WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement during today’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced plans to introduce a Senate version of the bipartisan, House-passed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R.4624), legislation to create an alternative boxing system that streamlines matchmaking and unifies rankings.
Chairman Cruz explained that while the current federally-designed system has protected professional boxers from certain abuses, it has inadvertently created a fractured system. The current boxing arena is riddled with competing interests, multiple sanctioning bodies, and persistent barriers to organizing major fights, resulting in a convoluted industry for fighters and fans to navigate.
Legislation would fix these challenges and help restore boxing to the pastime that Americans have cherished for generations.
Witnesses testifying during the hearing include 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 Nick Khan, President of World Wrestling Entertainment.
Chairman Cruz’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are as follows:
“For generations, boxing was 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 the willingness to step into the ring and answer the bell.
“This is why the movie Rocky still endures.
“Rocky tells a story Americans have always understood instinctively: that hard work and perseverance matter, and that sometimes a fair shot is enough to change everything.
“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 nobody believed in. The long odds. The early mornings. The raw effort – as well as the raw eggs and chicken coop chases. But above all, it is the refusal to quit that stands the test of time.
“That is one reason boxing has always occupied a special place in our national imagination. It is not just about the outcome. It’s about the courage to step into the ring and fight.
“Congress recognized the importance of this American pastime 30 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, promote fairness, and 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 tradeoffs.
“That framework has helped 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 bodies, 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 is truly the best.
“The broader landscape has shifted as well. Mixed martial arts has grown rapidly over the past two decades, delivering more consistent matchups 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 specific ways the federal framework may be doing more harm than good.
“Those laws undoubtedly helped to improve inconsistent health and safety standards for fighters and a lack of transparency in contracts and rankings. However, those laws may have also locked in place an arrangement that makes 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, that would operate much like a traditional sports league — where a centralized entity employs athletes — while still allowing the traditional model to continue.
“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.
“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.
“Today, the Committee gathered the right group of witnesses to help us create a final product that’s 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.”
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