By Keith Terceira
Boxers, their families, and fans of the sport can breath a sigh of relief as the House killed the bill that would have created a Commission to further confuse the political climate that boxing functions in. By a margin of 233-190 the bill was squashed not by Democrats who seem to complain over rights taken from anyone except boxers but by Republicans, who are daily accused of wanting to limit civil rights.
What bothers me is that boxers in the Red states are allowed to ply their trade based on things like experience , wins and losses, punishment taken in a career, and medical evals. But in the Blue States , commissioners have gone as far now as to tell matchmakers and promoters to disqualify potential opponents based solely on age.
It was bad enough that after the age of 35 a fighter had to jump through a maze of medical exams but now some commissioners do not want matchmakers to even submit a fighters name for consideration if they are over 35-36, even if that person is a debut fighter.
The same states that want to allow a 14 year old child the right to have an abortion without parental notification are the same states that consider a 37 year old tax paying citizen of the US to senile to make an informed decision on how to ply his trade or what career to have. Only in the sport of boxing does the Civil Rights Act of 1991 not apply.
Recently I spoke to a matchmaker about procuring a 6 round fight for a 8-5 fighter against a 4-0 opponent, the matchmaker agreed to the fight until he noticed that the boxer was 39. I was informed that the state commissioner won't even consider a boxer over 36. Doesn't matter about punishment level, losses, or anything except age. Washed up at 36 plain an simple.
Washed up that is unless you are the hometown guy, seems commissioners in blue states have no problem with fighters in their own state that are over 35 , just opponents from other states.
Fighters like Manning Galloway, who so regularly upset prospects cannot beg a fight in a many a state.
I can understand the need to protect a fighter from absorbing to much punishment, but to rule a person out based not on medicals, not on fights lost but solely on age is a matter for the E.E.O.C. and a federal court.
To deprive a person his or her career or trade based on a birth date would not fly in a blue state in any other field. A 90 year old runner can have a stroke in the New York Marathon but a 40 year old boxer cannot get a fight in many states, no matter who the opponent is.
If you are a fighter that is experiencing such blatant discrimination please contact me at the email address below so I can investigate and report on commissions that place themselves above the laws of this country or who are instructed to place an age limit on a boxers career without a legal right to do so.
Remember fight fans even USA Boxing has a masters boxing division where fighters as old as seventy can compete. While they limit the length and time of rounds they don't discriminate based on age. It is well within the right of a commission to limit the amount of rounds a fighter can fight based on age, they can suspend a fighter for injury, for lack of skill but they cannot legally refuse a fighter based solely on age alone.
When I asked the matchmaker why doesn't anyone complain about this commissioners practice he replied
“Then I wouldn't get any match approved”
Regulatory Rules of the ABC state this;
2. The supervising Commission may approve the contest if the following information about each boxer is similar and the supervising Commission does not have undo concern for the safety and welfare of either boxer proposed for a contest.
a. Boxing record;
b. Boxing experience;
c. Boxing skill; and
d. Physical condition.
Age is not mentioned neither is it mentioned in state laws that govern the sport but some officials have taken it upon themselves to act in direct conflict with employment laws and civil rights laws and force out boxers due to age.
Experienced fighters have a right to be respected in this country and have a place in teaching and passing on their knowledge in the ring. While a commission can say you are of an age that we wish to limit you to a four or six round fight they should not rob the sport of its veterans if those boxers are in good health.
Tell me your story!