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Gov. Matt Bevin joined four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield last week to announce a championship boxing match to be held in Louisville on June 24 at Freedom Hall. The announcement was made in conjunction with the Louisville Sports Commission, the Muhammad Ali Center, Top Knotch Boxing (TKO), Kentucky Venues, and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
The televised event will kick off a fight series entitled the “Real Deal Championship Boxing Series” that will be promoted by Holyfield’s company, Real Deal Sports & Entertainment. The Louisville event will feature a championship bout among contenders and an undercard that will include local amateur boxers.
The event is part of Louisville’s six-week celebration of Muhammad Ali’s legacy, entitled the “I Am Ali” festival. The festival runs June 3 to July 15, and focuses on Ali’s legacy and core values.
This is the second major combat sports announcement in Kentucky this year and comes on the heels of Gov. Bevin’s reorganization of the Kentucky Boxing & Wrestling Commission (KBWC). The reorganization streamlined KBWC as part of the Red Tape Reduction initiative and tasked the commission with cutting needless bureaucracy that stifled the combat sports industry.
“We are thrilled to welcome Evander Holyfield and Real Deal Sports & Entertainment to Kentucky for this exciting championship bout,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “Our state has a rich boxing heritage, and we have worked hard in recent months to cut red tape and remove unnecessary bureaucracy hampering the industry. As a result, Kentucky is able to once again host large-scale combat sports events. We anticipate that this will be the first of many to come and are grateful to Real Deal Sports & Entertainment for their vote of confidence.”
The boxing industry has experienced significant growth in Kentucky as a result of Red Tape Reduction efforts. In 2016 alone, there were 13 boxing shows, which was more than the prior three years combined. The number of scheduled shows in 2017 is already on track to exceed last year’s numbers. The state has also experienced approximately 30 percent growth in combat sports revenue during the last fiscal year.
Public Protection Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson stated that he is looking forward to additional economic development opportunities that will arise from Gov. Bevin’s charge to cut red tape in the industry. “It’s exciting to witness the explosive growth of combat sports in our state, and KBWC is constantly exploring new ways to grow the industry,” he said. “We believe that today’s exciting announcement is just the beginning.”
To date, Gov. Bevin’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative is responsible for repealing 151 regulations and targeting an additional 338 regulations for repeal. Over 1,900 of Kentucky’s 4,700 regulations have been reviewed as part of the initiative. Visit http://redtapereduction.com for full details.
The Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission oversees all professional boxing, wrestling, and full contact competitive bouts and exhibitions in Kentucky. Learn more about the commission at http://kbwa.ky.gov.
Gov. Matt Bevin, as part of his Red Tape Reduction initiative, has signed documents to eliminate more than 65 obsolete, inactive and superseded boards and commissions.
A 2012 Legislative Research Commission (LRC) study identified 571 boards, commissions and similar entities such as authorities, councils and committees in Kentucky—a figure “nearly twice the number of the typical state.”
Gov. Bevin issued an executive order on March 23 eliminating 29 boards and commissions that were originally established by gubernatorial executive order.
“This Administration desires and will implement more effective and efficient management of state government operations and resources,” wrote Gov. Bevin in the order. “The dissolution of boards and commissions that are no longer active or necessary will aid in securing this greater efficiency and effectiveness.”
House Bill 276 (signed into law on March 21) eliminates 28 boards and commissions that were originally created by legislative action, and Senate Bill 249 (signed into law on March 27) eliminates 11 additional boards, commissions and task forces.
Among the boards and commissions abolished were entities such as the Kentucky Adoption 2002 Strategic Planning Task Force, the Capitol Centennial Commission and the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, which completed their work in 2002, 2010 and 2015 respectively.
These actions, along with sunset provisions and board consolidations, reduce the number of active boards on the books to under 400. No board members, funds or services to taxpayers will be impacted.
WWE’s SmackDown Live is coming to Louisville. The event will be held at the KFC Yum! Center on Tuesday, April 18 and marks the return of live, televised professional wrestling events in the Commonwealth.
SmackDown will be the first major televised combat sporting event in Kentucky since Governor Bevin streamlined the state’s boxing and wrestling regulations last November as part of the Red Tape Reduction Initiative. Prior to these changes, WWE had not scheduled a televised event in Kentucky since 2010 because of the state’s antiquated regulations.
Under the Governor’s leadership, unnecessary regulations such as the “cut rule” were eliminated. The rule required an athlete to leave a match if he or she bled, which deterred promoters from hosting live events in the state. Other regulations were amended to remove duplicative licensing processes for athletes and promoters, signaling to the industry that Kentucky is open for business.
“The Governor’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative continues to provide new economic opportunities for the Commonwealth,” said Public Protection Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson. “The Governor has proven that he is committed to making our state business-friendly, and the boxing and wrestling industry has responded.”
“We are excited to have WWE do a live taping in Louisville, and we hope that this is the first of many major events that Kentucky will host,” said Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission Chairman Chad Miller. “Our state is home to many enthusiastic professional wrestling fans, and this event provides an exciting new opportunity for Kentuckians.”
The Red Tape Reduction Initiative targets excessive and complex regulatory burdens that stifle economic development in the Commonwealth. To date, approximately 117 regulations have been repealed, and over 400 regulations have been amended or targeted for amendment. To learn more about the Red Tape Reduction Initiative, visit: redtapereduction.com.