The “Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act” Advances in the U.S. Congress
The “Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act” bill is one step closer to becoming law. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the initiative by voice vote during its legislative session on Tuesday, following a half-hour debate. Now, the bill heads to the Senate.
If the bill is approved by the Senate and subsequently signed by President Donald Trump, it will become law.
The main modification that this law would bring would be the possibility of creating Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs), providing new options for boxers in their careers. Under the current system, the law requires a separation between promoters and sanctioning bodies. The “Revival Act” would allow UBOs to manage all these aspects, similar to what the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is in mixed martial arts (MMA), but only applicable to boxing.
My hope is that, with your approval, there will not only be one UBO, but that there will be a dozen UBOs operating, if not more, in this sport.
The bill’s proponents, including UFC CEO Dana White and his promotional company Zuffa Boxing, along with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the Association of Boxing Commissions, praise the initiative as an additional option for boxers. They highlight improved medical care provisions for all fighters, including mandatory physical examinations and brain and eye tests, one belt per sanctioning body per weight class, and a minimum payment of $200 per round for all boxers.
These supporters emphasize that the addition of UBOs will not replace the current structure of professional boxing, but rather offer a different opportunity for boxers to choose the professional path that best suits their needs.
Critics of the bill argue that it could harm boxers and reduce the protections afforded to them by the original Ali laws, as it could shift economic power from the boxers to the promoters.
The “Revival Act” has also received criticism from promoters and other members of the boxing community, who allege that White seeks to modify the Ali Act so that his boxing company, Zuffa Boxing, can operate similarly to the UFC, which controls matchmaking, rankings, titles, and the contracts it offers. The UFC has faced two antitrust lawsuits from boxers alleging wage suppression and monopoly tactics. The organization settled a lawsuit for $375 million.
White has responded with the same arguments as some members of Congress, stating that UBOs simply offer an option.
The bill was initially approved by the House Education and Labor Committee in January. Nine House members spoke on the bill on the House floor on Tuesday, and only one, Representative Joe Courtney, opposed the legislation.
Courtney pointed out her concern about how these organizations, which she did not name, use long-term contracts with forced arbitration, preventing boxers from filing lawsuits for breach of contract and waiving the rights to class action lawsuits.
Bob Arum, founder of Top Rank, criticized the bill in a letter to congressmen in December, questioning why UBOs would be exempt from the compliance rules that non-UBOs must follow. Arum also expressed his concern about the elimination of protections for boxers if they joined a UBO.
Courtney and two other House members encouraged the Senate to continue amending the bill to strengthen it. Representative Bobby Scott, who supported the bill, suggested that the Senate could include provisions that prohibit contracts between UBOs and boxers, including clauses that prevent class action lawsuits or that force disputes to be brought to private arbitration.
Representative Ilhan Omar, who introduced amendments to the bill in the committee, supported the bill, but also called for greater financial transparency, stronger antitrust provisions, and greater safeguards against coercive contracts.
An addition to the bill in March also allows the Association of Boxing Commissions and the Ringside Physicians Association to establish basic health and safety standards for all states across the sport. These would include annual physical examinations along with brain, eye, and cardiac examinations, and blood tests every six months. It would also require increased testing for boxers over 40 years old.
I would also give the Association of Boxing Commissions the ability to certify judges and officials for fights. Right now, only state athletic commissions can do this.
Jack stated that boxers would have multiple options if the law is passed, being able to choose between joining a UBO or the existing sanctioning organization model.
