Eva Shain
Encyclopedia
Eva Shain was an American boxing judge
who was one of the first female judges in New York and became the first woman to judge a heavyweight championship bout when she was one of the judges at the 1977 fight between Muhammad Ali
and Earnie Shavers
in 1977 at Madison Square Garden
.
Shain grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey
and attended New York University
. She was employed as a bookkeeper and interior decorator when her husband, ring announcer
Frank Shain, invited her to join him at a Golden Gloves
amateur boxing
fight in the 1960s. Though she had originally been reluctant "to watch two men beating each other up in the ring", she "totally fell in love with boxing" saying "it was such a precise science" and started attending fights regularly with her husband. She started judging amateur fights and in March 1975 became one of the first female professional boxing judges licensed by the New York State Athletic Commission, following in the footsteps of Carol Polis, who received her license several months earlier.
Shain was asked to judge the September 29, 1977 fight between Muhammad Ali
and Earnie Shavers
at Madison Square Garden
just a few hours before the fight began. Ali was the unanimous
winner, with Shain giving the champion 9 of 15 rounds. This made her the first woman to be a boxing judge for a heavyweight championship bout, which felt to her "like when an opera singer sings at the Met". Ali once asked her if she would be bothered if she got blood on her clothing while at a fight, and Shain responded "Well, it's not my blood".
New York State Athletic Commission
er John R. Branca
announced that he would have all three judges be women for the October 1984 middleweight title fight between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Mustafa Hamsho
, saying "This fight needs some publicity". After Pat Petronelli suggested that "there's going to be a lot of blood and I don't want the three judges throwing up", Shain remained as the only woman to judge the fight.
A resident of Fort Lee, New Jersey
, Shain died at age 81 on August 19, 1999, of cancer at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
. She was survived by her husband, as well as by a daughter and son from an earlier marriage.
Boxing judge
A boxing judge is responsible for judging the results of a boxing match, with as many as three judges typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points to the boxers, based on punches that connect, defense, knockdowns, and other, more subjective, measures.A boxing match that has not...
who was one of the first female judges in New York and became the first woman to judge a heavyweight championship bout when she was one of the judges at the 1977 fight between Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and Earnie Shavers
Earnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
in 1977 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
Shain grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. She was employed as a bookkeeper and interior decorator when her husband, ring announcer
Ring announcer
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion...
Frank Shain, invited her to join him at a Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
amateur boxing
Amateur boxing
Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...
fight in the 1960s. Though she had originally been reluctant "to watch two men beating each other up in the ring", she "totally fell in love with boxing" saying "it was such a precise science" and started attending fights regularly with her husband. She started judging amateur fights and in March 1975 became one of the first female professional boxing judges licensed by the New York State Athletic Commission, following in the footsteps of Carol Polis, who received her license several months earlier.
Shain was asked to judge the September 29, 1977 fight between Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and Earnie Shavers
Earnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
just a few hours before the fight began. Ali was the unanimous
Unanimous decision
A unanimous decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which all three judges agree on which fighter won the match....
winner, with Shain giving the champion 9 of 15 rounds. This made her the first woman to be a boxing judge for a heavyweight championship bout, which felt to her "like when an opera singer sings at the Met". Ali once asked her if she would be bothered if she got blood on her clothing while at a fight, and Shain responded "Well, it's not my blood".
New York State Athletic Commission
New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...
er John R. Branca
John R. Branca
John Ralph Branca , was an American Democratic Party politician who was elected to two terms in the New York State Assembly, serving from 1981 to 1983...
announced that he would have all three judges be women for the October 1984 middleweight title fight between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Mustafa Hamsho
Mustafa Hamsho
Mustafa Hamsho , born in 10 October 1953 in Latakia, Syria, was a Assyrian/Syriac boxer who never won a world title, but fought some big names in his career. Though he was not a winner in all of those fights, he did some things to make every one of his fights interesting and controversial in some...
, saying "This fight needs some publicity". After Pat Petronelli suggested that "there's going to be a lot of blood and I don't want the three judges throwing up", Shain remained as the only woman to judge the fight.
A resident of Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
, Shain died at age 81 on August 19, 1999, of cancer at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center is an "acute care teaching hospital affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine" in Englewood, New Jersey, United States....
. She was survived by her husband, as well as by a daughter and son from an earlier marriage.