MMA History Podcast · MMA Detective Mike Davis, Joey Venti

The Rise of EliteXC - Jared Shaw

·1 hr 53 min·5 clips

Jared says he and Jeremy Lappin 'did nothing but feud behind the scenes.'

1. MMA History Podcast focuses on The Rise of EliteXC with Jared Scholar Shaw, a behind-the-scenes figure from EliteXC’s mid-2000s surge. 2. Hosts Joey Venti and Mike Davis interview Jared Shaw, whose family ties to New Jersey boxing and later MMA business make him a direct witness. 3. The episode asks how a boxing family moved toward MMA, and why EliteXC looked like a fast-moving network-era gamble. 4. Jared says he told his father around 2000 that 'this MMA is blowing up' while boxing remained controlled by older executives. 5. He describes his father’s work as a New Jersey inspector, commissioner, and board member, and says he grew up around wrestling at the Meadowlands. 6. Jared recalls meeting Terry Bollea, Bob Backlund, and seeing a photo from the Sports Illustrated wrestling cover shoot with 'no more room for Mr. Nice Guy.' 7. He says his family already knew Mark Ratner and the Fertittas through his father’s long commission and boxing relationships. 8. Jared argues boxing was run by 'dinosaurs' such as Don King and Bob Arum, who stayed in fixed habits. 9. He says boxing rewarded risk-free matchmaking and padded records, while MMA felt like a faster-growing opportunity. 10. He explains that after the early discussions, his father took a meeting that included Ken Hershman and Doug DeLuca about a new MMA company. 11. Jared says Showtime wanted to avoid missing the MMA wave after not securing a UFC deal. 12. He says his father could have served as a consultant and liaison because of his Showtime history and his role in creating Showbox the Next Generation with Jay Larkin. 13. Jared says he was named vice president at age 27, while his father became president of the company. 14. He names Gary Shaw, Jeremy Lappin, JD Penn, Rich Chow, Doug DeLuca, and a later CEO as the people who mattered most to EliteXC’s story. 15. Jared says the public version of the tale confuses EliteXC with Pro Elite, which he describes as the larger business shell. 16. He says Pro Elite was funded by Showtime and CBS, bought libraries and promotions like Rumble on the Rock, Icon, Spirit MC, A-1 Rage, and King of the Cage, and also tried to stream undercards. 17. Jared says the first event, EliteXC Destiny on February 10, 2007, came together quickly around Henzo Gracie vs. Frank Shamrock. 18. He says Frank Shamrock was manageable because the company could make 'the Frank show' work on Showtime, and he notes co-fights with Scott Coker’s network of fighters. 19. The tone stays conversational and argumentative, with Joey Venti interrupting often and Mike Davis steering the timeline and names. 20. People interested in boxing promotion, early network MMA, and EliteXC’s internal politics will get the most from it.

As heard by us

A clear inside look at EliteXC's rise and its role in pushing MMA onto network television.

EliteXC's rise is presented as a turbulent and important chapter in MMA history, with Jared Scholar Shaw giving a direct view from behind the scenes.

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Why you'd press play

You want the EliteXC stories that helped push MMA onto network television.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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