The grandson of Oscar De La Hoya and Muhammad Ali slammed proposed changes to federal boxing laws on Wednesday, warning a U.S. Senate committee that the reforms would prioritize corporate profits and Saudi investors over boxers.
The House of Representatives approved changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act last month that would allow for the creation of a Unified Boxing Organization (UBO), in which a single entity could serve as the governing body and promoter.
Supporters say the reforms streamline a fragmented and confusing sport that has lost ground in recent years to mixed martial arts, which operates under thriving centralized leagues such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Witnesses at the Senate hearing accused boxing’s multiple sanctioning bodies of corruption or racketeering, noted that fighters had been stripped of titles over financial disputes, and said unified rules would improve safety inside the ring.
But Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Cruz said the reforms he expected to introduce to the Senate “soon” faced strong objections from other witnesses, including former boxing great De La Hoya.
“This is a fundamental shift in power that, if changed, would put corporate profits first and fighters second,” said De La Hoya, who now owns Golden Boy Promotions.
The Olympic boxing gold medalist turned professional world champion said the reforms were “directly consistent” with the recent launch of Saudi boxing promotion Zuffa Boxing, a joint venture with UFC parent TKO Group Holdings.
“Zuffa Boxing is entirely funded by Saudi Arabia. We have seen how this kind of funding has reshaped another sport with LIV Golf,” said De La Hoya.
“We should be honest about what’s going on here. This is a sports reshuffle, obviously using sports to rebuild reputations.”
He said reports that LIV Golf could soon lose Saudi funding and could be on the verge of collapse “should serve as a warning”. LIV Golf has denied the reports.
Muhammad Ali’s grandson, professional boxer Nico Ali Walsh, also opposed the reforms.
He said the original Ali Act had protected fighters since 2000 from previously rampant anti-competitive and exploitative behavior by promoters.
The proposed reforms would “undermine this principle” by replacing “open markets with controlled structures”.
He said UFC fighters “typically receive less than 20% of their income, while boxing fighters can earn up to 80%.”
“If this bill passes in its current form, it should not have my grandfather’s name on it,” he said.
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