The California State Athletic Commission is pausing before deciding whether to support TKO’s push for boxing reform.
TKO has introduced the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a piece of federal legislation that has polarized the boxing world. The Act is being sponsored by Republican Brian Jack of Georgia and Democrat Sharice Davids of Kansas, who argue that its implementation will allow for greater opportunities, better pay, and higher safety standards.
The crux of the Act would allow promotions to circumvent the existing sanctioning bodies (WBC, WBA, WBO, etc.) by creating a new category, the Unified Boxing Organization, or “UBO”.
The closest comparison to what a UBO would resemble is the model exhibited by the UFC, where it could sign boxers and not be subjected to sanctioning bodies or comply with universal rankings while creating its own titles and rankings. It would also allow the UBO to avoid certain measures outlined in the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000 and eliminate many areas of transparency that boxing promoters are currently required to disclose to their fighters.
The upside of the proposal by TKO is increasing the minimums for boxers to $600 for a four-round fight, whereas the highest minimum in the country is set at $200 per round in California. It would also increase insurance minimums on a national scale.
The CSAC will devote a two-person subcommittee to looking over the bill before deciding if they will support it at its meeting in December.
Those speaking against the bill included Dr. AnnMaria DeMars, a gold medalist in Judo at the World Championships in 1984, and the mother of Ronda Rousey.
The CSAC meeting occurred days before the first Zuffa Boxing event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, when Saul Canelo Álvarez fights Terence Crawford. The fight
Additional reading:
– ‘This is a power grab’: What boxing insiders really think about planned revisions to Ali Act (Uncrowned)
– Public tells CSAC they hate proposed Ali Act changes (Hey Not The Face!)
– CSAC postpones support for TKO-backed revisions to Ali Act amid flood of public criticism (Uncrowned)
