Gary native Octavius James, CEO for One In a Million Boxing Inc., passed away unexpectedly Friday night. He was 36.

James brought professional boxing back to Northwest Indiana in 2003 and quickly gained notoriety with his Las Vegas-style cards. His April 25 title fight between Mary McGee and Kristy Follmar drew 2,200 fans to the Hammond Civic Center.

Cause of death has not yet been determined, although James reportedly had been dealing with hypertension for some time. His top three fighters currently were McGee, Chicago middleweight Michael Walker and Hobart welterweight Ed Ochoa.

James is survived by one son and his mother, Pauline.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at www.OneInAMillionBoxing.com when they are completed.