Jerry Shears

Jerry Shears (born 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 history
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.

Amateur boxing career
At 13, and 95 pounds, he discovered boxing with gloves at neighborhood clubs. He started boxing competitively in 1938. By the 1940s, he fought in matches and tournaments in Montreal, winning multiple Montreal Golden Gloves championships. After joining the Canadian Armed Forces at 15, he took the Army's lightweight title in 1942 at 17 years old. Shears won the Canadian lightweight championship in 1947. After a five-round fight at the Oxford YMCA in London, England, in 1950, he announced his retirement from competitive ring combat.

He only lost 15 of his 150 fights over a 12-year period. He fought at the Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, and throughout the United States.

Work career
After the army, Jerry began a career in insurance as a broker.

In 1969, Jerry Shears established the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association and served as the organization's president. Throughout the 1970s, he acquired an international reputation when he spearhead the drive to produce a safer sport and his efforts on AIBA's safety commission were rewarded in 1988 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 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 Sunday, March 21, 2010, in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.

Honors and awards

 * Montreal Golden Gloves Champion.
 * Canadian Lightweight Amateur Boxing Champion. (1947)
 * Inductee of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame as a builder. (1976)
 * Inductee of Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. (1977)
 * Inductee of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.
 * Inductee of the Canadian Armed Forces Sports Hall of Fame. (1992)