Congress pitched bill to revise boxing regulations

A bipartisan bill aimed at updating federal regulations around professional boxing has been introduced into the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Reps. Brian Jack, R-Georgia, and Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, introduced the piece of legislation, the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, on Wednesday. The bill would add multiple provisions to the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and allow the creation of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs) as an alternative to the sanctioning bodies that currently oversee boxing.

The proposed UBO system would call for a national minimum compensation of $150 per round for professional boxers, as well as greater health insurance minimums and anti-doping programs. Currently, any minimums in those various areas are either nonexistent or set by individual states.

“To me, boxing is dying in America,” Rep. Jack told ESPN. “Every metric would affirm it’s in a steady decline. Pay-per-view numbers are down, HBO and Showtime have exited the sport. ESPN’s deal with Top Rank Promotions is expiring in August. The ambiguity of current regulations have stifled U.S. investments and we are proposing a bipartisan solution.”

Boxing is the only professional sport regulated by Congress. Should the bill pass, it would mark the first major update to federal law on the sport since the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.

Jack is a lifelong fan of boxing, while Davids is a former professional mixed martial artist. The bill is also endorsed 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 around boxing but would introduce a new system with the possibility of multiple UBOs joining the industry.

One such UBO could include Zuffa Boxing. In March, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced the creation of a new boxing venture in association with TKO Group Holdings, owner of the UFC and WWE. The company is led by UFC CEO Dana White and will host its first major event featuring Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford in September.

“We thank Rep. Jack and Rep. Davids for their vision in leading this bipartisan effort to bring innovation to the sport of boxing for the first time in 25 years,” TKO said through a spokesperson. “This is a thoughtful solution that preserves the original Ali Act of 2000 while providing boxers with access to more choices and opportunities, greater health and safety protections and better pay for up-and-coming fighters. We are proud to support the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act alongside the remarkable Lonnie Ali and the Association of Boxing Commissions in the effort to help restore boxing to its rightful place of prominence in America.”

The legislation will likely be referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, as its 1996 and 2000 predecessors were, and an eventual vote in the House of Representatives. If passed, it would then be sent to the U.S. Senate.