At initial glance, there appears to be a void when it comes to leadership at ProElite with both Chairman Doug DeLuca and Live Events President Gary Shaw having tendered their resignations in favor of taking on reduced roles as consultants.

DeLuca, a television producer, was a founding member of the company. Shaw, a former boxing regulator turned promoter, joined up soon after the formation of ProElite and was one of its original directors.

There’s little doubt their contributions to the company were major. DeLuca is a charismatic businessman with strong connections in the entertainment industry. While Mark Burnett and IMG played large roles in making the deal with CBS happen, it’s been said that DeLuca was the driving force.

Shaw was a polarizing figure in the MMA community who never gained widespread acceptance from the sport’s hardcore fan base that has followed MMA before it was cool to do so. That being said, it’s debateable whether the company would have ever gotten off the ground if not for the deal with SHOWTIME. Considering Shaw’s existing relationship with key decision makers at SHOWTIME, it’s not a reach to say the SHOWTIME deal would have never happened without him.

Up until December of 2006, SHOWTIME was still involved in negotiations with the Zuffa about a potential deal with the UFC. When word spread in the industry that HBO had interest in getting involved in the MMA business, the Zuffa took a deal with UFC off the table and instead tried to pitch SHOWTIME on a potential deal with the WEC. SHOWTIME took exception to the move and broke off all negotiations.

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ProElite, Inc., the parent company of Elite Xtreme Combat, declared via a filing with the Securities Exchange Committee that both Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer Doug DeLuca and EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw have resigned from the company.

According to the filing, restated service contracts were agreed upon with DeLuca and Shaw on July 23.

Both Shaw and DeLuca will continue to work with ProElite as consultants. Shaw’s Gary Shaw Promotions has signed a consulting agreement with ProElite through September 30, 2009. DeLuca’s consulting services will be made available through his company “Legacy of Life Entertainment.”

Both Shaw and DeLuca had been with the company since its inception in 2006. Shaw’s public role had been reduced following EliteXC’s first telecast on CBS on May 31 while DeLuca stepped down as the company’s Chief Executive Officer last February and was replaced by former YouBet Chairman Charles Champion.

After stepping down as CEO, DeLuca remained with the company on a full-time basis as Chief Strategy Officer and Chairman of the company’s board. At the time, the move was termed as a “promotion.” DeLuca will be replaced on the board as Chariman by Champion.

Joining Shaw and DeLuca as leaving the company’s Board of Directors are David Marshall and Kurt Brendlinger. Their vacancies on the board will be filled by Edward C. Hannah, Edward Corey, and Robert E. Brierley.

(Pictured: Justin Eilers)

Update: Cox confirmed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com on Tuesday afternoon that a signed contract was indeed FAX’ed back to EliteXC officials on Monday evening. 

A verbal agreement for Antonio Silva to fight former UFC heavyweight title challenger Justin Eilers during EliteXC’s second-ever CBS telecast on July 26 has been secured.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw revealed the news when contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com earlier this afternoon.

Five Ounces of Pain later contacted Eilers’ manager, Monte Cox, who indicated that it is their intention to FAX a signed contract to EliteXC officials later today.

It is still uncertain whether the Silva vs. Eilers fight will be for the vacant EliteXC heavyweight title, but Shaw indicated a belt will more than likely be at stake when the two square off.

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The bout has been verbally agreed to according to Sherdog for EliteXC’s July 26th show. If the bout comes to fruition it would certainly be one of the most relevant fights EXC has ever put on as it pertains to world rankings. Of course the bout has a hangup due to Silva’s past with the California State Athletic Commission:

Silva will face extra scrutiny to get cleared for active duty in the Golden State. The 6-foot-4, nearly 300-pound goliath was removed from a K-1 “Dynamite USA” roster over a year ago after pre-fight medical tests revealed a pituitary gland tumor in the 26-year-old’s cranial region.

Under the commission’s recommendation, “Pezao” underwent surgery last summer to remove the tumor.

Let us all hope the bout occurs as it gives us a rare fight between big men from formerly separated organizations. Kharitonov’s last bout was a beatdown of Alistair Overeem in K-1 to overcome his shoulder injury and knees to the face in their previous bout. Antonio Silva’s last bout was a not all that impressive decision win over Ricco Rodriguez at Showtime’s EXC Street Certified event in February.

I’d look highly forward to this bout but whenever Armando Garcia is in any small way involved I’ll just assume something excellent isn’t going to happen until I see it with my own eyes.

Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that CBS wants to build on the success of the May 31 EliteXC: Primetime show by holding another show on July 26 on the network:

While not finalized, Elite XC promoter Gary Shaw said that CBS is requesting his company’s next two live specials for late July (believed to be July 26) and October.

As things stand, plans are to build the show around the creation of both heavyweight and welterweight championships, as well as creating an October opponent for Carano in a fight where the promotion will create a woman’s championship.

The heavyweight title bout will involve Antonio Silva and an opponent to be determined. Names being tossed around are Brett Rogers, the winner of tonight’s fight between Dave Herman and Ron Waterman, and possibly IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson. The welterweight title fight will involve Jake Shields and an opponent also to be determined. Names being tossed around for that fight include Cage Rage welterweight champion Paul Daley, Drew Fickett, and IFL welterweight champion Jay Hieron.

EliteXC is also looking into the possibility of a rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith for the EliteXC middlweight title. It appears that Lawler is ready to go but the question mark lies with Smith who injured his foot in the bout.

Another interesting tidbit from Meltzer’s piece is that EliteXC is going to create yet another weight class for Gina Carano because she seemingly is unable to make her contracted weight of 140 lbs.:

They are also looking at a women’s match, featuring Shayna Baszler (9-4). The winner of that match would most likely face Carano in October to create the company’s first women’s champion, in a 145-pound weight class.

“I don’t believe Gina Carano can make 140 pounds,” said Gary Shaw, after Carano came in at 144.5 pounds on May 31 for her 140-pound weight class win over Kaitlin Young.

During a Thursday conference call to promote EliteXC’s first-ever “Saturday Night Fights” card on CBS on May 31, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw was asked to address a report by the web site MediaTakeOut.com that claimed Mike Tyson has “tentatively” agreed to fight Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson.

The report, which cited an anonymous “insider at the company,” claims that a Slice vs. Tyson fight could happen towards the latter part of the year or early next year.

Shaw denied the report when asked to comment on its validity and stated that he has had no discussions with the former heavyweight champion. However, he added that he would make the matchup between Slice and Tyson “in a heartbeat.”

During another question, Shaw was asked if there was any possibility Slice fighting another boxer, Eric “Butterbean” Esch. Esch has been candid in recent interviews that he would like a fight vs. Slice, however, Shaw was bearish about any such potential matchup.

Various sites have picked up on a listing on Showtime’s website that is advertising undefeated heavyweight prospect Shane Carwin as the opponent for Antonio Silva on EliteXC’s next show on February 16 in Miami.

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that Carwin has not signed with EliteXC and that an opponent for Silva has yet to be determined.

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) was informed by EliteXC officials Friday afternoon that Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Murilo “Ninja” Rua have signed long-term extensions with the promotion.

Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

The signing of Silva comes in light of a report in this week’s print edition of The Wrestling Observer newsletter in which it was claimed UFC Vice President of Talent Relations Joe Silva said during a Q&A session prior to UFC 78 that Silva had two remaining fights on his existing EliteXC contract. According to the report, he added that the UFC would have interest when Antonio Silva became available.

Silva returned to action following an eight month layoff during EliteXC’s most recent show in November. He improved his record to 9-1 following a first round submission via rear naked choke against Jonathan Wiezorek.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) has learned from a source close to super heavyweight fighter Antonio Silva that Silva has received the medical clearance from the California State Athletic Commission needed to in order to fight Jonathan Wiezorek on next Saturday’s EliteXC event in Houston, Texas.

While Silva has yet to receive the documents in the mail, he was assured by CSAC officials that the paperwork had been completed and was en route to him.

Silva was placed on medical suspension in June by CSAC after a tumor was located near his pituitary gland. He underwent surgery per the commission’s recommendation to have the tumor removed in hopes that he would be cleared to fight in the future.

Siva, who fought at over 300 lbs., in the past is expected to come into his match against Wiezorek in the 275-280 lbs. range. The two had been scheduled to fight originally on June 2 during FEG’s Dynamite USA!! show in Los Angeles