Donald J. Trump is a world 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 how this has anything to do with sports. , much less boxing. However, veterans of the boxing community are wary of the inevitable impact that President Trump’s tenure will have on the sport of boxing.
As many casual level 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 he was the Turki Alalshikh of the 1980s and 1990s, responsible for staging some of the greatest fights of all time, including but not limited to Tyson vs. Spinks, Holyfield vs. Foreman , and Tyson vs. Holmes. Trump has not only hosted these historic events in his highly successful casinos, he has promoted and/or sponsored them. Trump has kept the sport alive for more than 30 years by using his revered business acumen to ensure fighters make as much money as possible while cracking down on corruption at unprecedented levels and successfully resisting nefarious figures and commissions that compromised their business predators threatened physical and financial health. of fighters, as well as the integrity of boxing itself.
Donald Trump’s positive impact on the sport of Boxing is reflected by 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 won the coveted Muhammad Ali Entrepreneur Award and the Sports Business Journal’s Most Influential Person in Sports Award. Trump is also, to this day, a staunch and passionate fan and supporter of boxing, often appearing at events to thunderous applause and adulation from arenas full of combat sports fans who remember what the man he did to bring combat sports where they are. today
Unfortunately, due to the inevitable political slander and rhetoric that comes hand in hand with challenging the most powerful and cabals in the world, significant amounts of casual level boxing fans have been forced to associate the name of Donald J .Trump with negative politics. 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 US law enforced racial segregation, the first Black Heavyweight Champion in history, Jack Johnson, was charged with violating the MANN Act. His crime was transporting his white girlfriend across state lines. It is universally accepted that this was a flagrant use of the law by white people who could not stomach the influence of a black man living with a white woman, reigning in the highest station of boxing, the Heavyweight Championship of the World . Despite being charged for incidents that occurred before the MANN Act was signed into law, an all-white jury found Johnson guilty of the crime and sentenced him to prison.
Democratic President Woodrow Wilson allowed this injustice to remain, resulting in a permanent stain on Johnson’s record, which would negatively affect him for the rest of his life. The conviction has been through the 16 successive administrations, which include notable civil rights defense 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 issued a full posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, finally relieving the reputation of this political and racial man. conviction
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson’s often troubled career is very well documented. However, many casual level fans may not know that Donald Trump played such a positive role in Mike Tyson’s career and that Iron Mike eventually hired Trump to be his advisor through his legal issues and his career moves. After successfully helping Tyson through his managerial dispute with Bill Cayton and paying Mike his biggest paydays to date, nefarious entities tried to poison the relationship by generating unsubstantiated rumors surrounding Trump’s wife and Tyson, Robin Givens. Soon after, 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 lawyer and supporter, Donald Trump, demanding that Mike be allowed to train and push the appeal to his conviction. To this day, Mike Tyson publicly praises Donald Trump as the man who was always there for him, going so far as to publicly support Mr. Trump in his 2024 re-election bid despite the highly combustible political atmosphere of in 2024.
Impact on boxing
Trump’s impact on boxing
Less than a month before Donald Trump’s inauguration, we look at the potential positive impact of having a proven and passionate supporter of boxing in the White House. First of all, President Trump could start with the stronghold of the sanctioning bodies. Every year that passes, 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 massive financial benefit for these authorities to have as many fighters wearing belts as possible and paying the accompanying sanction fees. It is also another conflict of interest that these sanctioning fees are based on a percentage of a fighter’s purse rather than a fixed fee, meaning that it is in the best financial interest of the sanctioning bodies to have boxers who they generate the biggest bags that carry the belts. rather than just the best fighters. The results of these resonant 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 to have their “undefeated” records restored through the court systems, the Undisputed Champions stripped of their belts to make way for fees undiluted sanction by popular fighters. like Anthony Joshua, and clear wins for fighters like Tyson Fury have scored as losses to accommodate opponents who have more years 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”, with many weight classes having two or even three boxers holding the same belt and paying penalty fees . Other effects of these conflicts of interest have also resulted in the compromised safety of fighters, with popular fighters such as David Benavidez and Devin Haney being allowed to enter the ring three or four weight classes heavier than his opponents.
President Trump can end this madness and make boxing bigger and safer than ever. With America being the universally recognized authority in boxing, a boxing division of the American government may be established. A championship with 13 weight classes could be established. A federal commission can be created, with the authority to cancel and sanction local commissions that deviate from the rules. This commission will oversee and enforce weekly weigh-ins and drug screenings beginning six weeks before the fight, with no licenses being issued for fighters with less than six weeks’ notice. 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 try to de-regulate the existing commissions, many of which are outside the jurisdiction of President Trump, but instead to create a new commission that will quickly gain the trust and perception of the public as the only authority that counts.
President Trump’s bold and proactive ambitions for America and global influence are also exacerbated by the rumored, much-needed redefinition of the 22nd Amendment, which could pave the way for Trump’s second eight-year term 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 is brought to his attention through the defense of the real boxing fans all over the world.
