The 2016 Shadow League Awards: Leonard Ellerbe

Each year, The Shadow League honors men and women of color who are trailblazers in the world of sports. This year we presented awards to four incredible men and women who are leading the charge across the sports world at the 2016 Shadow League Awards Presented by AT&T DIRECTV.

Among our honorees is the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe.

Ellerbe is the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, but most don’t truly understand or appreciate who is he or what he does. They recognize the name, but a majority of people would most likely be more familiar with the Mayweather name, not the name of the man behind the man. 

Ellerbe has been the only CEO of Mayweather Promotions since it’s inception in 2007 and now has a stable of 25 fighters under his banner. He grew up in DC, served in the Air Force and has had boxing in his life for 40 years. In 1996, he took a chance on a young fighter named Floyd Mayweather and over the next 20 years, they carved a path through the sport that produced over $700 million in PPV revenue alone. He was a driving force that helped push boxing beyond the ring, helping Floyd expand his growing presence through appearances on “Dancing With The Stars” and the WWE. 

He carries weight in the sport yet he is humble in all of success. He leads through action and has developed a presence in the sport of boxing that has been unrivaled, some of the reasons why we were honored to have Leonard Ellerbe as one of our award recipients this year.

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