NEW YORK, NY — I was a part of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, a U.S. federal law enacted in 2000 that protects professional boxers from being exploited with business practices. The Act promoted competitive integrity and ensured financial transparency in the sport.
Then, I visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for hearings with the late Steve Acunto (American Association for Improvement of Boxing), a co-founder with late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, advocating for fighters and their protection. We had a table discussion with the late U.S. Senator John McCain, once who put on the gloves and an avid enthusiast of the sport.
McCain spearheaded the effort to protect fighters, they would get their fair share and be protected from dirty politics that continues to confront the sport. He made his case along with other notable names in boxing that needed protection and safety. The pleas and petitioning to ensure passage of the Act were heard.
Key points: Financial transparency, conflict of interest bans, no coercive contracts, and fair rankings with the alphabet soup sanctioning organizations. The legislation was an original amendment to the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act. The revival act was put in the name of Ali, and sets national minimum standards for fighter pay and health insurance.
It has worked, fighters always inform me they are protected, though still boxing is a sport of dirty politics. Promoters will take their share, inequalities still occur with purses and logistics of contracts, the sanctioning organizations that are accused of corruption.
Many active pro fighters have proper representation, some don’t or not tuned into their protection from insecurity that is a part of the game.
Having proper representation in the current era of boxing goes a long way for a pro fighter’s career – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Mexican-American boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya, a Hall of Fame fighter and successful promoter is a staunch advocate of the Ali Act. Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, at 94 years old and over 60 years in the sport is an advocate as well, with many legendary champions including De La Hoya, and several Hall of Famers such as Félix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto, the only four division champion from Puerto Rico. So many more including current WBO junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas. Arum and Top Rank promotions over the years staged terrific fight cards and is still active, though, he too receives a share of headaches because that’s how boxing works and always will.
Point here is what has developed, Zuffa Boxing and Dana White, the UFC honcho, with their TKO umbrella and now in the boxing mix. They have a landmark seven-year/$7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount, their plus channel broadcasting exclusive UFC and boxing events.
Successful boxing events that had a debut in January at the Apex, a small venue in contrast to the 15,000 capacity venues in Las Vegas. White has sold the model, eliminating the pay-per-view structure and subscribing to Paramount+, guaranteeing 30 fight cards. Competitive for sure. He said it’s about providing and to benefit fighters with exposure, but also they are not honoring the sanctioning groups (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO)—just one championship under Zuffa and named the Ring Magazine title.
Zuffa Boxing and Paramount+ came to terms on a industry-shifting broadcasting deal earlier this year – Image Credit: Zuffa Boxing
Though, this old school boxing writer and follower of the sport had repeatedly said there is too much alphabet soup (sanctioning organizations), too many irregularities, champions and divisions that confuse those, including me as to who is who and who holds what.
If you ask me who is the current champion in every weight class, no kidding—I need to do research. In other words, it’s causing a boxing skeptic to stay away from the nonsense with confusion. Then again, White seeks to change the complexion, titles and sanctioning groups charging extraordinary fees to fight for a title. Zuffa on the other hand designates eight weight divisions, a Ring champion.
No mandatory challenge to a champion similar to the UFC model.
Dana White, the president and CEO of the UFC, is attempting to make his mark with Zuffa Boxing like he accomplished with UFC – Image Credit: Zuffa Boxing
It seems to have shook up the industry, De La Hoya and other promoters are on the defense of protecting what exists. However, not for public knowledge the purses of Zuffa fighters are not available, different from standard boxing promoters’ open willingness to reveal purses and bids.
Meanwhile Zuffa is in their pursuit to take over and overturn the Ali Act, signing named champions and contenders. Though not honoring the sanctioning organization title has opened another controversy. Fighters under Zuffa are in jeopardy of relinquishing their belts and ranking with the various sanctioning bodies who have governed their sacred titles over the years. The complexion of boxing has changed, perhaps from both sides, good and bad.
Zuffa and its distinguished roster expanded to provide an indication where this is going. Conor Benn, the middleweight contender, also toying with welterweight status was signed away from the reputable Matchrooming Boxing banner. With that and more, Eddie Hearn has not recovered from his animosity about White and their strategy.
Eddie Hearn is not a fan of Dana White’s strategy and the plan behind Zuffa Boxing attempting to alter the sport – Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing
Jai Opetaia, one part of the cruiserweight champion list, is their inaugural champion, seen on DAZN, who was stripped of the IBF title because he honored the Zuffa and Ring belt. Among others are Oleksandr Gvozdyk, ranked at super welterweight, Serhii Bohachuk, a super welterweight contender, heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba, Shane Mosley Jr., middleweight contender, and José Valenzuela, the super lightweight contender.
Recently, Edgar Berlanga who lost to Canelo Álvarez at super middleweight, and Richardson Hitchens, the former junior welterweight champion, was another, making for a perplexing move because there were numerous major opportunities before his Zuffa deal.
Additionally, Zuffa is reportedly in the works of signing junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson and two-division champion Teofimo Lopez.
Shakur Stevenson is among many other pro fighters rumored to be in talks with Zuffa Boxing – Image Credit: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images
Get the picture here? There is a promotional war here and that is good and bad for the sport. De La Hoya is firmly against the Ali Act change, the entire scope and White getting legislation passed in Congress is one step away from getting a President Donald Trump signature.
I reached out to fighters, current and few champions. The prevailing opinion is safety and protection of the fighter, De La Hoya continues to advocate that cause and could not be reached for comment.
The Golden Boy promoter and Nico Ali, a Top Rank heavyweight and grandson of the legend, ventured to Capitol Hill and advocated to keep the Act in place. Nico said if the Act is changed, rid the Ali name for the record.
Speaking with a few current fighters who requested anonymity and they were perplexed, names withheld because at any moment—if Zuffa makes the proper pitch…
Along with Nico Ali, the grandson of the legend Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, visited Capitol Hill recently to advocate to keep the Muhammad Ali Act in place – Image Credit: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy Promotions
It’s all business and fighters will jump at opportunity if it amounts to a Zuffa-Ring belt that according to White will mean more than the sanctioning organization titles.
Regardless, Dana White and Zuffa with that Paramount deal and blessing of money are here to stay and will only grow. Changing the Ali Act to the standards of White, he says boxing has not been right. Then again boxing has never been right and the Ali Act from the beginning has protected fighters and all it stands for.
White says the revision won’t change the entire Act, instead it gives fighters more options and disrupts boxing’s current system of a promoter-based model which has been financially unstable. He said it provides more choices for fighters.
But safety standards and financial security? No mention of that in his concept. This has opened to more debate. In the meantime, boxing continues with the streaming networks and championship fights under the sanctioning groups.
White will prevail with his resources, fighters on the Zuffa roster will grow while soon a monopoly and takeover will come.
Then again, this is boxing and when does controversy ever end?
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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