Lewis and Tyson that happened
because of a landmark deal between Showtime (Tyson’s network) and rival HBO
(Lewis’ network).