[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 64 (Monday, May 22, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H3489-H3491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MUHAMMAD ALI BOXING REFORM ACT
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the
Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 1832) to reform unfair and anti-
competitive practices in the professional boxing industry.
The Clerk read as follows:
Senate amendments:
Page 6, after line 17, insert:
``(c) Protection From Coercive Contracts With
Broadcasters.--Subsection (a) of this section applies to any
contract between a commercial broadcaster and a boxer, or
granting any rights with respect to that boxer, involving a
broadcast in or affecting interstate commerce, regardless of
the broadcast medium. For the purpose of this subsection, any
reference in subsection (a)(1)(B) to `promoter' shall be
considered a reference to `commercial broadcaster'.
Page 17, after line 24, insert:
(1) in paragraph (9) by inserting after ``match.'' the
following: ``The term `promoter' does not include a hotel,
casino, resort, or other commercial establishment hosting or
sponsoring a professional boxing match unless--
``(A) the hotel, casino, resort, or other commercial
establishment is primarily responsible for organizing,
promoting, and producing the match; and
``(B) there is no other person primarily responsible for
organizing, promoting, and producing the match.'';
Page 18, line 1, strike out ``(1)'' and insert ``(2)''
Page 18, line 4, strike out ``(2)'' and insert: ``(3)''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley).
General Leave
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor H.R. 1832, the Muhammad Ali Act,
to enact anti-bribery safeguards for the sport of boxing.
Four years ago, I sponsored another piece of legislation, the
Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996. This act established the first-
ever uniform licensing and health and safety system to protect
professional boxers, and prohibited conflicts of interest by boxing's
State regulatory commissions. This legislation was a great success, but
the State boxing commissions and attorneys general have now asked us to
go the next step to clean up the corruption among boxing's promoters,
managers, and sanctioning bodies.
Ironically, the Professional Boxing Safety Act took effect on the
same weekend as the now infamous fight between Mike Tyson and Evander
Holyfield, where Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear. Before this
act took effect, there was no uniform safety laws governing boxers, and
States were unable to effectively regulate the sport. Because of the
Professional Boxing Safety Act, the suspension of Mike Tyson by the
Nevada Boxing Commission was recognized nationwide, preventing Tyson
from fighting again until his suspension was completed.
The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which we consider today, amends
the Professional Boxing Safety Act to expand the consumer protections
and anti-bribery provisions. It prevents
[[Page H3490]]
promoters, sanctioning bodies, and networks from forcing boxers into
coercive contracts as a condition of participating in a mandatory bout.
No longer will promoters be able to abuse boxers and monopolize the
sport by requiring boxers to sign away all their rights in order to get
a big break or keep their ranking.
The bill also cleans up the arbitrary ranking systems of sanctioning
bodies. In the past, promoters and sanctioning bodies have been able to
rig the sport by placing favored boxers who have signed away
promotional rights in the top rankings. Boxers who do not grant
appropriate favors are arbitrarily dropped from the ranking or
prevented from moving up. This bill requires the sanctioning bodies to
publish written criteria for ranking boxers and requires sanctioning
bodies and promoters to disclose all revenues and other compensation
received in connection with the boxers to minimize the opportunities
for bribery and back-room dealing.
This new system will force sanctioning bodies to rank boxers based on
merit not subservience. It will mean new opportunities for honest
boxers who are trying to fight their way up the rankings and more
integrity and respect for the sport since boxing fans will know that
championship matches are being fought by true champions.
{time} 1445
Judges and referees are also required to clean up their act under
this legislation. They must be certified and approved by a State boxing
commission, and they are required to disclose their sources of
compensation in order to prevent any impropriety. No longer will
sanctioning bodies and promoters be able to influence judges or hire
uncertified referees.
The State boxing commissions are directed to develop and approve
guidelines for uniform rating criteria for boxers. Boxing has long
suffered from the lack of standardized rankings. This legislation
maintains flexibility but directs the establishment of uniform
guidelines to increase public confidence in the sport.
H.R. 1832 finishes the job started several years ago by weeding out
corruption from boxing. It passed the House last November by voice
vote. The only change today is the addition by the Senate of a
provision stating that commercial broadcasters cannot coerce boxers
into coercive contracts, parallel to the same restrictions already in
the bill for promoters.
I do not believe that broadcasters have any interest in forcing
boxers into exclusive long-term contracts as a condition of being able
to fight in a broadcast event, so I view the amendment as a
supplemental safeguard.
This legislation is good for boxing and good for the fans. It has
been endorsed by almost every major boxing magazine, numerous high-
profile boxers, promoters, managers, and almost half of the U.S. State
attorneys general.
In the words of one of boxing's greatest, Muhammad Ali, ``The day
this bill is signed into law cannot come soon enough. I pray justice
will be done and somehow, along the way, honor can be restored to this
sport.''
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BOUCHER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin this afternoon by
commending our colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), for his
truly excellent work in bringing this measure forward. I think he has
performed an important public service. I am pleased to lend my support
to the passage of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act is cosponsored by 11
Democratic Members, including three Democratic members of the Committee
on Commerce: the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall).
The bill was reported from the Committee on Commerce and was passed
by the full House by voice vote. It also was approved by the Senate
with an amendment by unanimous consent. And today we consider that
Senate amendment, which I am pleased to endorse and with regard to
which I am pleased to urge approval.
In 1996, the Committee on Commerce reported legislation which became
law establishing minimum health and safety standards for professional
boxing. The bill that we are considering today addresses abuses that
occur on the business side of boxing. The bill contains protections for
professional boxers against coercive contracts they may be pressured to
sign by nonscrupulous promoters. The amendment to the bill added by the
other body applies this same protection against coercive contracts that
may be presented by broadcasters.
In addition, the bill requires sanctioning organizations and
promoters to disclose to the State boxing commissions any agreement
that they may have with the boxer and any fees they charge the boxer in
the case of a fight of 10 rounds or more. These, I think, are helpful
provisions.
Mr. Speaker, this bill has enjoyed broad support throughout the
entire process, and I am pleased today to urge our colleagues to adopt
the Senate amendment and give approval to this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) and the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) for their hard work on this bill.
My colleagues may wonder why this feminist Member is coming to the
floor on this bill to strongly support it. I note that my name was not
read off as a cosponsor. I have to ask my staff, in light of a bill I
introduced, H.R. 2354, how they missed this one.
After the heavyweight match between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield
in Las Vegas, I was so stunned and shamed by the incident that I
decided to learn a little bit about this sport, which, I confess, I do
not favor but accept as a reality will be with us for some time, and
discovered the loophole that is closed by this bill today.
I introduced the State Reciprocity and Professional Boxing Act of
1997 since I saw I had no assurance that Mike Tyson could not, when
suspended in Nevada, go off and fight in some other State. That seemed
to me to be unprofessional and not what either the Congress intended in
the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 or, for that matter, anybody
who watched that disgraceful performance would have wanted.
Now this bill has come forward to do precisely what my bill would
have done and to go somewhat further in adopting the Senate amendments
to ensure that no boxer is permitted to box while under suspension by
any other State.
Wherever one stands on whether or not grown men should get in a ring
and go at one another, we certainly know that they ought to do so
governed by sportsman-like conduct.
I think it is most appropriate that this bill is named for Muhammad
Ali. I am sure that if he were inclined to speak, as he often spoke out
as a young man, he would find that this bill does the sport proud and
helps elevate the sport once again.
I believe that the House, in making sure that it is vigilant whenever
it sees amendments that should be made to the Professional Boxing
Safety Act of 1996, does a great service to the sport, to reclaiming
its good name, and especially to those honorable men and women, the
great majority of them who continue to exercise this sport.
In light of my own concern and my own bill right after the Tyson-
Holyfield fight, I wanted to be sure to come forward to thank the
chairman and the ranking member for their diligence in seeing to it
that this loophole is closed.
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her words and for her support of this
legislation, as well as my good friend, the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Boucher).
I would be remiss, also, without mentioning our good friend, Senator
John McCain, who had been a real leader on this issue, the chairman of
the Committee on Commerce in the Senate and the driving force behind
this bill and the one we previously passed 2 years
[[Page H3491]]
ago. So we want to thank him for his leadership.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1832, the Muhammad
Ali Boxing Reform Act.
I grew up as a young boy living in south Louisiana. The first
television set in our community came to my grandfather's house, and
some of my earliest bonding memories with my dad and grandfather were
when we got together with our friends from the whole community and
gathered around that only television set in our area to watch the great
boxing fights of our day.
Perhaps the greatest fighter in all of boxing history is Muhammad
Ali. Muhammad Ali gave his name to this legislation because he believes
it is absolutely critical to help protect boxers and clean up the sport
from the occasional unscrupulous individuals who have recently given it
a bad name.
Last June, my Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and
Consumer Protection held a hearing on this legislation to get input
from various State boxing commissioners, promoters, managers, boxing
fans, and boxers. Coincidentally, the hearing took place just after an
extremely controversial decision in a fight between Evander Holyfield
and Lennox Lewis, in which an International Boxing Federation judge
awarded the title to Mr. Holyfield, the IBF champion, instead of to Mr.
Lewis, the World Boxing Council champion and clear apparent winner
according to most boxing commentators. At our hearing, one witness said
the decision by the IBF judge was dishonest, two said it was
incompetent, the third called it ``highly influenced'', and
Middleweight Boxer Alfonzo Daniels simply replied, ``Lewis was
robbed''.
We are all robbed when this kind of corruption and incompetence
touches on this great sport. Since that time there have continued to be
indictments and allegations of corruption in the sport. The Miami
Herald reported that over 30 prize fights have been fixed or tainted
with fraud in the last dozen years. A Los Angeles Times investigation
found that boxing ranking were sometimes sold by sanctioning bodies and
that boxing promoters and managers make thinly disguised bribes to
improve their boxers' standings and to get them more lucrative fights.
In fact, the week before the House passed an earlier version of this
legislation last November, a Federal grand jury issued a 32-count
indictment against the President and three officials of the
International Boxing Federation on charges of taking bribes from
promoters and managers to manipulate rankings, as well as racketeering
and money laundering. According to the Federal prosecutor, ``In the
IBF, ranking were bought, not earned . . . completely corrupt[ing] the
. . . ranking system.''
This legislation will remove the few rotten actors that have been
giving a bad name to the numerous honest and hardworking individuals
that have made this sport so great. It is good for boxing and good for
boxing fans. We will now all be able to trust in the integrity of the
sport, and enjoy without suspicion boxing's championship fights, just
like I did with my father and grandfather many years ago.
In conclusion, I would like to thank some of the people who have
worked so hard on this legislation to make it a reality, including ABC
President Greg Sirb, promoter Tony Holden, Senate Commerce Committee
staff Paul Feeney, George Otto with the Quarry Foundation, and of
course the Great One, Muhammad Ali, without whose persistence and
support we would not be able to achieve what we are about to accomplish
here today.
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Miller of Florida). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) that the
House suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the
bill, H.R. 1832.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendments were
concurred in.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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