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SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

On Wednesday, July 23, reports came out with the news that a bi-partisan bill was introduced that proposed legislation to amend the Ali Act. There were several notable points that included a minimum “per round” pay scale, a health insurance plan, enhanced drug testing, safety protocols, and more. And all of this done with the guidance of TKO. But how much of that is benefitting the athletes when it comes down to TKO’s monopolistic practices? We try to answer the questions we’ve seen around social media and a few that we didn’t see. Follow along with our outline as you listen:

Episode 174 Outline

* Georgia Congressman Brian Jack is introducing a new, bi-partisan bill that sets up new legislation for boxing. What is it and what is the main goal of the legislation?

* What part of the Ali Act specifically prohibits the UFC pay model? (@fistsoffiction on Twitter asks the question)

* Do Brian Jack or his co-sponsor Sharice Davids have any notable ties to TKO?

* Can you give us a quick summary of what the bill is trying to amend?

* What do they mean by “run parallel” to the current legislation (Ali Act)?

* They plan to up boxer minimum pay by offering better “per round” pay. What does that mean and what are they offering as the minimum?

* They’re also talking about healthcare for boxers. Could you expand on that.

* Will Turki Alalshikh/The Ring/Riyadh Season/Sela/PIF be involved in this?

* Does the fact that UFC just settled an antitrust case due to unfair pay matter at all here?

* Where does the ABC come in and what’s their role in this?

* Should they be pushing back against this?

* What about the sanctioning organizations, how do they fit into this plan?

* Some articles are reporting that boxers would be able to choose the system they want to participate in: traditional or the UBOs (United Boxing Organizations), but doesn’t TKO/Zuffa historically lock their athletes into coercive, ironclad contracts, making it difficult for them to get away if they decide to sign?

* Do they plan to have their own belts and if so, who would the sanctioning body be?

* Could they change the ruleset of boxing acting as a UBO?

* They say that they plan to focus some of their energy toward making boxing safer and having better drug testing in place. What would that look like?

* Do you foresee even more regulatory capture coming into play here?

* How long do you think the process will be to get this passed?

* Do you think there will be any pushback at all? Will it be difficult to get the votes?

* How could POTUS help this along?

* Fred Garvin asked why they would need to bring out the big guns of federal intervention to make what, on the surface, looks like modest changes. What’s your take on that?

* What’s the worst part of this proposed legislation?

* Are there any positives to be derived from it?

Download the bill proposal PDF: