When boxing great Mike Tyson and internet superstar Jake Paul took to the ring in Texas last month, they attracted plenty of attention. One entity that was watching the fight with great interest was the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB). In the wake of the fight, and its surrounding hype, the SACB is clarifying and updating its policies surrounding combat sports.
The SACB’s most significant fight policy update is a total ban on combat sports betting worldwide by fight world workers. That ban includes inspectors, timekeepers, judges, referees, and physicians; board members, including the chairman; and board employees, such as the commissioner and deputy commissioners. Also included in the ban are promoters, agents and managers.
Though there were no serious allegations of match-fixing in the Tyson/Paul fight, the SABC is clearly sending a message to the fight world not to get too creative when pairing up fighters. The Board is also turning most fight participants into mandatory reporters, who are now obligated to report any wrongdoing or match-fixing.
SACB Commissioner Larry Hazzard Sr. described the new policy in a recent press release saying, “With this action, we are safeguarding the integrity of combative sports events. By implementing these standards, we are sending a clear message that unethical behavior will not be tolerated in New Jersey’s combative sports industry.”
New Jersey’s sports betting world tends to set the regulatory standard for the rest of the United States, so it’s likely that other states (at least those with credible athletic commissions) will follow with similar clarifications and restrictions.