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\nImage Credit: Netflix<\/p>\n
\nImage Credit: Netflix<\/p>\n
5:36 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include quotes from John S. Nash and Erik Magraken<\/p>\n
Two U.S. Congress representatives have introduced legislation that plans to make massive changes to how boxing operates in the country.<\/p>\n
The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a new piece of legislation supported by TKO Group Holdings,<\/a> the parent company to UFC and WWE, was first unveiled this week. A draft of the 21-page document was published Wednesday.<\/a><\/p>\n Georgia Republican Brian Jack and Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids introduced the bill, which is also supported by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC).<\/p>\n The new act introduces the concept of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs), groups which will be allowed to run events, manage their own rankings systems, and award titles \u201cwithout reliance on a sanctioning organization operating independently.\u201d<\/p>\n The legislation, if passed, would eliminate many of the checks and balances that sanctioning bodies have attempted to impose on boxing promoters for decades.<\/p>\n Currently, sanctioning bodies like the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) manage their own ranking systems, distribute championships, and order matchups to be made. Under the newly proposed bill, those competing in UBOs would compete entirely separate from this system.<\/p>\n Boxers would be given the option to compete for a UBO or remain under the current sanctioning body-based system in boxing, per Georgia Rep. Jack.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thrust here is we have a system and if you want to stay in that system, you can,\u201d Representative Jack told Sports Illustrated,<\/a> referring to boxing\u2019s current sanctioning body-focused setup.\u00a0 \u201cWe are not touching the Ali Act. Instead, we are adding an additional section to U.S. code that allows for the creation of UBOs, and we\u2019re touching the PBSA [Professional Boxing Safety Act] by amending it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sanctioning bodies would continue to operate, but with boxers and promoters altogether opting out of the system, it could possibly give them less influence than ever before.<\/p>\n The UBO system has parallels to how UFC manages itself inside the MMA ecosystem. MMA promotions have their own titles and rankings, which are not controlled by outside parties, unlike boxing.<\/p>\n No oversight from sanctioning bodies has given UFC more freedom over the years to make the matchups they\u2019d prefer and control their titles in the way they\u2019d see fit.<\/p>\n While sanctioning bodies in boxing can order matchups to be made, forcing different promoters to work together on a fight to maintain title status, no such requirements have ever been forced on the UFC, allowing them to completely shut down any collaborative opportunities with smaller companies.<\/p>\n Many have argued that these freedoms have helped UFC maintain dominance in the sport\u2019s market.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve eliminated or are going to negate the provisions of the Ali Act that give boxers leverage,\u201d said John S. Nash, a writer who covers the business of combat sports.<\/a><\/p>\n Nash mentioned that the new system could allow one UBO to gain significant control over the market by signing a significant roster of names to exclusive deals, like what the UFC has done over time.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this boxing organization signs the very top boxers and don\u2019t have to now rate or offer mandatories to boxers outside the organization, then fighters who want to fight with the top guys and move up and get more renown, have to sign with this organization \u2026 And every other fighters has to follow the same path because more and more of the contracts are with that organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Erik Magraken, a practicing lawyer from British Columbia, told POST Wrestling that the changes could allow a promoter to \u201ctry and achieve a stranglehold on the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndependent rank and title are the key reasons why pro boxers can command such great purses compared to MMA athletes,\u201d said Magraken, writer of CombatSportsLaw.com.<\/a><\/p>\n These changes come amid TKO\u2019s plans to begin promoting boxing events alongside Saudi Arabia\u2019s Turki Alalshikh, beginning later this year. After announcing a formal partnership in March, UFC CEO Dana White spoke about how they plan to implement a proven model into a new sport.<\/p>\n