Nico Ali Walsh has changed his position on the proposed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, moving from one of the bill’s most visible opponents to an advocate urging the U.S. Senate to move the legislation forward.
Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali and a professional boxer, sent a letter dated Sept. 10 to congressional leaders expressing his support for S. 5188 and encouraging the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee to advance the bill to the full Senate.
The reversal is notable because Ali Walsh testified against the legislation before the same committee in April.
Since then, he says he has spent months working with senators, policymakers, attorneys and others involved with the legislation in an effort to strengthen its protections for professional boxers. “I will be candid: I strongly opposed the original version of this bill because I believed fighters deserved better,” Ali Walsh wrote.
He said the revised legislation now includes several changes he fought to secure, including shorter promotional contracts, a path toward free agency, more transparent ranking systems, separation between promoters and ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) and fighter managers, and financial disclosure requirements for UBOs.
Ali Walsh believes those changes give fighters greater leverage and control over their careers. “My grandfather fought for protections for fighters, inside the ring and out, and I will always stand on that principle,” he wrote.
Senate Moves Bill Forward
Ali Walsh’s endorsement was announced Sept. 16 by committee Chairman Ted Cruz and Sen. Jacky Rosen, who are sponsoring the bipartisan legislation. Rosen praised Ali Walsh’s involvement in the drafting process and said the changes he advocated were incorporated into the legislation.
The committee subsequently advanced the bill to the full Senate for consideration. The legislation still faces another hurdle if it passes the Senate. It would have to be reconciled with the House version, H.R. 4624, before the current congressional session concludes.
The legislation would represent another major attempt to reshape the business structure of professional boxing. The original Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, signed into law in 2000, established federal protections intended to address conflicts of interest and financial transparency involving boxing promoters and fighters.
The proposed legislation seeks to update that framework for the modern boxing business, including the emergence of new promotional and ownership structures.
Opposition Has Not Disappeared
Ali Walsh’s endorsement does not mean the boxing community has reached consensus. Several prominent voices remain critical of the legislation, arguing that important fighter protections are still missing.
One issue involves medical requirements. Critics have pointed to a provision allowing fighters under 40 to satisfy certain pre-fight neurological requirements through a standard examination by a neurologist rather than more expensive brain imaging.
Opponents argue that a neurological examination cannot identify certain conditions that imaging can detect, including bleeding or lesions. That issue has become part of the broader debate over whether the legislation adequately addresses fighter health and safety.
Sports Illustrated senior writer and DAZN boxing commentator Chris Mannix also criticized the Senate’s use of Ali Walsh’s endorsement, arguing on X that the legislation would benefit a particular promotional interest and could result in lower compensation for athletes who are not represented through collective bargaining.
Those criticisms remain disputed by supporters of the legislation. The central disagreement is therefore no longer simply whether boxing needs reform. It is what that reform should look like and whether the current version provides enough protection for fighters.
Ali Walsh’s Position Has Evolved
Ali Walsh’s reversal illustrates how complicated the legislation has become. His initial opposition gave him credibility as an active fighter questioning whether the proposed changes adequately protected boxers. His subsequent involvement in negotiations has now led him to publicly support the revised legislation.
Rather than maintaining his original position, Ali Walsh says he chose to participate in the process and push for changes from inside. His letter specifically points to contract length, free agency, rankings, conflicts of interest and financial disclosures as areas where he believes progress has been made.
Whether those changes ultimately satisfy the legislation’s remaining critics will be determined as the bill moves through Congress. For now, however, Ali Walsh is no longer asking lawmakers to reject the legislation. He is asking them to pass it. “I support legislation that I believe better protects fighters while advancing my grandfather’s legacy,” Ali Walsh wrote.
That puts Muhammad Ali’s grandson in a dramatically different position from where he stood when he appeared before the Senate committee earlier this year. With the bill now headed toward the full Senate, his voice will carry added significance in a boxing industry still divided over how the sport’s business should be regulated.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
