[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 1, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16513-S16514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE PROFESSIONAL BOXING SAFETY ACT

 Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, the Senate's passage of the 
Professional Boxing Safety Act represents the culmination of nearly 4 
years of working to make professional boxing a safer sport for the 
young men who choose to enter the ring. In large part, these efforts 
owe a great deal to a boxer from my home State of Delaware, whose 
misfortune and subsequent hard work made a lot of this possible. That 
boxer is Dave Tiberi and I believe that both the Senate and the 
American public owe a debt of gratitude to Dave for the legislation we 
have adopted.
  On February 8, 1992, in a world title fight, Dave Tiberi lost a 
controversial split decision in Atlantic City to the International 
Boxing Federation's middleweight champion, James Toney. The ABC 
announcer described it as ``the most disgusting decision I have ever 
seen.'' As a result of that fight, I directed that the Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations undertake a comprehensive investigation 
of professional boxing, the first in the Senate in more than 30 years. 
Unfortunately, that investigation found that the sport's problems 
remained much as Senator Kefauver found them to be three decades 
earlier.
  First and foremost among all the problems facing the sport today, 
none is more important that protecting the 

[[Page S 16514]]

health and safety of professional boxers. We work hard to protect our 
amateur boxers and take great pride in their accomplishments in the 
Olympics. Yet, when these and other young men step into the 
professional ranks, we deny them even the most basic health and safety 
protections such as minimum uniform national standards. Professional 
boxers are faced with a patchwork system of health and safety 
regulations that vary State by State, both by rule and enforcement.
  Along with my colleague, Senator Dorgan, I have worked to ensure that 
the legislation we have adopted does include minimum uniform national 
health and safety standards. This will ensure that every professional 
boxing match in the United States is conducted under these standards. 
Every professional boxer will know that a physician must be at 
ringside; that an ambulance must be available; and that promoters must 
provide medical insurance. I commend Senator McCain and Senator Bryan, 
the sponsors of S. 187, for including these health and safety 
protections in this legislation.
  Despite numerous lucrative offers, Dave Tiberi has never fought 
again. Instead, he has dedicated his efforts to reforming boxing and 
working with young people in Delaware. I believe that, in large part, 
without Dave Tiberi's work, we would not have passed this boxing reform 
legislation.
  Professional boxing is important not only to its millions of fans, 
but also because the sport creates opportunities for many young men who 
have few opportunities. We owe these young men a system outside the 
ring that works as hard to protect them as they do inside the ring. 
That is why I have worked to reform professional boxing and I commend 
my colleagues for adopting this important legislation.

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