Mike Tyson Endorses Congressman Brian Jack’s Bipartisan Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Regan Hinson
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Brian Jack (GA-03) announced Mike Tyson’s endorsement of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624), bipartisan legislation that provides professional boxers with more opportunities, better pay, and greater safety protections.
“I am honored to earn the support of Mike Tyson, one of the greatest boxers of all time. Mike Tyson’s unprecedented success in the sport enabled him to transcend his accomplishments in the ring, and become an American cultural phenomenon,” said Congressman Brian Jack. “Mike Tyson supports the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act because it protects boxers and offers more choice and new career opportunities for fighters to reach the same level of success that he once earned.”
Mike Tyson joins Lonnie Ali, the wife of Muhammad Ali, the Association of Boxing Commissions, and dozens of health and safety experts who support the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (MAABRA).
In his letter to the U.S. House Committee on Education & Workforce, Mike Tyson wrote, “Muhammad Ali has always been my hero, both inside and outside the ring. Supporting these revisions honors the spirit of the original Ali Act by closing loopholes that have allowed some promoters to regain monopolistic control over fighters’ careers. This new legislation restores balance – allowing boxers to choose their own path while preserving the integrity of the sport. The Act does not alter the opportunities of those who are comfortable with the current system; it simply adds options for fighters who wish to pursue a different path that better suits their career goals.”
In addition, Mike Tyson underscored the greater protections and compensation MAABRA offers boxers: “The proposed reforms provide meaningful benefits for fighters. Establishing a per-round minimum ensures that every athlete who steps into the ring receives fair compensation for the risks they take with their body and mind. The requirement for mandatory health insurance is equally critical – no fighter should ever have to choose between paying medical bills and pursuing their career. I’ve seen too many of my peers face that impossible decision.”
MAABRA preserves the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act (the “Ali Act”) that was codified in 2000, and enhances the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 by adding supplemental provisions to improve the safety and well-being of boxers.
The bill establishes a national minimum payment-per-round for all professional boxers ($150 per round), which prevents up-and-coming fighters from being exploited. In addition, all professional boxers would have access to better health insurance, including a first-time national minimum of $25,000 of coverage for injuries sustained during a bout – higher than the current minimum in 43 states.
MAABRA allows for the creation of alternative systems called Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs), which would provide boxers with better health and safety protections, greater compensation, and more choice and opportunities. UBOs would not replace the current sanctioning organizations. Instead, UBOs would exist side-by-side and operate independently, with UBO events regulated by state athletic commissions.
Boxers would have the freedom to choose which of the two systems – the existing sanctioning organizations model or the new UBO model – is most advantageous to them.
This legislation represents the first update to boxing in a quarter-century and will revive a once-great American sport.
Read the full bill text here.
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