S.B. 207

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PROFESSIONAL BOXING ACT AMENDMENTS
2 1998 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Pete Suazo
5 AN ACT RELATING TO OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS; AMENDING THE
6 DEFINITION OF CONTEST TO INCLUDE TOUGH MAN CONTESTS; AND MAKING
7 TECHNICAL CHANGES.
8 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
9 AMENDS:
10 58-66-102, as last amended by Chapter 83, Laws of Utah 1997
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 Section 1. Section 58-66-102 is amended to read:
13 58-66-102. Definitions.
14 In addition to the definitions in Section 58-1-102, as used in this chapter:
15 (1) "Bodily injury" means as defined in Section 76-1-601.
16 (2) "Commission" means the Utah Boxing Commission established under Section
17 58-66-201.
18 (3) (a) "Contest" means:
19 (i) a live boxing contest, match, performance, sparring match, or exhibition demonstrating
20 the skill and ability of professional contestants when an admission fee is charged or that is telecast,
21 televised, or broadcast to the public in any manner, including television, radio, transmission via
22 a cable television system, microwave, closed circuit, satellite, fiber optic link, or any other method
23 of distribution; or
24 (ii) a tough man contest as defined in Subsection (15).
25 (b) "Contest" does not include a boxing contest, match, performance, sparring match, or
26 exhibition staged outside the state that is telecast, televised, or broadcast as a "pay-per-view
27 telecast," closed circuit or otherwise, that is not intended to be available for viewing without the

1 payment of a fee for the privilege of viewing the telecast, collected for or based upon each event
2 viewed.
3 (4) "Exhibition" means an engagement in which the participants show or display their
4 skills without necessarily striving to win.
5 (5) "Judge" means an individual qualified by training or experience to:
6 (a) rate the performance of professional contestants;
7 (b) score a contest; and
8 (c) determine with other judges whether there is a winner of the contest or whether the
9 professional contestants performed equally resulting in a draw.
10 (6) "Manager" means an individual who represents a professional contestant for the
11 purposes of obtaining matches, negotiating terms and conditions of the contract under which the
12 professional contestant will engage in a contest, or arranging for a second for the professional
13 contestant at a contest.
14 (7) "Professional contestant" means an individual who participates in a contest for a cash
15 purse in any amount or for a noncash purse with more than nominal value as defined by rule.
16 (8) "Promoter" means a person who engages in producing or staging professional contests
17 and promotions.
18 (9) "Promotion" means a single contest or a combination of contests that occur during the
19 same time at the same location and that is produced or staged by a promoter.
20 (10) (a) "Purse" means any money, prize, remuneration, or any other valuable
21 consideration a professional contestant receives or may receive for participation in a contest.
22 (b) "Purse" does not mean a trophy, medal, or similar object of nominal value as defined
23 by rule that is received for participation in a contest.
24 (11) "Referee" means an individual qualified by training or experience to act as the official
25 attending a professional contest at the point of contact between professional contestants for the
26 purpose of:
27 (a) enforcing the rules relating to the professional contest;
28 (b) stopping the contest in the event the health, safety, and welfare of a professional
29 contestant or any other person in attendance at the contest is in jeopardy; and
30 (c) to act as a judge if so designated by the commission.
31 (12) "Second" means an individual who attends a professional contestant at the site of the

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1 contest before, during, and after the contest in accordance with contest rules.
2 (13) "Serious bodily injury" means as defined in Section 76-1-601.
3 (14) "Total gross receipts" means the amount of the face value of all tickets sold to a
4 particular contest plus any sums received as consideration for holding the contest at a particular
5 location.
6 (15) "Tough man contest" means a contest in which tough man contestants compete.
7 (16) "Tough man contestant" means a person who:
8 (a) participates in a contest for a cash purse in any amount or for a noncash purse with
9 more than nominal value as defined by rule; and
10 (b) is not licensed as a professional contestant in any state.
11 (17) "Ultimate fighting match" means a live match in which:
12 (a) an admission fee is charged;
13 (b) match rules permit professional contestants to use a combination of boxing, kicking,
14 wrestling, hitting, punching, or other combative, contact techniques; and
15 (c) match rules do not:
16 (i) incorporate a formalized system of combative techniques against which a contestant's
17 performance is judged to determine the prevailing contestant;
18 (ii) divide a match into two or more equal and specified time periods for a match total of
19 no more than 50 minutes; or
20 (iii) prohibit contestants from:
21 (A) using anything that is not part of the human body, except for boxing gloves, to
22 intentionally inflict serious bodily injury upon an opponent through direct contact or the expulsion
23 of a projectile;
24 (B) striking a person who demonstrates an inability to protect himself from the advances
25 of an opponent;
26 (C) biting; or
27 (D) direct, intentional, and forceful strikes to the eyes, groin area, adam's apple area of the
28 neck, and temple area of the head.


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Legislative Review Note
as of 2-6-98 10:43 AM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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