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Mike Tyson says a new bill in Congress to reshape boxing should be passed.
Mike Tyson is stepping into the political ring, as the former world heavyweight champion is backing passage of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a TKO-supported bill that would create alternative systems for boxers.
Sportico has viewed a letter Tyson sent to U.S. Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, on Oct. 25. In the letter, Tyson contends the “current system” for boxers works well for stars who obtain “negotiating power with promoters” but is less favorable for “the majority” of boxers as they “never reach that level of influence.”
The bill, which was introduced in July, is sponsored by U.S. Reps. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), a former MMA fighter who was elected to Congress in 2018. Nine other members, five Republicans and four Democrats, are co-sponsoring the bill, which is set for a hearing on Thursday. The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections will host “In Their Corner: Creating More Opportunities for American Boxers” at 10:15 a.m. ET.
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In a statement shared with Sportico, Jack says he’s “honored to earn the support” of Tyson, whose “unprecedented success in the sport enabled him to transcend his accomplishments in the ring, and become an American cultural phenomenon.”
Key to the bill is the proposed establishment of “Unified Boxing Organizations” (UBOs), which would supplement—not replace—the World Boxing Council, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Organization and the International Boxing Federation as sanctioning bodies. The bill would also guarantee boxers $150 per round, an amount higher than guarantees in many states (most states don’t have minimum guarantees), increase the number of events for boxers, provide boxers with insurance and health care benefits, institute title belts and ranking systems and establish anti-betting measures including prohibitions on sharing non-public information.
Tyson contends that a per-round minimum would ensure boxers receive “fair compensation for the risks they take with their body and mind” and that health insurance—a first-time national minimum of $25,000 of coverage for injuries sustained during a bout—would make sure no boxer has “to choose between paying medical bills and pursuing their career.”
Tyson also references Ali, and says he “has always been my hero, both inside and outside the ring.”
