First boxing bill in 26 years sets pay standards and introduces a parallel system to sanctioning bodies
The United States House of Representatives has passed the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act by voice vote, the first boxing bill to clear the chamber in 26 years. The legislation now moves to the Senate with changes that would reshape fighter pay, medical coverage, and how bouts are organised.
This is not surface-level reform. It directly addresses how fighters are paid.
Jack’s bill builds on the original Ali Act and the 1996 safety law, tightening enforcement while adding new layers around compensation and health coverage. A national minimum of $200 per round is written into the structure, alongside a baseline $50,000 injury insurance requirement for every professional bout.
“The House of Representatives made history today by passing by voice vote landmark boxing legislation that will revive one of America’s greatest sports in the name of one of America’s greatest athletes,” said Congressman Brian Jack. “Professional boxing is the only sport regulated by Congress, and ambiguity in current law — adopted over a quarter century ago — has adversely affected boxers and stifled investment.”
Money and safety sit at the core, but the bigger shift is structural. The bill introduces Unified Boxing Organizations, a parallel system that would run alongside the existing sanctioning bodies rather than replace them.
That creates two tracks. Fighters can stay within the traditional alphabet route or move into a system that promises clearer pay terms and tighter medical standards, while still operating under state commission oversight.
Lonnie Ali backed the move with a clear emphasis on fighter welfare. “Muhammad dedicated his life to fighting — not just in the ring, but for the dignity of every person,” she said. “Let me be clear, my support for this bill has been and will continue to be centered on ensuring fighters achieve real safety and health protections, are provided genuine economic protections and fair compensation for the sacrifices they make.”
The endorsements show where the pressure is coming from. The Association of Boxing Commissions, Mike Tyson, the Teamsters, and major venue operators including Madison Square Garden and MGM Resorts all backed the bill before it reached the floor.
For fighters early in their careers, the minimum pay provision hits immediately. For established names, the UBO option could change how fights are negotiated and how often they stay active.
The sanctioning bodies are not removed, but they are no longer the only route.
Now it goes to the Senate. If it passes there, the business side of boxing in the United States will not run the same way again.