Boxing reform bill fading fast!
By Karl Freitag

Time is running out on a bill sponsored by Senator John McCain that would establish a U.S. government-run national boxing commission. The U.S. House of Representatives will meet for a half-day today in the final legislative session of the lame-duck 108th congress. If it is not passed today (and it's not expected to be), the bill is dead and it's back to square one next year. The original boxing legislation has now morphed into tangle of politicians' pet projects involving intellectual property rights, telecommunications and Internet issues.

The bill would, among other things:

• Establish the United States Boxing Commission, consisting of an executive director and three commissioners appointed by the President (with no more than two from the same political party or from either side of the Mississippi River), to make and oversee uniform safety standards, including the requirement that emergency medical personnel and an ambulance be present at ringside at all times.

• Grant the commission authority to conduct investigations and provide it with subpoena power.

• Maintain confidential medical records and medical suspension information on every licensed boxer.

• License all boxers, promoters, referees and judges.

• Require promoters to submit contracts with boxers to ensure payment of purse monies to the athletes.

National Commission kayoed!
By Karl Freitag
There will be no Federal takeover of the pro boxing industry in the United States. At least not in the immediate future. A bill sponsored by Senator John McCain that would have established a national boxing commission was kayoed Wednesday during the final legislative session of the 108th congress. The original boxing legislation had morphed into tangle of politicians' pet projects involving boxing reform, video piracy, telecommunications and Internet copyright issues before finally being shot down. In the end, the bill stalled because of a squabble between McCain and Texas congressman Joe Barton, who was in opposition of the bill's boxing provisions. So for the moment, it remains business as usual in the boxing industry. Advocates of a national commission will have to start from square one when the 109th congress opens next year.

Unbelieveable.  Boxing will continue to be run by greedy idiots like Don King
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it's too violent for me
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too violent?  Every boxing match I've ever seen was nothing more than a hugfest.  A few punches, then they hugged each other, a few more punches and then more hugging.  Way too boring for me.
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PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) - Colombian boxer Carlos Meza died Tuesday, four days after being knocked out in the ring, according to boxing officials.

"Unfortunately, Meza has died," said Miguel Prado, president of Panama's Boxing Commission.

Meza, 26, never regained consciousness after being knocked out in the 12th round of a bantamweight bout against Ricardo Cordoba in the Atlantic port city of Colon.

Dr. Winston Grenald, the boxing commission's physician, said Meza had died as a result of a coma induced by three skull fractures and the accumulation of fluid on the brain.

Doctors had declared Meza brain dead, and said they were only waiting for vital signs to cease in order to issue a formal death certificate.

Meza, ranked 14th by the World Boxing Association, had an operation Saturday to ease swelling from cerebral bleeding.

stop watching John Ruiz fights... Its bad for mental stability.
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