S. 5188 — Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act of 2026

This section states the purposes of the Act to increase choice and opportunity for professional boxers by allowing participation in an alternative system offered by a unified boxing organization and to enhance safety precautions protecting the well-being of professional boxers.

This section establishes an alternative compliance system for unified boxing organizations under the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996. It defines such an organization as a private association, league, or centralized body that organizes professional boxing matches under unified rules and issues title belts. It requires these organizations to provide boxers age 40 and older with annual supplemental physical examinations including chest X-rays every 6 years, an additional ambulance and ringside physician at each covered match, training and rehabilitation access, supplemental injury insurance, a medical coordinator, and a comprehensive anti-doping program. It imposes criminal penalties of up to 1 year in prison or a $20,000 fine for knowing violations. It also updates the definition of physician to require a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.

This section establishes minimum health and safety standards for professional boxing matches. It requires specific medical examinations for boxers with defined validity periods (e.g., 1 year for physical and brain exams, 6 months for antibody tests, 14 days for pregnancy tests); an ambulance and medical personnel on site; a ringside physician with specified certification beginning 2 years after enactment of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act of 2026; and health insurance providing at least $50,000 in medical coverage and $15,000 in accidental death coverage, with premiums not charged to the boxer. It also requires promoters to pay boxers a minimum of $200 per round, mandates drug testing for title matches and at random for others, and requires all judges and referees to be certified by a state boxing commission or the Association of Boxing Commissions.

This section provides that amendments made by this Act take effect on the date of enactment and apply to professional boxing matches occurring on or after the date that is 180 days after enactment.