John McClain
Name: John McClain
Alias: Yahya
Birth Name: Johnny McClain III
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Height: 189cm
Reach: 201cm
Promoter: Record
Referee: Record
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record
John 'Yahya' McClain, CEO of Absoloot Boxing and Fitness, LLC, a subsidiary of Absoloot Entertainment Inc., has been in the boxing world for more than 30 years, where he not only succeeded as a boxer, but also learned the management and promotional aspects of the business.
Yahya became involved in the sport of boxing at the young age of 10. Fighting under his birth name of Johnny McClain III, he found great success as an amateur which led him to travel throughout the country. Yahya ultimately ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada, 'the Boxing Capital of the World,' where, in 1990, he began his professional boxing career. By June 1995, he became the WBC Continental American Light Heavyweight Champion. He then moved up in weight and went on to become the WBU Cruiser Weight Champion of the World, twice in his career.
In 1990, he also founded Yahya Worldwide, a promotional/management company that promoted jazz concerts in Atlanta, Georgia and Las Vegas, Nevada, for artists such as Najee, Will Downy Jr., Jon B., and Aaron Hall among others. In between training and boxing, Yahya co-wrote and co-produced 'The Soda Pop Dance Show,' a teen dance show that aired weekly, live on cable TV in Las Vegas. And, in 1994, Yahya toured the east coast promoting step shows at various black colleges.
In March 1999, Yahya began training and advising Laila Ali. Securing endorsements and spearheading her entire boxing career, he worked tirelessly to make sure that Laila Ali stayed on the path to success at the right pace. On August 27, 2000, Yahya McClain and Laila Ali became husband and wife.
In January 2001, Absoloot created the boxing event Ali-Frazier IV, 30 years later (The Daughters). In March of that year, Absoloot, as a prelude to the big fight, showcased both Ali and Frazier on the same fight card with formidable opponents. The fight happened on June 8, 2001; against all odds, it was a huge success. The Turning Stone Casino in Corona, New York, hosted the fight. The casino normally has a seating capacity of 1,000 people. For the fight, Yahya had the casino build an outdoor tent that accommodated 8,000 people. The fight was a complete sellout, with people standing outside of the doors.
The Ali-Frazier IV fight was the first time in history that a women's bout was the main event on a Pay-Per-View show. It was projected to sell only 30,000 to 40,000 buys from the public but, well beyond expectations, the fight sold more than 100,000 buys. As a result, Ms. Ali and Ms. Frazier became the two highest-paid women fighters in history.
Yahya's entrepreneurial mind has taken Absoloot in many directions. His latest endeavor is the Absoloot Boxing and Fitness Gym, home of the Absoloot Boxing Amateur Training Program (ABATP), a program that trains, educates and mentors the youth in the sport of boxing and in life. BIO SOURCE: http://www.absolootboxingandfitness.com/bio_yahya_mcclain.php