Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin today announced the creation of the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission and the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission Medical Advisory Panel. The commission and medical advisory panel replace the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority and the authority’s medical advisory panel.
Bevin’s order states the new commission will have a more “focused vision on unleashing the regulatory and market conditions necessary to attract world-class professional athletic events to Kentucky and to protect the safety of event participants.”
Under the revamped structure, the commission has four members appointed by the governor including a medical doctor, an attorney, a person with sports marketing experience, and a general member with no financial interest in the industry. The secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet (PPC), or the Secretary’s designee, will also serve as an ex-officio voting member.
Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission appointed members include:
• Dr. Tad D. Seifert, of Louisville, for a term expiring in May 2017. Dr. Seifert is a former member of the Boxing and Wrestling Authority.
• Thomas W. Gift, of Louisville, for a term expiring in May 2018.
• Chad E. Miller, of Louisville, for a term expiring in May 2019.
• Timothy Nolan, of California, Ky., for a term expiring in May 2019.
Chad Miller will serve as commission chairman. Thomas Gift will serve as co-chair.
“I am humbled and honored to be appointed to the new commission,” said Nolan, whose grandfather was a bare knuckle boxer. “My mother wouldn’t let me box so I became a lawyer to verbally spar. The new commission is charged to promote the sports vigorously and make them safer and I will work hard to achieve those goals.”
The commission’s new Medical Advisory Panel is charged with providing advice and guidance “to advocate for and oversee the health and safety of participants in full-contact combative sports.” The order provides that members of the panel must “practice in medical fields that are related to the types of injuries of which a boxing, wrestling or mixed martial arts contestant is most likely to sustain.” At least one of the panel’s members must be a neurologist or neurosurgeon.
Though originally created by the General Assembly in 2008 out of concerns for the health and safety of event participants, the previous administration never appointed members to the panel.
“The health and safety of competitors in boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts events is too important to ignore,” PPC Secretary David Dickerson said. “Gov. Bevin’s action today makes clear that we are to appoint experienced and qualified physicians to the panel who will make research- and experience-based recommendations to ensure that the well-being of event participants is never compromised. I look forward to assembling such a panel, which will include Dr. Seifert, a well-respected neurologist.”
From Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet
