Muhammad Ali Boxing Revitalization Act Approved by Committee: Path to Trump’s Signature and Key Changes

The House Committee on Education and Labor has approved the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revitalization Act. Now it will be put to a vote in the House of Representatives, where it must gain a simple majority. After that, it must receive 60 votes in the Senate before reaching US President Donald Trump for consideration.

It is expected that decisions will not be made in the near future. Right now, both chambers are focused on the urgent passing of budget bills to prevent another government shutdown before January 30.

The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revitalization Act provides for amendments to the existing Muhammad Ali Act. Its initiator Dana White, who is lobbying for the changes with the support of Turki Alalshikh, claims that the new revision will expand opportunities for boxers.

The changes provide for increasing minimum payments per round, increasing minimum insurance requirements, clearer anti-doping norms, and the mandatory presence of at least two ambulances and two doctors at professional boxing matches. Also, according to them, the possibility to sanction championship fights not only through sanctioning bodies, such as the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF, should be implemented.

At the same time, critics of the updating of the Act note a negative impact. According to them, boxers will have fewer opportunities for protection, and the influence on managerial work after the adoption of the changes will lead to fighters receiving less favorable terms.