De La Hoya warns Senate: Ali Act overhaul favors billionaires

Oscar De La Hoya warned a Senate panel Wednesday that proposed changes to federal boxing law would shift power away from fighters and toward investors, as lawmakers weighed whether to allow centralized organizations backed by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to operate in the sport.

De La Hoya, the former champion turned promoter, told the commerce committee that the overhaul of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act amounts to "a fundamental shift in power that would put corporate profits first, fighters second," according to The Guardian. The bill, already passed by the House, would permit so-called Unified Boxing Organizations to function as both promoter and sanctioning body, breaking the firewall the Ali Act established between those roles.

Nico Ali Walsh frames choice as leverage versus control

Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's grandson and a pro with 15 bouts, framed the debate in stark terms. "When one system controls access, choice becomes theoretical, not real," he said, per The Guardian. "When that happens, you fight who you're told to fight or you don't fight at all." Walsh argued boxing does not need fixing, pointing out that UFC champions chase boxing paydays precisely because of fairer compensation.

Proponents of the legislation, including TKO board member Nick Khan, say the current structure creates confusion and limits investment. Khan cited the existence of multiple champions per division as evidence the sport lacks coherence. "There is no middleweight champion," he testified. "There are at least four different people who say they are." TKO is behind the Zuffa Boxing venture expected to operate under the proposed framework.

The bill would run parallel to existing law rather than replace it, allowing fighters to compete under either system. Critics contend that distinction collapses if the unified model consolidates matchmaking power and rankings, leaving fighters who stay outside at a competitive disadvantage. Proposed contracts reviewed by The Guardian show some agreements grant promoters control over opponent selection and restrict outside bouts, with clauses that count fights as fulfilled even if a fighter withdraws due to injury without receiving full purse.

The hearing, chaired by Texas senator Ted Cruz, arrives as scrutiny over combat sports business models intensifies. The UFC settled an antitrust suit last year for $375m over claims it suppressed fighter pay, though the company denied wrongdoing and separate litigation continues. The Senate is expected to take up the bill in the coming months.

Source: theguardian.com