USA: Pennsylvania Laws

History of Pennsylvania Boxing Legislation, Rules & Regulations

(Enter material chronologically)

• 1908-June: By recent decision of the Delaware County court, boxing is declared legal in Pennsylvania. No limit is set on the length of bouts. This is the result of a suit brought by the Olympic A.C. against Sheriff B. McClure after he had stopped a bout in the autumn of 1906. June 3 Tacoma Daily Ledger (Tacoma, WA, USA).
• 1913-01-14: John M. Morin, Safety Director whose rules govern boxing in Pittsburgh, issues an order that bouts between black and white boxers will not be allowed. [1]
• 1913-03-17: Representative Samuel J. Perry introduces a bill to legalize boxing, setting up an athletic commission to regulate it, imposing a tax, and limiting bouts to ten rounds maximum, among other things. [2]
• 1913-03-24: Pittsburgh's Director of Public Safety John H. Dailey announces new rules to govern boxing, as a result of Tommy Lavelle's ring fatality. All preliminary boxers must pass a physical examination prior to entering the ring; the floor of the ring, posts and ropes must be padded; boxers must be matched according to weights; and there must be no cutting short or extending the time of rounds. [3]
• 1914-01-14: Pittsburgh Mayor Joseph G. Armstrong orders no further boxing in the city until further notice, canceling all scheduled bouts. [4]
• 1920-05-26: Philadelphia's Director of Public Safety, James T. Cortelyos, announces a new code of boxing rules. The Evening Herald (Klamath Falls, OR) [5]
• 1921-01-28: City of Sharon Mayor Frank Gilbert grants permission for the American Legion to hold boxing shows, after a ban of several years. New York Tribune [6]
• 1921-03-24: Pennsylvania House passes bill providing for the establishment of a state boxing commission. Los Angeles Times
• 1922-01-15: An effort is underway in Philadelphia to raise the limit on main bouts from eight rounds, which has been the custom there for several years, to twelve rounds, to attract "real championship bouts." Wire report: [7]
• 1923-06-14: Governor Pinchot signs into law a bill creating a state athletic commission, and permitting ten-round bouts to a decision, by two judges and referee if the judges disagree--per newspaper wire reports (e.g., Everett Daily Herald, Everett, WA, USA)
• 1923-12-01: State law allowing decisions becomes effective (within a day or two of this date)
• 1931-03-18: The House passes and sends to the Senate a bill permitting 15-round professional boxing bouts when championships are involved. The bill also provides that two judges, or a judge and referee, shall decide the winner of all bouts. New York Times
• 1933-09-27: The Tommy Loughran vs. Jack Sharley bout is Pennsylvania's first 15-round bout.
• 1955-05-10: Pennsylvania governor George Leader, suspended boxing for 90 days effective May 11th. This was in the aftermath of the sudden collapse of Harold Johnson in his May 6th bout with Julio Mederos, amid allegations he had been drugged. This did not effect currently scheduled cards. No boxing programs were held in the state between May 13th and September 28th.
• 1980s: From at least the 1970s to sometime in the 1980s, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission had a rule which allowed it to designate the ring announcers at different fight cards.