Congress eyes changes to boxing regulations amid fighter pushback  

Lawmakers are considering a revamp of the federal regulations governing professional boxing, an effort to bolster the sport that has sparked accusations it could hurt boxers in the ring.

Critics of boxing’s existing structure say the sport is held back by a ranking and title belt system that is convoluted and inexact, making it difficult for casual fans to follow and allowing the sport’s well-documented history of corruption to thrive.  

These people point to the rising popularity of mixed martial arts and fighting entertainment leagues like UFC and professional wrestling, which operate under one governing body, as an opportunity for boxing to reestablish itself in the combat sports landscape.  

Defenders of the system, however, warn a push by Congress to establish unified boxing organizations (UBO) would have a negative impact on fighter rights and protections around issues like health, safety and pay equity.  

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently announced plans to introduce a Senate version of the House-passed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a bill that would create an alternative boxing system that streamlines matchmaking and unifies rankings. 

“After having spoken to stakeholders across boxing and combat sports, it’s clear there are persistent challenges in the current model. Challenges that fighters, promoters and fans alike recognize, even if they differ on the cause and cure,” Cruz said during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last week.

“We need more predictable pathways for matchmaking, and simplified rankings. I believe allowing for a more unified structure to take hold could help the sport compete more effectively against other combat sport competitors,” Cruz said.   

Congress first acted on professional fighting in 1996, when it passed the Professional Boxing Safety Act and later the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act due to widespread concerns about corruption and match fixing by top promoters across the sport.  

The result of that legislation, over more than three decades, has been the creation of multiple sanctioning bodies and a fragmented ecosystem where multiple fighters can lay claim to........

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