Senators call for boxing overhaul
Two senators have called for a national body to govern boxing in the United States.
The ripples from Timothy Bradley's controversial split-decision victory over Filipino Manny Pacquiao spread on Monday when John McCain and Larry Reid stepped into the fray.
Senator McCain, a Republican from Arizona who boxed when he attended the US Naval Academy, and senate majority leader Reid, a Nevada Democrat and former middleweight boxer, introduced legislation that would create the US Boxing Commission.
The body would be tasked with administering federal boxing law, working with the industry and local commissions, and licensing boxers, promoters, managers and sanctioning organisations.
McCain, speaking on the senate floor, said the outcome of the IBO welterweight title bout between Bradley and Pacquiao on June 9 was "the latest example of the legitimate distrust boxing fans have for the integrity of the sport".
Undefeated American Bradley won the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where the three judges were under pressure to explain their scoring, described by many experts as flawed.
Jerry Roth gave Pacquiao the fight 115-113, but CJ Ross and Duane Ford had Bradley winning by the same score.
Pacquiao appeared to land the more damaging blows throughout the contest.
Longtime promoter Bob Arum, who handles both fighters, fumed over the result.
"I've never been as ashamed of the sport of boxing as I am tonight," Arum said in the immediate aftermath, adding he believed it was the result of incompetence rather than corruption.
McCain says professional boxing is the only sport in the United States not regulated by a strong, centralised association.
Clearly, the conspiracy theories and speculation surrounding the fight are given life because there are so many questions surrounding the integrity of the sport and how it is managed in multiple jurisdictions," McCain said.
Currently, each state has its own boxing commission, which is in charge of choosing officials for bouts and enforcing rules.
Under the proposed legislation, all referees and judges participating in a championship or professional fight scheduled for ten rounds or more would have to be fully registered and licensed by the national commission.
Sanctioning organisation such as the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation or World Boxing Organisation could provide the names of judges and referees they consider qualified for a bout, but only the national commission could appoint judges and referees to work a fight.
