Hearings to examine federal boxing laws.

Good morning. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will come to order. For generations, boxing has been a part of the rhythm of American life. It lived in neighborhood gyms, in Friday night fight cards, in radios and television sets, in stories passed down from one generation to the next. Fathers watched fights with their sons. Kids grew up knowing names like Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, and Mike Tyson. Boxing has never been just about titles and purses. It's about discipline, preparation, and willingness to step into the ring and answer the bell. That's why the movie Rocky still endures. Rocky tells a story that Americans have always understood instinctively. That hard work and perseverance matter. That sometimes a fair shot is enough to change everything. Now, Rocky is fiction. But it lasts because it never felt fake to Americans. It strikes a nerve with us because it captured something real. The fighter that nobody believed in. The long odds. The early mornings. The raw effort. Not to mention raw eggs. And chicken coop chases. But above all, it is the refusal to quit that stands the test of time. As Mike Tyson is famous for saying, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. That's one reason boxing has always occupied a special place in our national imagination. It's not just about the outcome. It's about the courage to step in the ring and fight. Congress recognized the importance of this American pastime thirty years ago, when it passed the Professional Boxing Safety Act, and later the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Those laws were meant to protect fighters, to promote fairness, and to address real abuses that had taken root in boxing. They were meant to set basic guardrails without remaking the sport from Washington. But with every change comes trade-offs. to guard against certain abuses and preserve some level of competition within the sport. At the same time, it has contributed to a system that is overly complex, with multiple sanctioning body, competing interests, and recurring challenges in organizing major fights. Views on this structure differ. Some see it as a necessary feature of a system that protects independence and competition. Others see it as a source of fragmentation that makes boxing harder to navigate for fighters and fans alike. This complexity shows up in ways that fans recognize. Highly anticipated fights are delayed or never materialize due to promotional disputes. In some weight classes, multiple fighters are recognized simultaneously as champions, making it harder to follow the sport and harder to determine who truly is the best. The broader landscape has shifted as well. Mixed martial arts has grown up rapidly over the past two decades, delivering more consistent match-ups and drawing larger audiences, while boxing's biggest viewership is concentrated on just a handful of marquee fights. Three decades after Congress first acted, we have an opportunity to reflect on the specific ways the federal framework may be doing more harm than good. These laws undoubtedly help to improve inconsistent health and safety standards for fighters and a lack of transparency in contracts and rankings. However, those laws have also locked in place an arrangement that makes bar- boxing harder for fans to follow. Against this backdrop, the House of Representatives recently passed the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill creates a pathway for a unified league style structure to exist alongside the current system. It introduces the concept of a unified boxing organization, or UBO, because the world needed more acronyms. which would operate much like a traditional sports league, where a centralized entity employs athletes while still allowing the traditional model to continue as well. After having spoken to numerous stakeholders across boxing and combat sports, it's clear that there are persistent challenges in the current model. Challenges that fighters promoters and fans alike recognize, even if they differ on the cause and the cure. With that in mind, I expect to soon introduce a Senate version of the House-passed Ali revival act. 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. I have no doubt that throughout the legislative process, there're gonna be changes to the bill. There will be amendments to address real concerns and to make sure we design a system that operates in the best interest of everyone, the fighters, the sport, and the fans. Today, the committee has gathered a group of witnesses who have lived this to help create a final product that is a win for fans and boxers alike. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and to a conversation that helps us take a clear look at the issues and moves us forward thoughtfully while keeping Congress in its proper corner. With that, I recognize ranking member Rosen.

Well, good morning everyone and thank you, Chairman Cruz, for holding this really important hearing. I wanna welcome our guests here today and I thank them in advance for their insight and their testimony as we work to craft something um that will work for everyone and before i get into my remarks i'm gonna take a point of personal privilege because my in-law's first date was to the fights as my mother-in-law used to say i said first date we sell my father-in-law well they went to a boxing match they were married sixty two years they always loved the fights they always went and um so i just remember them today uh they were big fans their entire life and so they're no longer with us but um maybe they're sitting on my shoulder today, my father-in-law for sure. Um anyway it's been over two decades since the commerce committee has held a hearing to discuss the boxing industry. That was for the rise of mixed martial arts and other combat sports, before the proliferation of viewing options and streaming services, and before scientific research on the impact of head trauma in sports has on the progression of disease, like CTE. So suffice it to say we're long overdue to examine the state of boxing in America. Again, I wanna thank this panel of witnesses for being here to testify. Such an important part of our sports and entertainment economy, particularly in Nevada. And I'm interested to hear what each of you has to say on the challenges boxing as a sport is facing today and what legislative solutions we should really consider. Boxing has a long destroyed history in America. My hometown of Las Vegas, um, it has been and remains, I won't do any imitations, the undisputed capital, right now, of the combat sports of the world. Uh, the biggest fights take place there. The largest purses are paid. We're proud home of the UFC and this this past week we hosted WrestleMania. We've been the site of countless legendary boxing matches from the infamous Tyson versus Holyfield fight. in nineteen ninety seven, and the highly anticipated Mayweather versus Pacquiao bout in twenty fifteen, the highest grossing event in all boxing history. Las Vegas has seen it all. In the nineteenth century, when most states had outlawed prize fighting, Nevada welcomed the sport. In the mid-twentieth century, the growing entertainment industry in Las Vegas invested in building an ecosystem that supported boxing as boxing bouts drove fans and support for tourism industry in our state. And it remains true today. Just last September, the Canelo versus Crawford fight at Legion Stadium drew over seventy thousand fans became the most watched men's championship boxing match of this century. So far. So far, right? Over ninety percent of those attending the fight were non-locals, and they came to Las Vegas specifically for this fight, which drove over three hundred million dollars of economic impact for Las Vegas. So today, when people around the world picture a championship fight, they picture Allegiant Stadium, MGM, Grand Garden Arena, or T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. But that also means that any significant changes to the boxing industry would have profound impacts on Las Vegas, its venues, its promoters, the boxers, workers living there. So when Congress first passed legislation regulating boxing nearly thirty years ago, it did so with a clear purpose of establishing health and safety protections for boxers. Four years later, Congress passed the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, also known as the Ali Act, to address the anti-competitive and exploitive practices rampant then in the industry. Since then, multiple bills have been introduced in an attempt to improve boxing, and combat sports, although none have passed. Now in twenty twenty six, boxing has the potential to once again captivate people across the country and around the world. The Canelo versus Crawford fight, excuse me, is proof of that. But with so much entertainment competing for so many eyes and so many dollars, few would argue that boxing isn't due for some kind of change that will revitalize the sport and bring it back to its former glory. The question really is for us, how to best go about creating opportunities for expansion, while still protecting the core of boxing, the boxers themselves. So that's what we have to do. So I'm interested to hear what you all have to say today, how we can improve boxing as a whole, because any time it Congress weighs in on the structure of a sport, it is critical we understand the potential impacts and how changing incentives can end up just changing an entire sports landscape. Boxing is the only sport in America that is federally regulated to this degree. And we owe it to the sport, to the athletes, to their trainers, to everyone in the ecosystem and their fans to get the regulations right. So, thank you, Mister Chair. I yield back.

Thank you. I'd now like to introduce our witnesses for today. Ladies and gentlemen, on my left, wearing a blue pinstriped suit and a light blue shirt, he is an eleven time world champion across six divisions. He holds a professional record of thirty-nine wins and six losses, with thirty wins by knockout. In nineteen ninety-two, he captured Olympic gold and earned his nickname, the Golden Boy. Now a major promoter at Golden Boy Promotions. Weighing in at a hundred and thirty-three and thirty-four pounds.

You're you're not allowed to say your name.

Our first witness is the pride of East LA,

Hello.

Mister Oscar de la Hoya. We have a really quiet crowd today.

To the right. We can see.

Also on my left. is the Executive Director of the Florida Athletic Commission and the President of the Association of Boxing Commissioners, representing fifty-six regulatory commissions across the United States. His background includes twenty-one years of honorable service in the United States Marine Corps. There we go.

Yeah.

And twenty years as a combat sports regulator. For his contributions to combat sports, he was introduced into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. and the Florida MML, MMA Hall of Fame, we welcome to the committee, Mister Tim Shipman.

All right, we're gonna applaud for everyone.

On my right is a boxer out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He holds a professional record of thirteen wins, two losses and one draw, with five wins by knockout. He comes off a unanimous decision victory in his most recent bout in December. He is the grandson of the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Weighing in at a hundred and fifty nine point six pounds, we welcome Mister Nico Ali Walsh. And finally, in the right corner of the panel, our final witness today is a successful businessman with extensive experience in combat sports, formerly the co-head of television at Creative Artist Agency, where he represented the biggest names and entities in sports media, and now the president of World Wrestling Entertainment. and a promoter of Zuffa boxing. We welcome to this k- committee, Mister Nick Khan. And now, if you can touch gloves, and Mister Delahoya, you are recognized for five minutes.

Uh, members of the committee, thank you very much for this opportunity today. My name is Oscar de la Hoya. I'm a US Olympic gold medalist, a sixth division eleven time world champion, and now run Golden Boy Promotions. I care deeply about boxing and more importantly about the fighters who step into the ring and risk their lives for our entertainment. I'm here because I strongly believe the proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act take us in the wrong direction. Today, you will hear many different perspectives, some that may want to discredit the decades-long work the sports stakeholders have already done to create a safe sport that puts fighters first, and creates a free market place for fighters to negotiate the best deals for their families and for their personal legacies. I grew up in East LA with very little. Boxing was my way out. When I won the Olympic gold at eighteen years old, I had promoters coming at me from every direction. My family and I didn't have access to legal advice. I signed the first contract put in front of me without fully understanding it. It didn't take long to realize I had taken been taken advantage of. That experience is not unique. Many fighters enter this sport young, trusting, and without resources. And once they are locked into the wrong deal, it is very difficult to get out. That is exactly why the Ali Act exists. I had the opportunity to work with Senator John McCain on this. As a national hero, a prisoner of war, and someone who loved boxing as a former Golden Glove fighter, he understood the risk fighters take. and the need to protect them. The Ali Act reflects that commitment to fairness and to protecting fighters from being taken advantage of. Passed in two thousand, the Ali Act addresses real problems, including conflicts of interest, lack of transparency, and the exploitation of fighters. It creates a system designed to protect fighters and preserve a fair open marketplace those protections still matter today. This principal change of the proposed am- amendment allows a promoter to create an entity that serves as both promoter and governing body, a so-called unified boxing organization. This mirrors the existing MMA model and creates a closed system controlling rankings, titles, and access to opportunity. Under this structure, as long as the U UBO complies with its own internal rules, it would not violate the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Meanwhile, traditional promoters like myself, would still be required to comply with full financial disclosures and reporting requirements. In other words, one system operates under transparency and accountability while the UBOs do not. This is a fundamental shift in power that if changed would put corporate profits first, fighters second. We should be clear about who benefits from this. These changes align directly with what Zuffa Boxing and its leadership at TKO Group Holdings have already said they intend to build in a model similar to the UFC. And we already know what that model looks like, and it does not work for the fighters. The UFC and its parent company agreed to a three hundred and seventy-five million dollar antitrust settlement after fighters accused them of suppressing wages and restricting competition. At the same time, Zufa boxing is fully funded by the Saudis. We've already seen how that kind of funding reshaped another sport through live golf. We should be honest about what is happening here. That was sports washing, a clear effort to use sports to reshape reputation. Now, players who were drawn in by the money are trying to come back to the PGA Tour since the league will lose five billion dollars in funding. This should serve as a warning. Transparency is just as critical. In con- in current Zufa contracts, fighters are locked into rigid earning structures with little to no ability to negotiate. The promoter controls all major revenue streams, including media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships, while fighters are limited to guaranteed purses and discretionary bonuses, with only narrow participation and upside revenue. As an independent contractor, fighters won't have leverage when one system controls all opportunities. Under current law, fighters already have the right to see the financials behind every event they headline, giving them a fair opportunity to negotiate their compensation. I also wanna address safety. The proposed changes suggest improved protections, but boxing already has strong safeguards in place and existing protections, including health insurance, four injuries, and life insurance for fighters' families. Commissions and promoters ensure fighters are medically cleared and covered and cover related costs. If this proposal is truly about protecting fighters, why are MMA athletes not included at all? They compete in a similar dangerous sport, yet they are completely excluded. That raises serious concerns about whether it's truly about protection or about restructuring con control of boxing. Fighters deserve real protection and real opportunity, not 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 fail them, it will be us. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. de la Hoya. Mr. Shepard.

Good morning. Thank you, Chairman. I can't, uh, override that great introduction that you gave to me. So I'll start with my testimony, and thank you very much. Uh, my testimony today reflects these experiences and is intended to provide information regarding the implementation and potential impacts of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, along with information about the current state of boxing regulation. The Florida Athletic Commission is responsible for regulating bo- professional boxing, kickboxing and makes make sure martial arts within the state. Florida remains one of the most active combat sports markets in the nation, consistently ranking among the top five in all combated sports and top three for boxing. The state has volumes of hosting major national and international promotions. Just as importantly, we pride ourselves on being a leader in the fighter health and safety. Florida maintains significant medical requirements and oversight standards including mandatory ringside physicians at all events, robust pro-fight medicals, and strong post-bout monitoring procedures. These safety measures have produced real-world results. For example, during an event last year, a fighter collapsed in the ring because Florida requires a ringside physician to be present and immediately available and not simply on call, the doctor was able to initiate lifesaving care within seconds. The fighter survived because of safeguards Florida has put into place. This is precisely why strong medical standards matter. The legislation before you proposes significant updates to the federal framework, governing professional boxing, including provisions related to fighter safety, compensation, organizational structure, and federal and state Coordination. My testimony today will focus on how these changes may function in practice and their potential impact at the state level. Beginning with safety, the bill includes several enhancements that align with and in some cases exceed Florida's already high standards. These include medical testing protocols, minimum insurance coverage, and additional anti-doping measures. The legislation establishes national minimum standards for fighter compensation, medical care, drug testing, and insurance coverage. These provisions may promote greater uniformity across jurisdictions, and when implemented, will introduce additional operational and financial considerations for both commissions and promoters. With respect to the implementation, each state will need to update rules, procedures, and administrative frameworks to reflect the bill's requirements. In Florida, we estimate an implementation timeline of approximately three to six months, depending on the timing and clarity of the final federal guidance. Additionally, the bill introduces structural reforms, most notably the creation of a unified boxing organization. These entities are intended to expand pathways for fighters to compete, improve compensation, increase access to medical care, and promote greater transparency across the sport. UBOs may also offer more consistent access to training opportunities. Ultimately, UBOs are designated to enhance fighters' ability to seed while reshaping the traditional framework of professional boxing. From a regulatory perspective, this represents a substantial shift. States will require clear guidance on how UBOs integrate with existing licensing licensing's event approval and oversight systems. Effectively coordination between federal standards and state regulatory authorities will remain essential to prevent duplication and avoid conflict and requirements. Ultimately, the overall impact of this legislation legislation will depend on its final structure the extent of federal guidance and level of coordination with state regulatory bodies adequate time clarity and flexibility for states are essential for a smooth and effective transition. In closing, Florida stands ready to work with federal and state partners to implement any enacted requirements in a manner that supports effective oversight and promotes the health and safety and welfare of all participants. Thank you.

Thank you, Mister Walsh.

Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Rosen, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. My name is Nico Ali Walsh. I'm a professional boxer and the grandson of Muhammad Ali. I'm here as someone whose name is directly tied to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Not just as a fighter affected by it, but as part of the legacy that law represents. To build on Mister Del Ahoya's statements, fighters are labeled independent contractors. As a result, people say fighters will have options, that we can just go elsewhere. But when the same company controls who you fight, how you're promoted, and whether fans ever see you, it's not much of a choice. When one system controls access, choice becomes theoretical, not real. The Ali 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. The new Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act would undermine that principle. By allowing one entity to operate across promotion, management, and matchmaking, it removes independence. When that happens, you fight who you're told to fight, or you don't fight at all. At that point, real choice disappears, and so does negotiation. This type of centralized system is already seen in mixed martial arts. Particularly in the UFC, where a single organization controls promotion, matchmaking, and fighter contracts. In that model, fighters typically receive under twenty percent of the revenue, compared to boxing where fighters can earn up to eighty percent. The newly proposed revival act pushes that centralized model onto boxing, behind the claim that boxing is broken. Boxing is not broken. If it were, UFC champions at the height of their careers would not be actively targeting boxing fights because of the fair pay. That movement is rarely seen in reverse due to the UFC's centralized pay structure. Boxing has never been perfect. But one of its strengths has always been competition. Multiple promoters competing for fighters creates leverage and fair market value. When that competition is consolidated to one system, leverage disappears. This is an abstract. I'm living it. Fighters understand that speaking up can come with severe professional consequences. That reality creates silence. And that silence is part of the system. I've personally benefited from the protections that exist today. After one of my fights, I was notified that my opponent tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. That fight was ruled a no contest. That process, testing, enforcement, and oversight worked, and it protected me. In another fight, I suffered a severe shoulder injury in the ring that required surgery shortly after. The current system ensured I received immediate medical attention and proper care throughout my recovery. These are real examples of the system working to protect fighters. That's the point. Protection should be strengthened, especially around health and safety. but not used as justification to restructure the sport in a way that removes power from fighters. The bill that the house has passed should not be adopted. We can protect fighters more effectively than we do today without concentrating control over them. If this bill is passed in its current form, it should not have my grandfather's name on it, as it would betray the principles that his act was created to protect. He fought for dignity outside the ring. This is about dignity inside it. Fighters should not have to choose between their careers and their rights. Fifty five years ago this year, my grandfather's name appeared on these grounds before this government, and he took a stand for what he believed in. He did it knowing there would be consequences. He did it knowing it could cost him everything. And this country, at its best, recognized the principle behind that stand. Today I'm here decades later, in that same spirit, not as a symbol, but as a fighter living through the reality of this system. This moment is not about the past. It's about whether we continue to stand on those same principles now. And I believe we will. Thank you guys for your time.

Thank you, Mister Khan, you're recognized.

Chairman Cruz, Senator Rosen, members of the committee, it's a privilege to appear before you today. My name is Nick Khan. I'm president of WWE. I help to run Zufa Boxing. And I'm a board member of our parent company, TKO Group Holdings. I'm also a lifelong fan of boxing, which makes the current state of the sport all the more difficult to witness. When Congress created the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act in two thousand, it diagnosed a serious problem with the sport. This committee now has the opportunity to remedy that problem and restore one of the great American sporting institutions. It may sound odd to some people in this room, but there was a time not long ago when boxing in America was bigger than football and basketball. Fifty years ago, when Rocky came out, during the nineteen seventy-six bicentennial, boxing was the most culturally dominant sport in America. The greatest, Muhammad Ali, fought four times that year, and unheard of pace today. Two years prior, Ali knocked out George Foreman, in the rumble in the jungle, which was broadcast to over seven hundred million people worldwide. Nineteen seventy six was also the year Sugar Ray Leonard won gold in Montreal. A mere four years later in nineteen eighty, Sugar Ray Leonard earned eight million dollars for a single fight. The average NFL salary in nineteen eighty was eighty thousand dollars. Talent follows money. The best athletes in America choose boxing, chose boxing then. The nineteen eighty four Los Angeles Summer Olympics perfectly encapsulates boxing before its precipitous decline. Nine Americans won gold medals in boxing in nineteen eighty four. In stark contrast, the US has not won an Olympic gold medal in men's boxing in over twenty years. In fact, it's only won one male, gold, and boxing in thirty years since the nineteen ninety six olympic games. Again, Congress diagnosed this problem twenty six years ago. Almost every major American sport has a league that sets rules and forces standards develops talent and creates the conditions for stars to emerge. Boxing has never had that structure. Instead, it has a patchwork of sanctioning bodies whose business model is charging boxers money for the right to be called champions. Today, the WBC, a sanctioning body, alone recognizes one hundred and sixty-three champions across eighteen weight classes. To state the obvious, there should simply be eighteen champions across eighteen weight classes. But the more champions, the more fees to the sanctioning bodies. And those fees come directly out of the fighters' purses, typically three percent from both champion and challenger. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act is built on a simple premise. give boxers the freedom to choose a better system, the act as it currently stands would remain in place, the system as it currently stands would remain in place. This is an or option. Create the framework for unified boxing organizations, otherwise known as UBOs, that can do what major sports do, promote competition, develop talent, enforce consistent standards, across one roof. For boxers, this bill delivers concrete protections that are long overdue. First, minimum pay of two hundred dollars per round, a floor that exceeds the minimum in forty-nine states, and equals that of the highest, California. Second, mandatory injury insurance of fifty thousand dollars per bout at no cost to the boxer. Today, thousands of professional boxers compete with no insurance at all. Under the UBO structure. if it is passed that we would do. The health insurance would kick in when training camp starts, not just on the night of the fight. So when a fighter goes into camp eight or twelve weeks before, if there's an injury in that camp, that is covered. Many fighters fight injured on fight night because again, there is no insurance until the night of the fight. Third, a six year cap on promotional contracts, comparable to rookie contracts, in baseball and football. Giving boxers a genuine path to free agency. Fourth, standardized medical protocols for every boxer. Annual brain MRIs, cardiac testing, brain health testing. The UFC is at the forefront of brain health testing with its partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. Anyone can form a UBO. Any existing boxing promoter. Anyone. As long as they're willing to meet those boxer protection standards that I just articulated. It's for safety and fair treatment of the boxers. If that disqualifies you from wanting to form a UBO, the problem is not this bill. As you know well, a few bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. This one did through the House, incorporating incorporating multiple changes. Some of the sanctioning bodies oppose this bill. That's because it threatens their dominance over the sport. As you know, in twenty twenty eight, the Olympics return to LA, the same city where there's nine Americans, one boxing gold and eighty four. If this committee acts now, there's an actual chance that American boxing will be prepared to meet the moment. Otherwise, we will find ourselves spectators in our own stadium. To ensure this doesn't happen, we are committing one million dollars to organizations that build pathways from amateur boxing to the professional ranks. That starts with the police athletic leagues, which has introduced generations of Americans youth to the sport. including a young Cassius Clay. It's an unconditional commitment. Because rebuilding boxing starts in the local communities and gyms, and it has to start now. I'm grateful for your time, I'm grateful for this committee's commitment, and I welcome any questions.

Thank you to each of the witnesses, and and I'll say at the outset there are hearings that are sometimes designed to drive a point and they're hearings where we are genuinely seeking the input of experts and i would put this this hearing in the latter category um mister khan is right this bill passed overwhelmingly in the house that's unusual for a bill to get that wide bipartisan support from those on the far left and the far right they all came together and i think they came together because there is a widespread perception there's a problem and a problem that could beneficially be addressed and be addressed by congress One illustration of the problem. Right now, the LA Dodgers are the World Series champions. Nobody disagrees with that proposition. The Seattle Seahawks are the Super Bowl champions. Again, nobody disagrees with that proposition. Franking, remember, Cantwell were here, she would certainly be interrupting and and gloating about that fact right now.

I could do that for her.

Um. If I'm a a new fan, trying to get into boxing. Well, we have four experts in the sport right now. Can anyone tell me who is the current middleweight champion?

I can try, Senator, if you like.

Sure.

So the answer is, there is no middleweight champion because there are at least four different people with these sanctioning organizations who say they are the middleweight champion. The WBA has Arsandhi Lara. The WBC has Carlos. the IBF title is vacant. The WBO has Jannebock, Alam Kanali. And there are interim champions underneath. So in terms of who is the middleweight champion, by definition, there is no middleweight champion. There's confusion and chaos compared to when you and I were younger, Marvin Hagler was the middleweight champion. Now the answer to that question does not exist.

now i wanna ask the remaining witnesses is that a problem is is that something that that could and should be improved

mister nickon mentioned uh confusion um back when muhammad uh i'm sorry sugri leonard was a world champion so was marvelous marvin haggler who held um the world title as well Thomas Hearns uh held a world title as well and uh the great Roberto Duran also held a world title I I don't believe that confusion comes from having multiple world champions I believe confusion comes from or or or the fights not taking place comes from the actual fighter himself if a fighter does not wanna fight we cannot force the fighter to fight um there's been many examples where for instance say floyd mayweather um you know he protects his o because he has an agenda to protect his record and therefore he doesn't fight certain fighters but that's that's the individual fighter i i i strongly believe that fights are being made the big major fights are being made like the one coming up in cinco de mayo with benavides and and zurdo uh the one fight we did with uh ryan garcia and tank davis which was highly highly successful so confusion there is no confusion and and and i go back to being here for the fighter to protect the fighter what's in place now the muhammad ali act protects the fighter and and that's why we're here

uh mister khan described various health and requirements, uh, of the bill, is it your assessment those are good, positive, beneficial?

We we, boxing already has those safeties in place. Um, you know, we we have the ambulances, we have the the the the doctors, we have everything in place to make sure that the fighter is protected. Me as a former fighter and now a promoter, I've seen it first hand, I've promoted thousands of fights, and we've never had an issue with safety.

You mentioned in your opening statement, uh, a desire for greater transparency. Uh, can you elaborate on that? What what transparency do you believe is lacking in the current bill and what would make it better?

Well, transparency has has, since the bill passed, um, uh, the Muhammad Ali, uh, uh, bill passed, um, transparency has been in place. In today's boxing system and business the fighter makes the majority of the amounts of monies in the system they wanna implement TKO and and and and um and uh the with the UBO it'll be the other way around I think transparency is obviously very important to the fighter uh the laws that are in place are important to the fighters to

Chairman Cruz, may I offer one add-on to that please?

Okay. Sure.

In terms of health and safety of boxers, uh, in the UFC, when it was purchased thirty years ago, in that thirty years, there's not been one death of a UFC fighter. In the last thirty years in boxing, there have been sixty three deaths,

Hmm.

that have occurred within a week of a fighter's fight. Deaths, compared to zero in the UFC.

Wow.

In terms of the state of the sport now, it's not just the confusion of the sanctioning bodies. So, Senator Rosen mentioned Canelo Crawford from this past September, a fight that we promoted. We got Netflix to buy into the fight. We moved with a fair deal, uh, a UNLV football game out of the football stadium, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, so we could have that fight at a football stadium. we had a significant merchandise deal with fanatics, all of which the fighters participated in, all of those revenues. If you look at it again when you and I were younger, there was boxing every weekend on ABC, CBS, and at times NBC. If you look at it now, the major media conglomerates? Outside of the deal we at Zuffer were able to get with Paramount, there's no boxing in the history of television on any major media conglomerate. fox got out, espn got out, showtime got out, hbo got out, nbc got out, abc got out, cbs got out, what was formerly known as spike tv got out

now you came from the the media and entertainment world before why did they get out

they got out because ultimately there was no return on their investment the fights that were meant to happen as we mentioned uh senator Rosen mentioned uh mayweather pacquiao earlier happening in las vegas that fight took six years to put together for the ali fraser trilogy those three fights happened over the course of five years the three fights happened starting in nineteen seventy one over the course of three years compared to it taking six years to make the fight that everyone wanted how many fans were lost in those six years

alright last question mr. Khan you were addressing an up-and-coming boxer uh who's watching this hearing and trying to think ok would this law of passing be a good thing for me or a bad thing what would the benefits of allowing a ubo provide to the next generation of boxers

this provides an additional option so the current state of boxing would continue to exist if the fighter wants to go into that please feel free to sign with those promoters if 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 eighty 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't, that's your choice.

If I if I may add,

Sure.

um, please, thank you. Um, if if if if I'm a fighter, a young fighter who wants to go to a promoter, um, why why would I sign a contract that if I if I am a four round fighter and getting paid the minimal amounts of money, if I lose that fight, under the UBO, promoter decides how much i make i believe that's unfair

ranking member rosen

uh chairman may i speak please

go ahead

concerning uh safety of the what is in the bill as it stands right now there is much needed safety improvements in this bill that has an impact in safety on all the fighters that participate not only with that safety But also, as a recommendation, the sanctioning bodies should actually collaboratively work with the Association of Boxing Commission to develop a ranking system, and then kinda help assist in ranking these fighters in one belt only. I think that will solve a lot of the problems. However, safety in this bill is paramount, and I thank you for having that in there because it means a lot.

Thank you. Ranking member Rosen.

Well, I thank you again, Chairman Cruz. It's really an important hearing on on both sides, and that's uh when we legislate, it's good for us to hear uh from everyone as we begin to think about what we're going to do. But I'm really proud to have two of the witnesses here from uh uh UNLV graduates from Las Vegas or constituents of mine in uh I'll say the great state of Nevada. So I'm gonna direct my first questions to both of them. So, Mister Walsh, the first one will be for you. What do you think the, in your eyes, you're you're boxing now, right? What is the greatest challenges for the sport of boxing and the athletes, really, you're you're the one that has to execute. Everybody can train you, you can do all the other things, but you're the one that walks in there and has to, uh, and has to execute on that. What, what are the greatest challenges that you think you face today and what issues, considering that we're um a legislative body do you think we should really consider um in light of that if you were to maybe prioritize a few and then my next question will be for mister khan thank you

first off thank you for recognizing um our unlv ties i'm very very proud

yes go rebels

um but as as a professional boxer now um i love boxing uh i think the sport is in a great place i think we're headed towards the golden age of boxing I understand there's concerns with it being confusing, whether it be the belts, the titles, who's champion. That kind of chaos and confus- confusion, I believe, makes boxing. Um, having fighters fight each other to become unified and become the undisputed champion, that's what everyone wants to see. And um, Mister Khan mentioned that it took six years to make the uh Pacquiao Floyd fight And and and my grandfather fought Joe Frazier and multiple times in much shorter time. We absolutely agree with that. It's that's horrible. Um, that's not on boxing, that's on the fighters. And at the time, we know that Floyd Mayweather Junior, uh, did not want to fight Manny Pacquiao. And it was because of, you know, protecting that that O, that record that that dragged. And of course there's a bunch of health, uh,

So do you think, if we're legislators, ha- working in the health space would be a a helpful thing for us to focus on?

Of course, of course. No, I don't believe any bo- anyone in boxing, no boxer, no promoter, promoter would disagree with the fact that health and safety concerns can be added to the sport we can always benefit more from them but we can do that without stripping the fighters of their rights which I believe is what the Revival Act is going to do my my grandfather's original Ali act the Al, the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act is an anti-monopoly law. And this new revival act will bring back that monopoly. They they say we have a choice, but once they control everything, we won't have a choice.

Thank you. Uh, Mister Khan, in the spirit of trying to help help us legislate, which is uh sometimes different than what happens in the entertainment sphere, although some might, I don't know with the bell, you're pretty good on that boxing, you know, maybe as uh uh be in a boxing announcer there in a

If this politics things doesn't work out,

Um

I I may be may be putting in a job application.

There you go. But,

Yeah.

Mister Khan, um, you know, as we think again, for us as legislators, the successes of WWE and UFC, what things do you think could be transferred, uh, when thinking about boxing's future? We know we're gonna we probably all agree on the health and safety, so that's something we should we could take on, in a bipartisan way, but uh uh let me hear from you and and like i said go rebels

so so wwe for example has over a hundred deals with what we call our legends our retired wrestlers so they receive compensation from us for years after their retirement from the ring because of their participation in our video games trading card deals merchandise deals and action figures and all of these other ancillary revenues think about this floyd mayweather manny pacquiao the two fighters of that generation You could not buy an action figure of them. You cannot buy a video game of them. It doesn't exist because of this broken system. Part of the reason that Mayweather Pacquiao took six years to make, you've heard people say, well, it's Floyd, it's Floyd. The two promoters of that event, they simply didn't like each other. It it's this local yokel.

We can't legislate that.