Major boxing reforms returned to the Congressional agenda Thursday with the introduction of a Senate version of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a copy of which ESPN obtained in advance.
Proponents say their goal is to improve health protections and pay for boxers in hopes of reversing the sport's sagging popularity. But concerns remain over the bill's potential to empower big promoters such as the UFC's Dana White.
Bipartisan sponsorship of the Senate bill gives it improved chances of passage in that chamber, but the task of reconciling it with an existing House version -- which was approved in March -- remains one of the biggest hurdles. The two chambers have until early January to reconcile the bills before a new Congress takes office and restarts the process from scratch.
The Senate bill, co-sponsored by Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, keeps the House bill's framework.
"Fighters will have more options, fans will get more of the fights they want to see, and organizations will have to earn success by delivering for both," Cruz said in a statement to ESPN. "The legislation also strengthens protections for boxers, modernizes safety standards, and creates a more competitive framework for the sport while helping preserve one of America's most cherished traditions for future generations."
Federal regulation of boxing currently is governed by the 2000 Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act and the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act. The Ali Revival Act versions before the House and Senate offer the option of creating "unified boxing organizations," or UBOs, to supplement the protections and promotional representation currently available for fighters.
While many similarities exist between the House and Senate versions, there are notable differences in disclosures and regulations around UBOs as well as titles.
The Senate bill would limit a fighter's first contract with a UBO to maximum of three years, provided the fighter has not signed a promotional agreement before. After the first contract, fighters can sign deals for up to six years. Fighters would be allowed to negotiate new deals 90 days before the expiration of any contract. The House bill would give fighters only 30 days.
Rosen said the two extra months of negotiation can keep boxers from making rushed contract decisions.
"Why is that important? If you sign on, let's say you're 17 or 18 and now you're locked in and someone puts you in a 10-year contract, that's maybe the life of your whole career as a boxer," Rosen told ESPN. "That really isn't fair to the young person, the young athlete who is trying to get their foot in the door and make their way in their sport."
The Senate version would allow UBOs to recognize other titles and rankings, potentially another UBO or one of the four current major sanctioning bodies. This provision does not exist in the House bill. This could create matchups between organizations and allow for the possibility of undisputed champions.
The Senate bill removes a provision in the House bill streamlining boxing titles. The House bill calls for one championship per weight class for each sanctioning body or UBO, with an exception for interim titles. The Senate bill removes one title per weight class.
In the Senate bill, UBO fighters would have "access to equipment and facilities for training and rehabilitation at reasonable costs proximate to where the boxer resides." That differs from the House bill, which says fighters would have access to equipment and facilities for rehabilitation "operated by the UBO." Other support services -- insurance during training and fights and medical coordinators -- are the same in both bills.
The Senate bill kept the barrier between UBOs and boxing managers, similar to provisions in the current Ali Act, to prevent financial conflicts of interest. UBOs are prohibited from charging fees to fighters for title contests.
The Senate bill, unlike the House version, would require disclosure and compliance reviews by the Federal Trade Commission and Association of Boxing Commissions, specifically surrounding the ratings process for boxers and opening an avenue for appeal.
Both versions would guarantee boxers at least $200 per round and at least one covered fight every six months.
Rosen told ESPN that her team met with Nico Ali Walsh, a grandson of Muhammad Ali, to discuss the Senate version. Ali Walsh testified during an April 22 hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, which Cruz chairs, and brought up concerns about the House bill, notably regarding fighter protections.
Revival Act critics say it could strip away protections from the initial Ali Act that bar coercive contracts and certain disclosure rules. There were concerns in the April hearing about UBOs restricting fighter options, limiting choice and gaining more profit than fighters.
TKO Group Holdings, which owns the WWE, UFC and part of Zuffa Boxing along with the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela, has been a big Revival Act proponent. UFC CEO Dana White founded Zuffa Boxing along with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority. It's widely expected that Zuffa would become a UBO if the Revival Act becomes law. TKO board member Nick Khan, the president of WWE, testified at the April hearing in support of the bill.
Both White and Khan issued statements to ESPN early Thursday supporting the Senate version.
The next step would be receiving potential amendments to the Senate version, likely after the chamber's August recess. Should Cruz's version of the bill win Commerce Committee approval and go before the full Senate, the two chambers would have to reconcile their versions to avoid new rounds of reintroduction and debate.
If the Senate version of the bill becomes law, it would take effect 180 days later -- a change from the House bill, which would have taken effect 30 days after being signed.
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