De La Hoya warns boxing overhaul favors billionaires over fighters

Oscar De La Hoya told lawmakers Wednesday that a proposed overhaul of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act would concentrate power in corporate hands at the expense of fighters, as a Senate hearing exposed deep splits over boxing's future.

The Golden Boy Promotions founder testified before the Senate commerce committee alongside Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's grandson, who warned that a centralized model would strip fighters of leverage. "When one system controls access, choice becomes theoretical, not real," Walsh said, per The Guardian. "When that happens, you fight who you're told to fight or you don't fight at all."

Unified Boxing Organizations backed by TKO and Saudi investors

At stake is a House-passed bill that would permit the creation of so-called Unified Boxing Organizations — centralized bodies operating as both promoter and sanctioning authority. Nick Khan, a TKO Group Holdings board member, argued the current fragmented system is broken, pointing to multiple fighters claiming titles in the same division. "There is no middleweight champion," Khan said. "There are at least four different people who say they are." TKO, which owns the UFC and WWE, is backing the Zuffa Boxing venture expected to operate under the new framework, with funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Critics say the model would erase the firewall between promoters and sanctioning bodies that the Ali Act established, allowing exclusive long-term contracts and reducing financial disclosure requirements. De La Hoya framed the shift as a fundamental power grab. "This is a fundamental shift in power that would put corporate profits first, fighters second," he told the committee. Walsh rejected the premise that boxing needs fixing, noting UFC champions still chase boxing paydays because of fairer compensation.

Proposed contracts reviewed by The Guardian reportedly grant promoters control over opponent selection and restrict outside competition, with some agreements counting bouts as fulfilled even if a fighter withdraws injured without receiving full purse. Fighters leaving the unified system could forfeit rankings and title status, according to the documents. The bill would run parallel to existing law rather than replace it, though critics argue market forces would make the distinction meaningless if one model consolidates power.

The Senate hearing, chaired by Texas senator Ted Cruz, comes as the legislation moves through the upper chamber. UFC parent company TKO settled a $375m antitrust suit in 2024 over claims it suppressed wages, though the company denied wrongdoing and separate claims remain pending.

Source: theguardian.com