De La Hoya Vows to Fight TKO-Backed Muhammad Ali Boxing Act in Senate

Oscar De La Hoya is preparing for a crucial Senate battle against the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, refusing to concede defeat despite the controversial legislation's passage through the House of Representatives and backing from powerful entertainment conglomerate TKO.

The bill, which sailed through the House via voice vote on Tuesday, now faces Senate consideration where it requires a simple majority before reaching President Donald Trump's desk for potential enactment. De La Hoya has been invited to Washington to testify against the measure, viewing this as boxing's last stand against corporate takeover.

"It doesn't seem inevitable," De La Hoya insisted during an appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "It still has to pass through the Senate. I've had various conversations with members of the Senate, and they've invited me to Washington in a few weeks to speak, and I'm going to be there."

The Golden Boy Promotions founder expressed frustration with what he perceives as industry-wide complacency regarding the legislation's implications. TKO, the parent company of UFC, WWE, and Zuffa Boxing, has emerged as the bill's primary advocate, using its considerable influence to advance the measure through legislative channels.

"What's mind-boggling to me is that nobody's reporting on it — nobody's talking about it," De La Hoya lamented. "I expect the boxing community to be in Washington... It feels like I'm fighting this fight alone, which is pretty odd."

De La Hoya attributes the bill's rapid progress to TKO's strategic maneuvering, characterizing their approach as deliberately secretive. The legislation underwent behind-closed-doors revisions before Tuesday's vote, where only one representative, Joe Courtney of Connecticut, voiced opposition.

"That's what TKO is, that's what Zuffa is, that's what Dana White is — they're always sneaky," De La Hoya observed. "They had a hearing yesterday or a couple of days ago, where they passed it. It was all sneaky, it was all under the radar — nobody knew about it."

Zuffa Boxing has promoted four events since entering the boxing space, with upcoming shows scheduled for April 5 and May 10. All events have taken place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas as the company tests its league-format approach to professional boxing.

De La Hoya particularly criticized Zuffa's championship belt system, which attempts to replace traditional sanctioning body titles with a single organizational championship. He pointed to cruiserweight fighter Jai Opetaia's indifference toward the Zuffa belt as evidence of its lack of legitimacy.

"When Max Kellerman was reporting in the ring after the fight and he asked Jai Opetaia about the Zuffa belt — Jai Opetaia doesn't care. He wants to unify all the traditional belts," De La Hoya noted. "The Zuffa belt — this pen is worth more than that belt. It means nothing — it's just a name."

The promoter also expressed concern about Ring Magazine's declining integrity under current ownership. Turki Alalshikh, who owns both Ring Magazine and has stakes in Zuffa, faces criticism for compromising the publication's independence.

De La Hoya voiced regret over selling Ring Magazine to Alalshikh, particularly after The Telegraph recently characterized the publication as "Saudi Arabian propaganda." This connection raises questions about rating integrity and editorial independence in boxing's most historically significant publication.

Despite legislative challenges, De La Hoya announced Golden Boy Promotions' contract extension with broadcaster DAZN, reuniting after months of uncertainty. The eight-year relationship includes successful promotion of world champions and has facilitated major boxing events.

The DAZN extension positions Golden Boy alongside Matchroom, Queensberry, and Top Rank under the broadcaster's umbrella, potentially enabling more cross-promotional matchups. De La Hoya hopes this consolidation will benefit boxing fans through increased competitive opportunities.

Looking ahead, Golden Boy plans a Ryan Garcia fight for July in Las Vegas, possibly against Devin Haney in what De La Hoya considers "the biggest fight out there for both guys." Such marquee matchups represent the type of competitive boxing De La Hoya believes the Ali Revival Act threatens to undermine through corporate centralization.