LAS VEGAS – August 16, 2026 – It is with great sadness that family, friends, and the boxing community lost one of our own. Butch Gottlieb was a prominent, highly respected fighter manager, media publisher, and regulatory official who served as an influential, multi-talented fixture in the Las Vegas boxing scene for nearly three decades.

Unlike competitors who made their mark inside the ring, Gottlieb built his legacy behind the scenes as a tireless promoter, digital pioneer, and passionate advocate for the growth of professional women's boxing.

He passed away on August 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., at the age of 84. Kenny Bayless, and Mary Ann Owen were there at the time.

Photo:  Butch Gottlieb and Mary Ann Owen

Mary Ann Owen said,  "Hannah Fox had sent a voice message to Butch that was played just before he passed away."

"We [Butch and I] had met for the first time in Hannah Fox’s dressing room” in 1998,"  added Mary Ann Owen.

Butch meant the world to WBAN and the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF). He wore so many different hats for us and was always such a standout presence in everything we did.

To be honest---walking into our upcoming IWBHF event without him there as part of our team is going to feel incredibly empty. He was an absolute pillar of our organizations for years, and we are going to miss him deeply.

Our hearts go out to Mary Ann Owen. She and Butch were absolutely inseparable—true, lifelong soulmates for 28 years. It was always amazing that he and Mary Ann were born the same day on June 23rd.

These two were so connected that you couldn't think of one without seeing the other, and their bond is something we all admired deeply.

Besides all of his hard work with the IWBHF and WBAN, he was the creator, editor, and publisher of the website "Boxing in Las Vegas", a premier digital portal dedicated to covering high-profile matches and the local fight community.

Butch was also a Fight manager, and through his management firm, Infinity Boxing LLC, he managed both male and female fighters.

In addition, much earlier, before managing boxers and working the corner periodically, he officially served the sport as an official Nevada Athletic Commission boxing inspector.

Butch was a Women’s Boxing Advocate, and he was recognized globally alongside his wife—the award-winning boxing photojournalist, Hall of Famer, author Mary Ann Owen, as an essential pillar of women’s boxing.

He was deeply involved with WBAN and was a constant support fixture at the IWBHF events,  and the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame since their inception.

Mary Ann said, "Mauricio Sulaimán would email and call Butch at times----and refer to him as the "female boxing God." Butch had such a extensive knowledge of the female boxers and more. 

On behalf of the IWBHF and WBAN, we would like to extend our deepest, most sincere condolences to Butch's family, friends, and the entire boxing community. We have truly lost a wonderful person, a dedicated teammate, and an irreplaceable friend.

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