Will Donald Trump make boxing great again?

Donald J. Trump is a global figure who needs no introduction. The recently re-elected President of the United States will begin his second term as Commander in Chief of the United States on January 20, 2025. Casual fans may wonder if this has anything to do with sports, much less boxing. However, seasoned veterans of the boxing community are keenly watching the inevitable impact President Trump’s tenure will have on the sport of boxing.

As many casual fans don’t know, Donald J. Trump’s name was synonymous with boxing until he became known for his presidential runs. One could go so far as to say that he was the Turki Alalshikh of the 1980s and 1990s, responsible for staging some of the biggest fights of all time, including but not limited to Tyson vs. Spinks, Holyfield vs. Foreman and Tyson vs. Holmes. Trump did not limit himself to hosting these historic events in his successful casinos, he promoted and/or sponsored them. Trump kept the sport alive for more than 30 years by using his revered business acumen to ensure fighters made the most money possible while suffering corruption at levels never seen before and successfully confronting nefarious figures and compromised commissions whose predatory activities threatened physical and financial health. of the fighters, as well as the integrity of Boxing itself.

Donald Trump’s positive impact on the sport of boxing is reflected in the various honors and awards he has received. In addition to his permanent induction into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and the New Jersey State Boxing Hall of Fame, Donald Trump has won the coveted Muhammad Ali Entrepreneur Award and the Most Influential Person Award in the Sports from Sports Business Journal. Trump is also, to this day, a staunch and passionate boxing fan and supporter, often appearing at events to thunderous applause and adulation from stadiums filled with combat sports fans remembering what the man has done to bring combat sports to where they are. today.

Unfortunately, due to the inevitable slander and political rhetoric that comes hand-in-hand with challenging the most powerful people and cliques in the world, a notable number of casual-level boxing fans have been forced to associate the name Donald J. Trump with negative policies. rhetoric. To maintain this narrative, the media almost universally suppresses specific consequential incidents in boxing history.

Jack Johnson

In 1913, during the Jim Crow era, when American law enforced racial segregation, the first black heavyweight champion in history, Jack Johnson, was accused of violating the MANN Act. His crime was transporting his white fiancée across state lines. It is universally accepted that this was a blatant use of lawfare by whites who could not stand the influence of a black man who lived with a white woman and reigned in boxing’s highest position, the World Heavyweight Championship. Despite being accused of incidents that occurred before the MANN Act was enacted, an all-white jury found Johnson guilty of the crime and sentenced him to prison.

Democratic President Woodrow Wilson allowed this injustice to persist, resulting in a permanent stain on Johnson’s record that would negatively impact him for the rest of his life. The sentence lasted for the next 16 administrations, including notable civil rights presidents Barack Obama (8 years), Bill Clinton (8 years), Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy, and Franklin Roosevelt (12 years). It was not until 2018 that President Donald J. Trump granted a full posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, finally relieving the man’s reputation of this political and racial conviction.

mike tyson

Mike Tyson’s often troubled career is well documented. However, many casual fans may not know that Donald Trump played such a positive role in Mike Tyson’s career and that Iron Mike ultimately hired Trump to be his advisor in his legal matters and career changes. After successfully helping Tyson overcome his management dispute with Bill Cayton and paying Mike his largest salaries to date, nefarious entities attempted to poison the relationship by generating baseless rumors about Trump and Tyson’s then-wife, Robin Givens. Shortly afterward, Mike Tyson was accused of rape, convicted, and sentenced to six years in prison despite overwhelming evidence that the relationship with the alleged victim was purely consensual. During his first years in prison, Mike Tyson had only one defender and supporter, Donald Trump, who demanded that he be allowed to train and pushed for an appeal of his conviction. To this day, Mike Tyson publicly praises Donald Trump as the man who was always there for him, even going so far as to publicly support Trump in his 2024 re-election bid despite the highly combustible political atmosphere of 2024.

Impact on boxing

Trump’s impact on boxing

Less than a month before Donald Trump’s inauguration, let’s look at the potential positive impact of having a passionate and proven supporter of boxing in the White House. First, President Trump could start with the stronghold of sanctioning bodies. With each passing year, the word “Champion” is diluted and sold in portions by the entities that hold the power of public perception. There is an apparent conflict of interest in the enormous financial benefit to these authorities in having as many fighters wearing belts as possible and paying the corresponding penalties. It’s yet another conflict of interest that these penalty fees are based on a percentage of a fighter’s purse rather than a flat fee, meaning it’s in the best interest of sanctioning bodies for the boxers who generate the biggest purses to use the belts. rather than simply the best fighters. The results of these stark conflicts of interest have the potential to influence everything from rankings to scorecards. Here in 2024, we have already reached the point where fighters lose on the world stage, only for their “undefeated” records to be restored through the court systems, and the Undisputed Champions to be stripped of their belts to make way to undiluted sanctions of fighters as popular fighters. like Anthony Joshua, and clear victories for fighters like Tyson Fury scored as losses to accommodate opponents who have more years left in the sport than the champion. Boxing has gone from having eight weight classes and eight champions to having 17 weight classes and as many as 187 “champions,” and in many weight classes two or even three boxers use the same belt and pay penalty fees. Other effects of these conflicts of interest even result in compromising the safety of the fighters, as popular fighters like David Benavidez and Devin Haney are allowed to enter the ring three or four weight classes heavier than their opponents.

President Trump can put an end to this madness and make boxing better and safer than ever. Since the United States is the universally recognized authority in boxing, a US government boxing division could be established. A championship could be established with 13 weight classes. A federal commission could be created, with the authority to override and sanction local commissions that deviate from the rules. This commission would oversee and enforce weekly weigh-ins and drug testing beginning six weeks before the fight, with no licenses issued to fighters on short notice of less than six weeks. This commission would also be the universal authority in the selection, training and licensing of all fight referees and judges. It would not be necessary to attempt to deregulate existing commissions, many of which are outside President Trump’s jurisdiction, but rather to create a new commission that would quickly gain the public’s trust and perception as the only authority that counts.

President Trump’s bold and proactive ambitions for America and its global influence are further compounded by the rumored and much-needed redefinition of the 22nd Amendment, which could pave the way for a second Trump term that will last eight years instead of four. Combined with President Trump’s undying love and support for the sport of boxing, it could only be a matter of time before the idea comes to his attention or comes to his attention through advocacy by true boxing fans around the world. .