One of the most controversial moves with the inception of the TKO has been their proposed changes to the longstanding Muhammad Ali Act. However, according to WWE president and TKO board member Nick Khan, given the current state of boxing, this move will only prove more beneficial to fighters.
During a conversation with Max Kellerman, Khan explained why the Ali Act needed to be changed.
“That was emblematic of that sanctioning body, at that time,“ he said while talking about the indictment and conviction of the head of the IBF in 1999. “And part of the impetus for the Muhammad Ali act was to have a firewall up. That one person couldn’t be the promoter, the manager, and also that the sanctioning bodies would not promote fights.”
The former head of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Robert W. Lee Sr., was indicted in 1999 on federal racketeering and bribery charges related to manipulating boxer rankings in exchange for payments. Notably, federal prosecutors accused Lee and three other IBF officials of accepting approximately $338,000 in bribes from promoters and managers over a 13-year period. This scandal was one of the main driving forces behind the passage of the Ali Act in 2000.
Khan stated that the organization’s suggestion with the Muhammad Ali Enhancement Act is to leave the Muhammad Ali Act as currently drafted. They will instead be proposing an or, another option where a fighter can come overboard and fight for any promoter they want.
He believes that it is a move against the arbitrary and often unfair rules of the sanctioning bodies. This would, in turn, mean champions could fight top fighters rather than being forced to fight mandatories.
He even used the recent Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight as an example while discussing issues with sanctioning bodies.
“What Dana White and I sort of noticed while going into it, the only ones that were sort of difficult to deal with were one of the sanctioning groups,” he said, highlighting the unreasonable demands made by them. “I thought this was a nonprofit organization…it was nuts to me.”
“Honors The Spirit of The Original Ali Act”
This move has also garnered support from many notable names in the sport, including the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson. The champ mentioned that these changes were direly necessary to maintain the integrity of the act.
“Muhammad Ali has always been my hero, both inside and outside the ring,” Tyson said in a statement. “Supporting these revisions honors the spirit of the original Ali Act by closing loopholes that have allowed some promoters to regain monopolistic control over fighters’ careers. This new legislation restores balance — allowing boxers to choose their own path while preserving the integrity of the sport.”
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