Editorial: Congress aims to reduce boxing ills

Tuesday, July 28, 1998 | 11:32 a.m.

Sens. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., and John McCain, R-Ariz., have authored a bill to protect the rights of boxers, who often fall prey to unscrupulous promoters. Some of the more notable provisions of the legislation include a one-year limit on the promotional rights that promoters could place on boxers, and prohibiting promoters also from managing a boxer's money. The legislation also would require sanctioning organizations to come up with consistent criteria for rating boxers, a system that many boxing analysts believe is a farce.

And in an age when athletes in other sports are earning astronomical sums of money, boxing is still notorious for cheating fighters out of money. Mike Tyson, in written testimony to the Senate last week, placed part of the blame for his losses of $65 million since 1995 on his promoter.

The Senate is expected to vote on the measure, but because there are so few days remaining on the legislative calendar, it is unlikely that the House will get an opportunity to act on the legislation. It will be a shame if Congress squanders an opportunity to help restore confidence in a sport that for many is identified so closely with Las Vegas.