Jerry Shears

Jerry Shears (October 18, 1925 – March 21, 2010), also known as Gerald Schulman, was the founder and president of the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association (CABA). He was instrumental in organizing international competitions and promoting the use of protective headgear by amateur boxers.

Early life Gerald Schulman, known as Jerry Shears, was born on October 18, 1925, in Montreal, Quebec. He was the oldest of five children and the son of former Allied Forces bantamweight boxing champion Joe Shears.

He enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces at 15. Fighting under Billy Zed and University Settlement, he captured many trophies. He claimed the 118-pound provincial Golden Glove title with a knockout of Florian Biebault. The Montreal Golden Glover captured the lightweight title at the Canadian Amateur Boxing Championships in Port Arthur, Ontario, in May 1947. He later fought to the finals of the Canadian Amateur Boxing Championships, an Olympic qualifier, in May 1948 and lost by decision to Eddie Haddad.

Shears fought only in exhibitions in 1949, taking five of six bouts in Hollywood, California, highlighted by a win over New York Golden Gloves champion William Redding Jr.

After a five-round fight at the Oxford YMCA in London, England, in 1950, he announced his retirement from competitive ring combat.

Shears never turned professional. He fought at the Montreal Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, and throughout the United States.

Career Shears entered the insurance industry as a broker after leaving the army in 1950. He prospered, operating offices on Sherbrooke St. W. Throughout the 1970s, he acquired an international reputation when he spearheaded the drive to produce a safer sport and his efforts on AIBA's safety commission were rewarded in 1988 when the International Olympic Committee mandated headgear at the Olympics for the first time.

He was the executive vice president of the organizing committee for the 1981 World Cup Boxing Championships at Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena.

Death Jerry Shears died in Ste. Anne's Hospital on March 21, 2010, in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.

Honors and awards 1976 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame inductee (builder) 1977 Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductee Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame inductee 1992 Canadian Armed Forces Sports Hall of Fame inductee 2000 Boxing Canada Hall of Fame inductee