Possible Future US Federal Boxing Commision: Thoughts?

[lordbd]

There has been some noise since the Pacqiao-Bradley decision that the guv'ment might try to form a federal boxing commision for the United States to help clean up the sport.

I personally 1) think it's a good idea 2) don't think it will actually happen and 3) don't really know that much about boxing commisions.

Does anyone else know more about this or have further thoughts? It seems clear to me that the sport needs a change either in terms of more pressure for fighters to take on top contenders or more consistent and homogenous oversight in terms of judging and promotion.

[lklawson]

Has Federal regulation ever actually helped any sport?

I'm opposed completely. We don't need another tax payer supported bureaucracy. Boxing should be self-regulated, paid for by boxing. If there are issues with injuries, either short term or long term, then it needs to be hammered out using the existing judicial system.

My experience is that when sports are taken to a National level (whatever sport), it homogenizes it, squeezes out local variations, and generally harms the sport.

But, heck, Korea certainly manages TKD.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

[slamdunc]

Has Federal regulation ever actually helped any sport?

No

Korea certainly manages TKD.

I would think regulates is more appropriate than manages, and it is not really a good thing. TKD is the most political (probably since it is one of the most popular) martial art I can think of. There are a lot of power-struggles there.

[lordbd]

Fair enough. I was so focused at being frustrated with the problems in the sport that I didn't think that hard about what impact a federal commission might have. We need less politics and red tape not more.

[ChuckWepner]

Given what a horrible job the state commissions do, I'd be willing to give a national commission a try, but it won't happen because it would take an exception to the constitutional rule that the states regulate local commerce and we can only have that for the Important Sports, like Baseball, that need a Federally-authorized, otherwise-illegal monopoly to run them.

To be honest, though, as much as I don't like Major League Baseball and the NFL in some ways, they run a thousand times better than professional boxing does. But the chance for a Federal Boxing Commission is only going to come around if either the popularity of the sport rises so much that people demand reform from Congress (very little chance, though the increasing Latino population will boost it some) or there is a series of major scandals so bad, and so clearly implicating state and / or tribal commissions, that it becomes a last ditch effort to save the sport.