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UPDATE - July 27, 2001

On July 22, 2001 - A & E (Arts and Entertainment) television ran a two hour program concerning the exploitation of professional boxers and the need for reform in the sport. Senator John McCain again stated that in order for boxing to truly reform itself and for boxers to have an industry wide pension system, the boxers need to themselves form an union. The Boxer Organizing Committee (BOC) has indicated to the Senator that we expect to have a certified union within a year. The BOC feels strongly that a union will be the beginning to an exciting new dawning for boxing. The sport will get standards and uniformity to clear paths to world titles, when the fans will get hard and honest competition, and when the boxers will get the dignity of knowing their health, their families, and their careers are being taken care of.

Senator John McCain Supports
Professional Boxer's Union

The Executive Committee of the Boxer's Organizing Committee, met with Senator John McCain at his Washington, D.C. office on May 1, 2001. Meeting with the Senator were Paul Johnson, Committee Chairman and Jose Torres and Irv Abramson, members of the Organizing Committee.

Senator McCain has been a staunch supporter of the Committee's efforts to unionize professional boxers and stated that a united voice for boxers is critical to the meaningful reform of boxing.

With the support of the AFL-CIO parent body and the endorsement of other athletic associations, the Boxer's Organizing Committee took another step towards successfully organizing professional boxers.

The National Football Players Association, Major Baseball League Players Association, the National Basketball Players Association, the National Hockey League Players Association, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and the United Auto Workers have all indicated their endorsement of the Boxer's Organizing Committee's efforts.

Among the active boxers who support a boxers' union are: Shane Mosley, Oscar de La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Jr. Mike Tyson, Mark Breland, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arturo Gatti, Winky Wright, Christy Martin, Naseem Hamed, Lennox Lewis and Angel Manfredy. Former champions include Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Larry Holmes.

Among the first goals of the Boxer's Organizing Committee will be to give boxers a voice in the administrative and rules processes and a national pension system.

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