04.04.04 – By Keith Terceira – Here is just how ignorant your Federal Government is. They are passing a law to create a commission that is supposed to oversee the Boxing Industry. We have been bombarded in the press as to the why, how’s, and wherefores of this bill and to date the big selling point has been to protect the fighter. Fine, great, yahoo, fighters get a break for a change. Protected from defective human beings that prey on the boxer, which to date have been some rather slick promoters mainly, also some even slicker managers. But one thing is wrong with this Bill. They don’t know what the term promoter means. So now they want you to let the bill pass and create the USBC and sometime in the future a year or so from now they will have the findings of a study that the Commission that doesn’t exist will do. In the meantime they will commence collecting fees when passed.
SEC. 22. STUDY AND REPORT ON DEFINITION OF PROMOTER.
(a) STUDY- The United States Boxing Commission shall conduct a study on how the term `promoter’ should be defined for purposes of the Professional Boxing Safety Act.
(b) HEARINGS- As part of that study, the Commission shall hold hearings and solicit testimony at those hearings from boxers, managers, promoters, premium, cable, and satellite program service providers, hotels, casinos, resorts, and other commercial establishments that host or sponsor professional boxing matches, and other interested parties with respect to the definition of that term as it is used in the Professional Boxing Safety Act.
(c) REPORT- Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the study conducted under subsection (a). The report shall–
(1) set forth a proposed definition of the term `promoter’ for purposes of the Professional Boxing Safety Act; and
(2) describe the findings, conclusions, and rationale of the Commission for the proposed definition, together with any recommendations of the Commission, based on the study.
Kind of putting the cart before the horse don’t you think. Only in the Government can you find the forming of another branch that is to protect an individual from someone or something they have not defined yet. Lets look at another little tidbit of interest.
`(1) IN GENERAL- For purposes of subsection (a), the Commission shall be presumed to have approved any match other than–
`(A) a match with respect to which the Commission has been informed of an alleged violation of this Act and with respect to which it has notified the supervising boxing commission that it does not approve;
`(B) a match advertised to the public as a championship match;
`(C) a match scheduled for 10 rounds or more; or
`(D) a match in which 1 of the boxers has–
`(i) suffered 10 consecutive defeats in professional boxing matches; or
`(ii) has been knocked out 5 consecutive times in professional boxing matches.
`(3) KNOCKED-OUT DEFINED- Except as may be otherwise provided by the Commission by rule, in paragraph (1)(D)(ii), the term `knocked out’ means knocked down and unable to continue after a count of 10 by the referee or stopped from continuing because of a technical knockout.
Lets examine this little blurb in the bill. One section of the bill states this.
`(2) LIMITATIONS- In setting and charging fees under paragraph (1), the Commission shall ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable–
`(A) club boxing is not adversely effected;
`(B) sanctioning organizations and promoters pay comparatively the largest portion of the fees; and
`(C) boxers pay as small a portion of the fees as is possible.
`(3) COLLECTION- Fees established under this subsection may be collected through boxing commissions or by any other means determined appropriate by the Commission.
No fees are listed yet so don’t worry your Congressmen and Senators will figure it all out after you give them Carte Blanc in the sport. Club Boxing is not to be affected is one of the biggest jokes.
So Mr Club fighter you are the biggest loser so far because, one, you better hope that you get some easy fights after those losses because should you ever have 5 TKO’s in a round or ten losses big brother steps in. Now Mega Promoter/Manager is not going to have a fighter under contract if he is anywhere near those numbers because you aren’t worth his time at that point.
Funny how the conflicts of interests sections do not address the conflicts of the promoter being the manager being the television company only the Fighter that is trying to be a manager and a promoter, but what’s new, the little guy gets it in the end mostly anyway.
Another little hiccup in the deal is that none have figured out the license requirements yet either or what the procedures will be. I rather doubt that you can’t have a criminal record because half the sport would disappear. Here is another vague section.
`(2) APPLICATION AND TERM-
`(A) IN GENERAL- The Commission shall–
`(i) establish application procedures, forms, and fees;
`(ii) establish and publish appropriate standards for licenses granted under this section; and
`(iii) issue a license to any person who, as determined by the Commission, meets the standards established by the Commission under this title.
`(B) DURATION- A license issued under this section shall be for a renewable–
`(i) 4-year term for a boxer; and
`(ii) 2-year term for any other person.
`(C) PROCEDURE- The Commission may issue a license under this paragraph through boxing commissions or in a manner determined by the Commission.
So now we are going to allow this bunch of bureaucrats the power to rule over the sport and they don’t even have the requirements, the standards or the procedures yet. Blank Check or a Bridge in Brooklyn mentality?
Don’t get me wrong, I want changes and fixes in the sport, but not from a bunch of clowns that need a year and a study to define the term promoter. Or from a group that just killed club boxing and put in the hands of the tycoons in the sport every championship including the regional minor belts. You were able to have an eight round minor title bout at a club or small venue which made it attractive to the fan but now, who knows?
Frankly unless some people do some real work prior to voting this thing into law instead of vague ideas and suggestions that do more to hurt the fighter by removing their options than assisting them in any substantive way all members of the boxing community should boycott and scream from the rooftops to delay this action. How about some real assistance by forcing a portion of proceeds to be placed in a fund to help the victims of this sports slickest. How about a guarentee that when this commission gets the chance to fine someone the money goes to the fighters not the General Accounting Office or the Executive Branches Christmas Fund like the fines dished out to SEC violators.
You haven’t yet figured out the procedures but you already have figured out that when you find a boxer suspect or in violation you can suspend them for over a year. Not the promoter because YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT ONE IS YET!!!!