{"id":622017,"date":"2026-04-22T22:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T22:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/622017\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T22:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T22:55:08","slug":"for-billionaires-not-boxers-de-la-hoya-warns-over-ali-act-overhaul-in-senate-hearing-boxing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/622017\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018For billionaires, not boxers\u2019: De La Hoya warns over Ali Act overhaul in Senate hearing | Boxing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A US Senate hearing on the future of boxing laid bare a sharp divide over the sport\u2019s direction on Wednesday, as longtime boxing figures including Oscar De La Hoya warned of proposed changes that could erode fighters\u2019 rights while executives aligned with an Ultimate Fighting Championship<\/a>-backed push for a centralized model argued they would bring structure and investment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen one system controls access, choice becomes theoretical, not real,\u201d professional boxer Nico Ali Walsh told lawmakers, framing the stakes of a debate that could dramatically reshape boxing\u2019s economic model. \u201cWhen that happens, you fight who you\u2019re told to fight or you don\u2019t fight at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

At issue is a House-passed overhaul of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act<\/a> that would allow the creation of centralized \u201cUnified Boxing Organizations\u201d (UBOs) operating alongside the current fragmented system. Supporters say the approach would simplify matchmaking and attract investment. Critics counter it would concentrate power and weaken fighter protections enshrined in federal law.<\/p>\n

The hearing, convened by Texas senator Ted Cruz<\/a>, who chairs the commerce, science and transportation committee, comes as the bill moves to the Senate, where lawmakers are weighing whether the current framework has kept pace with an evolving combat sports landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a fundamental shift in power that \u2026 would put corporate profits first, fighters second,\u201d said De La Hoya, the former world champion turned promoter and a vocal critic of the proposal.<\/p>\n

Decorum prevailed throughout Wednesday\u2019s hearing, but the clash of perspectives was sharply drawn.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current state of the sport [is] difficult to witness,\u201d said Nick Khan, a board member of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC and World Wrestling<\/a> Entertainment (WWE), which is backing the new Zuffa Boxing venture expected to operate under the proposed framework.<\/p>\n

Khan pointed to a system in which multiple fighters can claim to be champion in the same division.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no middleweight champion \u2026 there are at least four different people who say they are,\u201d he said. \u201cIt would be like if Major League Baseball went to the Dodgers after they beat the Blue Jays and said, \u2018No, we\u2019re going to take this title away from you because you didn\u2019t pay us money.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali<\/a> and a fighter with 15 professional bouts, rejected the premise that boxing is fundamentally flawed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoxing is not broken,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it were, UFC champions \u2026 would not be actively targeting boxing fights because of the fair pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Underpinning the debate is a deeper structural question: whether boxing should remain a decentralized marketplace or move toward a single, top-down system backed by major investors.<\/p>\n

The bill would sit alongside the existing law rather than replace it, allowing fighters to choose between competing under the traditional framework or within a unified system. But critics argue that distinction may prove more theoretical than real if the new model consolidates power.<\/p>\n

Oscar De La Hoya, Timothy Shipman, Nico Ali Walsh and Nick Khan (from left) testify on Wednesday. Photograph: Saul Loeb\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Under the proposal, UBOs could act as both promoter and governing body, breaking from the Ali Act\u2019s fundamental firewall between those roles and aligning more closely with the structure used in mixed martial arts<\/a>. In practice, that would give a single entity significant influence over rankings, title shots and matchmaking, shaping both who fights and the terms of those fights.<\/p>\n

That shift is widely seen as paving the way for ventures such as Zuffa Boxing, a joint enterprise backed by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi Arabia\u2019s Public Investment Fund. The effort reflects a broader push by Saudi-backed entities to expand their influence<\/a> over boxing, following heavy investment across sports<\/a> that has often prioritized scale and visibility over short-term profitability.<\/p>\n

The effort is being led in part by Dana White, the UFC president and longtime Donald Trump ally<\/a> who has been tasked with building the new promotion and has promoted a league-style model in which \u201cthe best fight the best\u201d.<\/p>\n

TKO has sought to expand into boxing through Zuffa Boxing and a partnership with Turki al-Sheikh<\/a>, the figure behind Saudi Arabia\u2019s General Entertainment Authority and a close confidant of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.<\/p>\n

As previously reported by the Guardian<\/a>, proposed changes to the law would allow exclusive, long-term contracts and reduce financial disclosure requirements, potentially limiting fighters\u2019 ability to negotiate freely and understand the revenues generated by their bouts. The proposal also includes standards for fighter pay, medical coverage and drug testing, measures supporters say would bring greater consistency and safety to the sport.<\/p>\n

Documents reviewed by the Guardian show some proposed agreements granting promoters broad control over a fighter\u2019s career, including the ability to assign opponents and restrict participation in outside competitions. In some cases, contracts would allow promoters to count a bout as fulfilled even if a fighter withdraws due to injury, without paying the full purse. Fighters who choose to leave a unified system could forfeit their standing within it, including rankings or title status, diminishing their leverage in negotiations elsewhere.<\/p>\n

The debate is unfolding against the backdrop of scrutiny over similar business models in combat sports.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the UFC agreed to a $375m settlement<\/a> with several hundred fighters to resolve an antitrust lawsuit alleging the promotion used its market power to suppress wages and limit competition. The company denied wrongdoing and related claims remain at issue in a separate, ongoing case.<\/p>\n

Critics say the proposed boxing model mirrors key elements of that system, including unilateral control over matchmaking and long-term, exclusive contracts. The legislation would allow such structures to operate legally in boxing, where current federal law was specifically designed to prevent them.<\/p>\n

For critics, that history bypasses the original spirit of the Ali Act. The law was intended to curb the influence of powerful promoters and sanctioning bodies, mandating financial transparency and separating business roles to protect fighters from coercive contracts and conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n

At the heart of Wednesday\u2019s hearing was whether that model would expand opportunity or restrict it.<\/p>\n

Republican senator Ted Cruz (left) shakes hands with Oscar De La Hoya during Wednesday\u2019s hearing. Photograph: Nathan Howard\/Reuters<\/p>\n

\u201cGive boxers the freedom to choose a better system,\u201d Khan said, describing the proposal as an additional pathway rather than a replacement.<\/p>\n

But Walsh warned that such choice could prove illusory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say we have a choice,\u201d he said. \u201cBut once they control everything, we won\u2019t have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

De La Hoya echoed that concern, arguing that fighters\u2019 bargaining power would erode over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this bill passes, fighters will have fewer choices, less leverage and less control over their careers,\u201d he said. \u201cFighters deserve real protection and real opportunity, not have to fight the system as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The divide was particularly pronounced on questions of pay and transparency.<\/p>\n

Walsh said UFC<\/a> fighters typically receive \u201cunder 20% of the revenue\u201d compared with as much as 80% in boxing, warning that the proposed changes could push boxing toward a similar model.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis proposed act is made for billionaires, not boxers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will certainly give more money to the shareholders, not the fighters.\u201d<\/p>\n

De La Hoya, who has accused backers of \u201cbegging for these changes\u201d in order to gain greater control over fighters and the sport\u2019s structure, also cast the proposal in geopolitical terms, describing it as part of a broader Saudi-backed push to reshape boxing through deep-pocketed investment.<\/p>\n

Pointing to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf<\/a> breakaway league, now imperiled after funding cutbacks<\/a>, he cast it as a cautionary tale for boxing.<\/p>\n

\u201cZuffa Boxing is fully funded by the Saudis,\u201d De La Hoya said. \u201cWe\u2019ve already seen how that kind of investment reshaped another sport through LIV Golf. We should be honest about what is happening here. That was sportswashing \u2013 a clear effort to use sport to reshape reputation. It should serve as a warning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Backers of the legislation, including executives tied to TKO Group Holdings\u2019 Zuffa Boxing venture, say such investment is necessary to modernize boxing and compete with other global sports properties. Supporters also argued the current system has already driven fans and broadcasters away, citing long delays in making major fights.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many fans were lost in those six years?\u201d Khan said, referring to the protracted negotiations<\/a> for the 2015 super-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers appeared to be considering whether to preserve a fragmented system built on competition between promoters or open the door to a more unified structure modeled on other major sports leagues.<\/p>\n

Summing up the case in blunt terms, Cruz framed the proposal as part of a broader push toward consolidation in sports, where centralized organization is seen as a pathway to generate more revenue. Drawing a parallel to ongoing debates over college sports<\/a>, where lawmakers have explored allowing conferences to collectively negotiate media rights, he said the logic was similar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the argument,\u201d he said. \u201cA crap ton more money.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A US Senate hearing on the future of boxing laid bare a sharp divide over the sport\u2019s direction…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622018,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[703,49,48,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-622017","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-boxing","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}