[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12011-S12012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PROFESSIONAL BOXING SAFETY ACT

 Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, the Senate's passage of the 
Professional Boxing Safety Act marks a red letter day for what is often 
called the red light district of sports. For this Senator, it also 
marks the culmination of nearly 5 years of working to make professional 
boxing a safer sport for our young people who choose to enter the ring. 
One of those young men, in particular, is largely responsible for 
achieving this milestone. I believe it is important that we recognize 
and acknowledge the contribution of this boxer, from my home State of 
Delaware--Dave Tiberi.
  It was through Dave Tiberi's misfortune and subsequent hard work that 
I focused my attention up close and personal on the problems currently 
facing professional boxing. On February 8, 1992, in a nationally 
televised world title fight, Dave Tiberi, an unheralded challenger, 
lost a controversial split decision to the International Boxing 
Federation's middleweight champion, James Toney. The ABC-TV announcer 
proclaimed 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 revealed what many of us had 
suspected--that the problems plaguing the sport remained much as 
Senator Kefauver found them when the Senate last investigated this 
issue three decades earlier.
  First and foremost among all the problems facing the sport today, is 
protecting the health and safety of professional boxers. During the 
Olympics in Atlanta, we saw the great lengths to which we go to protect 
our amateur boxers. Yet, when these and other young men graduate to the 
professional ranks, we fail to provide even the most basic health and 
safety protections through minimum uniform national standards. Instead, 
we leave professional boxers at the mercy of a patchwork system of 
health and safety regulations that vary widely State by

[[Page S12012]]

State, both by rule and enforcement. In this day and age, that is not 
acceptable.
  That is why I have worked, along with my colleague Senator Dorgan, to 
ensure this legislation remedies these inequities by establishing, for 
the first time, minimum uniform national health and safety standards. 
These provisions will ensure that every professional boxing match in 
the United States is conducted under these standards. Every 
professional boxer will know that, no matter where they fight, there 
will be a doctor at ringside; an ambulance available; and health 
insurance provided.
  I also want to commend our colleagues in the House who significantly 
strengthened this legislation by adopting a provision I have previously 
proposed--prohibiting conflicts of interest on the part of boxing 
regulators. My investigation highlighted conflicts of interest to be 
among the major problems facing boxing today, always to the detriment 
of the boxers. Dealing with this problem is essential if we are to 
effect meaningful boxing reform.
  Dave Tiberi has never fought again, despite numerous lucrative 
offers. Instead he has dedicated his efforts to working with young 
people in Delaware and reforming boxing. If there has ever been a role 
model in boxing for our young people, his name is Dave Tiberi. Although 
he never got his world title, knowing that his hard work will protect 
future boxers is his big payday; and that is why Dave Tiberi will 
always be a champion.
  Boxing reform is not a marquee issue that appeals to a large 
constituency. As such, it could be easily pushed aside and lost among 
all the other issues clamoring for attention in the final days of this 
Congress. Yet, professional boxing is important, not only to its 
millions of fans, but primarily because the sport creates opportunities 
for many young men for whom such opportunities are rare. 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. While it does not go far enough, I believe this 
legislation is a significant step toward achieving that goal. I commend 
and thank my colleagues for adopting this important 
legislation.

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