GAME CHANGER
Right now, there are over 100 world champions (nobody is sure of the exact number).
Despite having no legal authority, these self-appointed quasi-official entities are treated by the state commissions like de facto regulators. As a result, the commissions regularly green-light dangerous mismatches approved by the sanctioning organization. It is common knowledge that the Alphabets’ monthly ratings of contenders – which determine who gets a title shot – cannot be trusted because instead of being based on merit, they are often manipulated at the behest of powerful promoters. Many states even allow a sanctioning organization to dictate who will referee and judge a title fight (usually at the direction of the promoter). If a commissioner objects or questions a possible mismatch, the promoter threatens to move the show to another, more compliant state. The commission usually caves. It is this abrogation of the state’s authority that makes a dangerous sport even more hazardous, and that has resulted in injuries and deaths that could have been prevented. Despite what their websites proclaim, the sanctioning bodies are not concerned with fighter safety. The sole reason for their existence is to collect huge “sanctioning fees” taken from both champion and challenger for the right to fight for an organization’s title belt. For over 60 years, from the early 1900s to the 1960s, there were never more than eight to 10 weight divisions, with generally one undisputed champion for each. Sanctioning fees were unheard of until the Alphabets decided to turn the sport into their own personal ATM machine. The Alphabets were voracious. To generate more fees, they have invented dozens of titles and added seven new (and unnecessary) weight divisions – eight if you count the new “Bridgerweight” division recognized by the WBA and WBC. Right now, there are over 100 world champions (nobody is sure of the exact number). That number doesn’t include “eliminator” fights that also require fees from
both contestants. Even pro wrestling wouldn’t have the nerve to create so many specious “champions.” Yet despite raking in millions of dollars in sanctioning fees, the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO have contributed nothing of value back to the sport. What they have contributed is an unprecedented level of confusion that includes hundreds of champions nobody’s heard of. Many fans no longer consider the sport worthy of their time or attention. Fixing a Broken Sport So, the question to be asked is: Will the recently proposed bipartisan bill introduced in Congress change anything? “The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act” (H.R. 4624) was presented on July 23 by U.S. representatives Brian Jack (R- GA.) and Sharice Davids (D-KS). Davids is a former MMA fighter who was elected in 2019 to represent her district in Kansas. The bill updates the mostly toothless “Professional Boxing Safety Act” of 1996 and is intended to modernize U.S. boxing governance. According to the sponsors of the bill, it will offer boxers more opportunities, better pay and enhanced safety while addressing inconsistencies in regulations across different states. The legislation backs the creation of a new boxing structure: the Unified Boxing Organization (UBO). It describes a league-style system modeled after the UFC. The aim is to bring a more structured approach to the fragmented professional boxing
industry, similar to what the UFC has achieved in mixed martial arts. The UFC has brought order, safety and mainstream success to mixed martial arts, becoming the largest and most profitable MMA organization in the world. The plan is for the UBO to operate under the auspices of TKO Boxing, a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, the same multibillion-dollar company that owns the UFC and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Boxers would be under contract with a UBO association, or league, and compete according to unified rules and without reliance on a sanctioning organization. The proposed bill lays out the following reforms:
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No sanctioning fees for rankings or title fights. New enhanced medical standards and safety protections for fighters. Government oversight that finally holds people accountable.
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National minimum of $25,000 in health insurance for bout injuries A minimum pay scale per round to protect entry-level fighters from exploitation.
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Predictably, the Alphabet Groups are silent. The mostly clueless state boxing
Usyk is one of three male fighters to hold every sanctioning organization title.
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