Cruz Announces Senate Version Forthcoming, Invites Stakeholder Input<\/p>\n
By BoxingInsider Staff<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 The Senate Commerce Committee convened a full committee hearing Wednesday on the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, the first Senate examination of federal boxing law since the committee last reported out boxing legislation in 2009. Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) gaveled in the hearing at 10:00 a.m. in room SR-253 of the Russell Senate Office Building, opening proceedings with a ring bell in place of a gavel and introducing the witnesses in the style of a ring announcer.<\/p>\n
Four witnesses testified. Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. Timothy Shipman, President of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports and Executive Director of the Florida Athletic Commission. Nico Ali Walsh, professional boxer and grandson of Muhammad Ali. Nick Khan, President of World Wrestling Entertainment, senior executive at Zuffa Boxing, and board member of TKO Group Holdings.<\/p>\n
The hearing examined H.R. 4624, the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act of 2026, which passed the House on March 24 by voice vote and was referred to the Senate Commerce Committee the following day. The bill amends the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to establish a new category of professional boxing entity called a Unified Boxing Organization, or UBO, and strengthens medical, safety, and compensation requirements for professional boxers.<\/p>\n
A Panel Split Three Ways<\/p>\n
The four witnesses presented three distinct positions. De La Hoya and Ali Walsh opposed the bill in its current form. Khan supported it. Shipman focused on implementation and uniformity of standards without taking a strong position for or against.<\/p>\n
Oscar De La Hoya argued that the bill would fundamentally restructure the power balance in professional boxing to the disadvantage of fighters. \u201cThis is a fundamental shift in power that, if enacted, would put corporate profits first and fighters second,\u201d De La Hoya said. \u201cFighters deserve real protection and real opportunity, not to have to fight the system as well. If this bill passes, fighters will have fewer choices, less leverage, and less control over their careers. And when that happens, it will not be the sport that failed them. It will be us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico Ali Walsh delivered what became the most-quoted line of the hearing. \u201cThe Reform Act was built on a simple principle: the people controlling fighters should not also control the entire marketplace those fighters depend on. That separation exists to prevent conflicts of interest and exploitation,\u201d Ali Walsh said. \u201cThe new Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act would undermine that principle. If this bill is passed in its current form, it should not have my grandfather\u2019s name on it, as it would betray the principles his Act was created to protect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ali Walsh also referenced his grandfather\u2019s history of speaking out against the U.S. government, noting that \u201csilence is part of the system,\u201d and expressed optimism about the sport\u2019s future if the underlying law is preserved: \u201cI think we\u2019re headed toward the golden age of boxing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick Khan laid out the case for the UBO framework. \u201cThe existing Act, as it currently stands, would remain in place. This is an added option,\u201d Khan said. \u201cIt creates the framework for Unified Boxing Organizations, otherwise known as UBOs, that can do what major sports do \u2014 promote competition, develop talent, and enforce consistent standards under one roof.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khan made a direct pitch to young boxers watching the hearing: \u201cIf you want a chance to be something bigger over a shorter period of time on a platform, we were able to secure a deal with Paramount, as I said, on a platform that has almost 80 million subscribers worldwide and has a network partner in CBS. If you want that exposure, if you want trading card deals, if you want merchandise deals, if you want video game deals, of which the fighters would all participate financially. If you want all of that, plus some more, come this way. If you don\u2019t, that\u2019s your choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khan also warned that American Olympic and college sports could face boxing\u2019s fate if governance problems are not addressed. His written testimony noted that the United States has not won a men\u2019s Olympic boxing gold medal in 22 years, citing Uzbekistan\u2019s five boxing gold medals at the 2024 Paris Games as a contrast.<\/p>\n
Timothy Shipman focused his testimony on safety, uniformity, and practical implementation rather than the structural debate. \u201cI have seen firsthand how strong health and safety regulations can make a difference,\u201d Shipman said, describing Florida\u2019s ringside physician requirements and pre-fight medical protocols. On the bill itself: \u201cThe provisions in this legislation align with and in many cases exceed the standards we have in Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the UBO concept, Shipman was practical rather than opposed: \u201cUBOs represent a substantial shift. We will need clear guidance on how they integrate with state licensing and oversight to avoid duplication or conflicts.\u201d He estimated a three-to-six-month timeline for state commissions to adapt to federal implementation, and in his written testimony called for \u201cnational minimum standards for medical examinations, drug testing, insurance coverage, and fighter compensation\u201d that \u201cwould promote uniformity.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Q&A, Shipman agreed that fighters \u201cshould have the choice\u201d between UBO and traditional sanctioning paths, noted that sanctioning body fees \u201ccould be reduced to benefit fighters,\u201d and suggested the ABC and sanctioning organizations \u201ccollaborate on a single ranking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Consensus Moment<\/p>\n
Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) addressed the divided panel directly after hearing the pro and con arguments on the UBO structure. Rather than pressing witnesses for specific points of agreement, Moreno framed his comments as practical guidance for the path forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve listened to both sides here, and there are real concerns on safety, on fighter protections, but also on growing the sport,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cI would encourage all of you to figure out a consensus point of view. There\u2019s an appetite to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exchange was presented as a word of encouragement for the opposing camps to collaborate and bring forward agreed-upon changes that could be folded into the Senate bill, rather than an adversarial demand for immediate common ground.<\/p>\n
In a lighter exchange, Moreno also asked Khan what it would take to bring WrestleMania to Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Questions from Other Senators<\/p>\n
Ranking Member Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) delivered opening remarks and participated in the panel\u2019s round-robin questioning. Her focus throughout the hearing was on fighter protections, uniformity of safety standards, and ensuring that any modernization of federal boxing law does not roll back the core safeguards established by the original Ali Act. She addressed the panel broadly on state-federal coordination.<\/p>\n
Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), whose state hosts the highest concentration of major professional boxing in the United States, questioned witnesses on fighter leverage, health and safety impacts, and how the UBO model would affect smaller promoters and fighters. Rosen\u2019s questioning reflected Nevada\u2019s significant stake in the outcome of federal boxing legislation.<\/p>\n
Neither senator\u2019s questions produced the same level of contemporaneous coverage as the opening statements from De La Hoya, Ali Walsh, Khan, and Shipman. Verbatim exchanges from the Q&A portions of the hearing are expected to become available when the committee releases the full transcript.<\/p>\n
Cruz Announces Senate Version, Invites Input<\/p>\n
In his closing remarks, Chairman Cruz announced that he will soon introduce a Senate version of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act and explicitly invited all witnesses and stakeholders to submit suggestions for improvements to the legislation. \u201cPlease send us your thoughts on how we can make this better,\u201d Cruz said.<\/p>\n
Cruz did not endorse or oppose the House-passed bill in his opening or closing statements. His framing throughout the hearing positioned the Commerce Committee as an impartial forum for examining how the current Ali Act framework has shaped the sport and whether federal law requires modernization.<\/p>\n
What Comes Next<\/p>\n