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Design by:
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" T h e S p i r i t o f t h e S w e e t S c i e n c e "
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American Association for the Improvement of Boxing
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86 Fletcher Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10552-3319
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Tel 914.664.4571 Fax 914.664.3164
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h t t p : / / w w w . a a i b . o r g
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email: aaib@worldnet.att.net
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McCain Moves the Professional Boxing Act
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AAIB chief consul George Otto has reviewed the
summary of Senate Bill 2550, the Professional Boxing
Amendments Act of 2002. The bill was introduced by
Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and Byron Dorgan
(D-North Dakota) into the Senate on May 22, 2002 .
This proposed legislation contains provisions, which
if implemented, can further reform professional
boxing.
It largely focuses on establishing a National
Entity that would carry out many amendments of
sections originally put forth by the Professional
Boxing Act of 1996, then subsequently amended by the
Muhammad Ali Reform Act of 2000. The first section
pertains to boxing matches on Indian lands. The
Professional Boxing Act of 2002 specifically
provides for the establishment of a boxing
commission under the jurisdiction of the special
tribal organization residing on the site of the
match. It is significant to note that the tribal
organization must regulate such boxing in compliance
with standards and requirements set forth by the
United States Boxing Administration. This differs
markedly from the Professional Boxing Act in that
the latter specifically states that the fights be
regulated in accordance with pertinent state laws or
the rules of the American Boxing Commissions (ABC).
The AAIB has a specific concern, Will the US
Boxing Administration be effective enough to mandate
and enforce uniform rules and regulations in every
state (i.e. the recent Tyson fiasco, where the state
of Nevada, though it had much to lose financially
turned down Tyson’s bid for a license as did NY, PA
and others, with the exception of TN, and we
strongly question the type of commission that exists
there),
The AAIB has always maintained (it's in our
Manifesto) that boxing must be conducted as other
major sports where competent administration and
knowledge of the sport are mandatory.
The USA Boxing Administration, while on its face,
appears to be a momentous step forward for the ring
game, and would have to be structured as an
impartial body, devoid of any people in the game
whose conduct is or has been questionable.
The AAIB’s main thrust since its inception has
been the medical safety and financial accountability
for the fighters earnings.
Both medical safety and financial welfare of the
professional boxer is futile if everyone does not
follow suit.
While there are many commissions in this country
that have outstanding regulations such as New York,
Nevada, California and others, there must also be
competent administration or they simply can’t be
successfully enforced.
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Boxing...it's more than legislation |
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Thanks to Senator John McCain, The Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 (H.R.4167) finally crossed the
finish line and was signed into law by President Clinton on October 11, 1996.
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In part, the law set up a system to prevent a boxer from fighting under aliases in different states - a
dangerous practice allowing a fighter to participate in countless fights with little time for recuperation and medical follow-up.
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The law, although incomplete, marks a positive turning point fort the sport of boxing. Hopefully, it will
gain the complete support of the Association of Boxing Commissioners, which represents state athletic commissions.
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As far back as 1961, the AAIB, Inc. has supported boxing bills - attending hearings, testifying on behalf
of safer boxing and working on other needed reforms.
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The AAIB has always recommended there be no more than eight to ten divisions and that TV networks should
behave more honorably by eliminating from their programming meaningless bouts, now used to fill both TV slots and the
coffers of the pseudo promoters. Titles should be won or lost in the
ring by bona
fide champions and justifiable contenders. This will sustain the ring game.
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Hearings on the pension plan phase of Senator McCain´s bill continue. It calls for the Secretary of Labor
to conduct a study of the feasibility and cost of a national pension system for boxers, including potential funding sources and to develop recommendations for the health, safety and equipment standards
for boxers and professional boxing matches.
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The Bill´s Long Journey
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Prior to passage of the first part of the bill, the AAIB made recommendations to both Senator McCain and
Dr. Richard Niemeir of the National Institute of Safety and Health, who did the research and made his own recommendations supporting the bill´s safety provisions.
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The bill follows many other attempts to regulate boxing. Senator Estes Kefauver introduced the first
boxing bill in 1961.
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In 1966, Rocky Marciano and Steve Acunto Sr. attended a Congressional hearing in Washington as advisors
to the Harris bills, and three years later, Acunto represented the sport at another hearing in New York City that was sponsored by Congressman Mario Biaggi and Lester Wolf.
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In 1992, further hearings and proposed bills followed, with AAIB chairman Acunto testifying and offering
recommendations on a bill by Senator William Roth.
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