Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Revitalize Professional Boxing in the United States
A bipartisan bill, designed to modernize the federal regulations governing professional boxing, has been introduced in the United States Congress. U.S. Representatives Brian Jack, Republican from Georgia, and Sharice Davids, Democrat from Kansas, were in charge of presenting this legislative proposal, called the “Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act”. The main objective of this project is to add various provisions to the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996, as well as to allow the creation of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs) as an alternative to the sanctioning bodies that currently oversee boxing. The proposed UBO system seeks to establish a national minimum compensation of $150 per round for professional boxers, as well as higher minimums in health insurance and anti-doping programs. Currently, the minimums in these areas are non-existent or are determined by each state.Boxing is the only professional sport regulated by Congress. If this bill is approved, it would mark the first major update to federal legislation on the sport since the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000. Jack is a lifelong boxing fan, while Davids is a former professional mixed martial artist. The bill is also supported by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) and Lonnie Ali, wife of the late Muhammad Ali. It would not replace the current system of sanctioning bodies in boxing, but would introduce a new system with the possibility of multiple UBOs joining the industry. One of these UBOs could include Zuffa Boxing. In March, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced the creation of a new boxing company in partnership with TKO Group Holdings, owner of UFC and WWE. The company is led by UFC CEO Dana White and will organize its first major event with Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford in September. We thank Representatives Jack and Davids for their vision in leading this bipartisan effort to bring innovation to the sport of boxing for the first time in 25 years. This is a thoughtful solution that preserves the original Ali Act of 2000 while providing boxers with access to more options and opportunities, greater health and safety protections, and better pay for promising fighters. We are proud to support the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act along with the remarkable Lonnie Ali and the Association of Boxing Commissions in the effort to help restore boxing to its place of prominence in the United States. The legislation is likely to be referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, as were its predecessors from 1996 and 2000, and to an eventual vote in the House of Representatives. If approved, it would be sent to the United States Senate.For me, boxing is dying in the United States. Every metric confirms it, it’s in constant decline. Pay-per-view numbers have decreased, HBO and Showtime have abandoned the sport. ESPN’s deal with Top Rank Promotions expires in August. The ambiguity of current regulations has stifled investments in the United States and we are proposing a bipartisan solution.
Rep. Jack
