Boxing

The House of Representatives met to discuss the novel boxing bill

Published

11 months ago

December 4, 2025

Eric Bottjer

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in July that would create an amended version of the existing boxing reform laws of 1996 and 2000 was discussed on Capitol Hill today. It was the first public hearing on the issue since it was introduced by sponsor Brian Jack, a Republican from Georgia. Supporters of the bill say the novel legislation will create novel opportunities for militants and lead to the long-term rehabilitation of an enterprise that went bankrupt after 130 years of existence. Critics say the bill would allow a UFC-style monopoly similar to the current professional mixed martial arts business model.

Committee Chairman Ryan Mackenzie (Allentown, Pa.) immediately set the tone in his opening remarks. He said this bill would make boxing “great again” (the phrase “great again” was repeated, well, many times, in case you were wondering about Mackenzie’s political leanings). Ranking Member Omar Ilhan (D-Minneapolis, Minn.) said she saw value in the bill, but added: “There are parts of this bill that raise the question of who will actually control the future of boxing. Are we prioritizing Goliath to the detriment of David? This bill as designed gives more power to gigantic corporations than boxers.”

The genesis of the bill – called the Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act – is the UFC’s desire to enter (and critics say take over) boxing, supported in part by Saudi Arabia and its “public investment fund.” Those testifying in support of the bill rejected the monopoly narrative. Rep. Jack stressed that the bill, if passed, would not remove the 1996 and 2000 reform acts and that rather than create a monopoly, it would simply give boxers another option to advance their careers. According to Jack, the law will create Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs), which will create a “parallel system to (existing) sanctioning bodies. The bill will fix “widespread exploitation and corruption in boxing,” Jack said.

Testifying in favor of the bill (H.R. 4624) was Andy Foster, executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, who predicted the creation of many “UBOs” in the coming years. Foster indicated that UBOs would not charge boxers or promoters “crushing punitive fees” and added that the bill guaranteed club-level boxers a minimum pay structure ($150 per round) as well as zero-deductible medical insurance (currently paid by promoters or boxers). Sometimes boxers leave a fight in a worse financial situation than when they arrived, Foster said. He encouraged the committee to add an amendment to the bill that would adjust minimum portfolio amounts in the future to inflation.

Foster was supported at today’s hearing by Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali’s widow, and UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein, who stated: “There is no denying that professional boxing has been in steady decline in the United States. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Renaissance Act has the potential to reverse this decline by creating an creative model that will advance the industry.”

Epstein and the bill’s supporters are sensitive to criticism that the potential law would result in a monopoly, and have emphasized that they believe it simply creates an additional avenue of exploration for boxers. “UBOs will not replace sanctioning organizations,” Epstein said.

UBOs would constitute a “separate, parallel system” to the four existing main sanctions groups.

The lone wolf at the hearing was well-known attorney Pat English, who worked on the two previous boxing reform bills that are now the law. “There are things (in the first two bills) that need to be improved and modified,” English said, “but this bill is not the right solution.” The “real purpose” of the novel law, according to English, is to give monopoly power to a specific UBO – Zuffa Boxing, backed by the UFC. Most boxers are against the idea, English said. While supporters of the bill point to drug testing requirements, English added that the bill does not require reporting of test results to athletic commissions or Boxrec, the current official record-keeping service employed by the Association of Boxing Commissions.

Supporters of this act include ABC, as well as the California commission, promoter Tom Brown, Mike Tyson, various arenas in the US and, oh, the Teamsters.

The bill now returns to the committee that hosted today’s hearing (the House Committee on Education and Labor). Any changes or amendments will be discussed (for example, Foster’s proposal to raise the minimum amount of the boxer budget in the future) before it is sent to the House of Representatives for a vote. According to Arnaud Armstrong, communications specialist in Rep. Mackenzie’s Allentown office, the process will take “weeks.” If it passes, it will be sent to the Senate, which typically takes longer than the chamber to prepare the bill for a vote.

Boxing

Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro

Published

5 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro"

A formal press release was issued today announcing the December 19 welterweight title unification between Devin Haney and Liam Paro at San Francisco’s Chase Center, and in anticipation of the meeting with a co-feature of Brian Norman vs Abel RamosHaney shared his excitement for what he expects to be another successful outing to snag some more hardware.

“My resume speaks for itself,” Haney said. “I’ve never been afraid to go into a champion’s backyard and put my record on the line. I went to Australia, took George Kambosos’ belts, and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world. Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard. This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home.
“Oakland is where my story started, and the Bay Area has always been part of who I am. The Valkyries just brought a championship to Chase Center, and on December 19, I plan to keep that championship energy going.

“I made history in Australia. Now it’s time to make history at home.”

Paro, however hopes to upset the odds, knowing he’ll be coming into this fight as a decided underdog.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis,” Paro said. “I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it’s here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard.

“I’ve never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people. Devin’s a great fighter and I respect that. But I’ve been the underdog plenty of times and I’ve made history before. December 19, I’m coming to unify the division and make more history.”

With the WBO and IBF welterweight world titles on the line, one fight will be heading into the new year halfway to undisputed.

Boxing

Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown"

Liam Paro served as supporting cast the last time Devin Haney headlined at Chase Center. Come December 19, he walks into San Francisco carrying the IBF welterweight title, gunning to strip Haney of his WBO strap.

Three years transformed Paro from an undercard face into a headline attraction. He watched Haney shut out Regis Prograis from the locker room in December 2023. Now he commands the marquee, even if getting US fight fans to open their wallets on pay-per-view presents an uphill battle.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis. I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it is here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard. I have never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people,” Paro stated.

The Australian proved his mettle by snatching the 140-pound crown from Subriel Matias on hostile soil. Richardson Hitchins took it right back six months later, checking Paro’s momentum before mainstream crowds took notice.

The jump to 147 pounds provided the reboot he needed. Three straight wins, capped by a gritty points victory over Lewis Crocker to claim the IBF strap, set the stage for this encounter.

Haney ends a lengthy layoff on home turf. Sitting out more than twelve months makes asking fans to purchase a DAZN PPV against a fighter unknown to mainstream viewers a tough sell. Belts by themselves rarely move the needle at the box office.

Brian Norman Jr. takes on Abel Ramos in the ten-round co-feature. Norman dropped his WBO belt to Haney last November and must now accept undercard placement on his conqueror’s bill.

Paro earned his position the hard way. December 19 decides if his punch output can upset the hometown favorite or if Haney cruises behind his jab.

Boxing

Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilders Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry

Published

7 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilder's Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry"

Tyson Fury sees little point in Deontay Wilder stepping inside a ring again, an inconvenient stance given Wilder’s spot on his upcoming December 11 card. Labeling the former champion “shot to bits” severely undercuts Jai Opetaia’s heavyweight entrance, turning a marquee pairing into an exercise in past glory.

Wilder meets the undefeated cruiserweight ruler at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, supporting the Netflix headliner between Fury and Anthony Joshua. Opetaia carries a spotless 31-0 record into the division. Wilder enters at 45-4-1. While the American’s presence guarantees instant marquee value, Fury openly questions if any real substance remains.

“Silly for Deontay’s part,” Fury remarked to FightHype regarding the bout. “He shouldn’t be nowhere near a ring. It’s a dying shame that this man has to continue to fight when he’s shot to bits.”

Fury argued Wilder should have walked away after their brutal 2021 trilogy finale. He referenced Wilder’s narrow split decision over Derek Chisora in April to illustrate the decline, pointing out that Chisora walked through shots that once ended nights instantly.

This goes well beyond standard fight banter or favoring the younger fighter. Fury insists any ring appearance by Wilder is a mistake, no matter the rival. Sharing thirty rounds across three savage encounters gives his assessment real credibility, even with his typical theatrical flair taken into account.

That leaves promoters with an awkward narrative. Wilder’s box office appeal relies entirely on the sudden violence of his equalizer. If the card’s headline attraction claims that thunder is gone, fans are paying for nostalgia rather than prime danger.

Opetaia faces a distinct reputational limit because of it. A dominant performance adds a legendary heavyweight scalp to his ledger, yet it will not convince skeptics he can challenge the division elite. Fury provided the counterargument months in advance: the opponent should have stepped away long ago.

The move up remains hazardous for the Australian. Stepping up in weight brings obvious physical disadvantages, and assuming Wilder is completely toothless would be reckless. Opetaia must rely on sharp footwork, making the veteran chase shadows instead of giving him a stationary target.

Diminished skills can still pack enough punch to alter someone venturing north of 200 pounds. Even so, this version barely resembles the wrecking ball who defended the WBC belt ten times.

Fury tore through the promotional sheen around this contest. Opetaia gets his crack at the famous Bronze Bomber name, but the card’s top star insists the man in Cardiff belongs in the crowd, not under the lights.

What’s interesting is how Fury is eager to declare Wilder finished, yet plenty of fans see his main event with Joshua as two faded names cashing in before the wheels fall off completely.

If Joshua catches him and puts him away early, the reaction will be merciless. The narrative will immediately flip to Fury being a shell of the giant who outboxed Wladimir Klitschko or battered Wilder in their rematch.

When a fighter spends years taking heavy punishment, blowing up between camps, and showing diminished punch resistance, the drop-off rarely happens gradually. It comes all at once.

Ever since the Francis Ngannou knockdown, Fury’s aura of invincibility has vanished. He was hurt badly and dropped by Oleksandr Usyk, and even in his recent bouts against big punchers like Arslanbek Makhmudov, he showed far less mobility and far more vulnerability to clean shots. His legs do not bail him out of trouble the way they used to.

Joshua rebuilt his career against lower-tier opposition, Kristian Prenga, and a crossover fight with Jake Paul, but the memory of being taken apart by Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk, and flattened by Andy Ruiz Jr. never truly disappeared. He remains cautious, mechanical, and prone to freezing.

If Joshua lands the clean right hand and flattens him, Fury will not have any room to complain about the commentary that follows. You cannot publicly brand your former rival a walking corpse on your undercard, then expect sympathy when the boxing public decides Father Time caught up to you on the very same night.