RULES OF NORTH AMERICAN BOXING ASSOCIATION

A     GENERAL

  1. Purpose.  These Rules are intended to further the purposes of the Association and set out the norms by which the Association carries out the authority granted it under the Bylaws, and to provide members and boxers the standards and obligations applicable to ratings, sanctioned bouts and other Association activities.

  2. Application.  These Rules apply to all actions and decisions of the Association regarding ratings, sanctioning of bouts, conduct of bouts, requests for explanations or reconsideration, appeals, and related matters, and apply to all members and affected boxers and their agents.

  3. Interpretation.  In those cases when it is necessary, the authority to interpret these Rules is within the sole discretion of the committee and committee chairman assigned the matter under these Rules, and finally with the President.

  4. Pre-emption.  These Rules apply to all matters within the jurisdiction of the Association, but are superseded by a mandatory provision of law duly adopted and enforced by a national, state, or provincial government.

  5. Disputes. Disputes regarding final interpretation and application of these Rules shall be determined finally by the President, and any request for relief  from such  interpretation or application from a court shall be governed by the laws of the   state of residence of  the Association, and shall be brought in the courts of that state or Province.

  6. Time.  If the last day of a time limit ends on a weekend or national holiday in Venezuela or United States, the next working day shall be the day on which the time limit expires.

 DEFINITIONS:

  1. ABC means the Association of Boxing Commission of the United States of  America

  2. "Appeals" means an appeal by a member or boxer of an appeal able ruling by a committee, committee chairman or officer.

  3. "Appeals Panel" is that body appointed by the president to hear an appeal or appeals, and constitutes the appeals committee establish in the bylaws.

  4. "Association" is the North America Boxing Association"

  5. "Boxer's Agent" is any manager and promoter legally authorized by a boxer to represent him in a relation to a matter covered under these Rules.

  6. "Bylaws" are the bylaws of the Association.

  7. "Category" is a weight division.

  8. "Champion" is a boxer recognized by the Associations the title holder in his respective weight division.

  9. "Contest" is a boxing match or bout.

  10. "Day" means a calendar day.

  11. " Leading available contender" means a mandatory contender, or when there is no mandatory contender, the boxer ranked highest and who is available immediately to fight for the title.

  12. "Mandatory Contender" means the boxer recognized as the official contender for the title.

  13. "Medical Guidelines" means safety guidelines.

  14. "Official Contender" means mandatory contender.

  15. "Officials" mean people with official duties at bouts: judges, the referee and the supervisor.

  16. "Other Organizations" means any other boxing sanctioning body.

  17. "Ratings" means the recognition of  the relative qualification of boxers in particular weight categories at a particular time,  and are also referred to as Rankings

  18. "Ratings Guidelines" means the "Norms and Procedures for ratings"

  19. "Request" includes request for ratings information, and request for special permit.

  20. "Responsive bid" means a purse bid that fully complies with these Rules.

  21. "Ruling" means an order or decision by a committee,  committee chairman, the President, or any other Association's officer, applying these rules in a particular case, and includes orders or decisions on the following:

1.- Sanctioning or not sanctioning a bout.

2.- Recognizing or vacating a title.

3.- Granting or denying a request for special permit.

4.- Increasing, reducing, or otherwise modifying a mandatory defence period and its conditions.

5.- Decision on a request.

6.- Granting or denying a protest concerning the conduct of a sanctioned bout.

7.- Rendering a decision on any other request to apply or interpret these Rules.

8.- Rendering a decision on any other matter otherwise directly affecting a boxer's ranking or status.

  1. "Sanction" means the official recognition given to a bout involving the following:

1 A title

2 Mandatory contender position

3 Contender eliminator, or

4 Box off.

  1. "Special Permit" means permission granted in special circumstances to alter or suspend the application of a rule.

  2. "Title" means Championship.

  3. "Unavailable boxer" is a boxer who is unavailable to defend or compete in a sanctioned bout, due to injury, medical condition, legal impediment, or commitment to compete in a different contest.

  4. "NABA Champion" means a champion recognized by the  North American Boxing Association.

AMENDMENT: These Rules may be amended by President in consultation with his directors.

B.        RATINGS.

Ratings Committee Chairman: George Martinez (Canada)

Members: Hector Hernandez (Mexico); Angelo Castro (USA)

 

  1. The Ratings Committee shall consist of no fewer than (3) members. The number of members shall be set by the President. The members shall be appointed by the President to terms established by the President. The Committee Chairman shall be appointed by the President.

  2. They shall confer and otherwise exchange information regarding ratings at such time in such manner as established by the President or the Chairman.

  3. The Association shall publish a monthly list of rated boxers consisting of at least ten (10) and no more than twenty (20).Rated Boxers are eligible to participate in sanctioned contests. The ratings shall be announced and posted on the Association's website in the month following the month to which the ratings apply.

  4. In order to create the ratings the Committee may consider all relevant information, including, but not limited to, regional title holders, bout activity, disqualifications, win-loss records, difficulty of the bouts, technical decisions, failure to make weight, and any other relevant information.

  5. The Committee may remove a boxer from the ratings based on any relevant factor including, but not limited to, failure to maintain the required weight, loss to a non-rated boxer, loss of a regional title, inactivity, violation of these rules, or any other relevant factor. In addition a boxer may be demoted or removed from the ratings at the sole discretion of the Committee due to extraordinary events or activity, including, but not limited to, proven or alleged criminal behaviour, conduct that violates boxing regulations or rules, failure to conform to NABA rules ( including to pay or allow to be paid sanction fees), or other public behaviour or statements of type that would affect the boxer's ability to be licensed or to compete legitimately or that are detrimental to the public perception of the sport of boxing.

  6. A rated boxer who changes weight categories is not assure any rating in his new category.

  7. Any boxer affected by a change in rating may ask the Committee for an explanation, and appeal the Committee decision, following the appealing procedures.

  8. Ratings are recognition of the relative qualification of the boxers in particular weight categories at a particular time available and willing to fight for the Association's title. Ratings represent the best opinion of the Association. Their retention by a boxer is conditioned on compliance with these Rules. Their issuance does not constitute a contract or an element of a contract.

C.    CHAMPIONSHIP

Championship Committee

Chairman: Guy Jutras (Canada)

Members: Matt Paulus (Canada); Tim Clahane (Canada)

 

  1. The Association shall adopt a Championship Belt as a distinctive symbol for the champion duly recognised in each category by the Association.

  2. The Championship committee shall consist of no fewer than three (3) members. The President shall serve as a member of the committee.

  3. All boxers recognized by the Association as champions, official contenders, or participants in a sanctioned bout are bound by these Rules.

  4. An Association Champion may only hold a title in one division at the same time.

  5. If a champion wishes to fight for the title in another division, he must first apply  to the Championship Committee for special permit to participate in a fight for another title. If permission is granted and he wins the fight, the boxer must notify the Committee within ten days, which title he is going to keep. Failure to do so the Association will declare his previous title Vacant.

  6. If a Champion participates in a fight without the approval or sanction of the Championship Committee, he may lose the Association's recognition.

  7. When a champion obtains a title by defeating a champion he must defend his title within 180 days, counting from the date he obtained such title, and every 180 days then after against the highest available and willing contender.

  8. When a boxer obtains the title in an elimination bout for the vacant title, he must defend his title within 120 days, counting from the day he obtained such title, and every 180 days then after against the highest available and willing contender.

  9. Each boxer is expected to  be familiar with all Association rules, including those regarding time periods concerning his obligation to defend, or compete for, a title.

  10. In its sole discretion , the championship committee may reduce, extend , or otherwise modify the periods for mandatory defences for a good cause, either in response to a request for Special Permit, or  on its own initiative.

  11. If the champion fails to comply with any rule of the Association, the Chairman of the championship committee may declare his title vacant.

  12. When a champion loses in a non defence of the title bout, he may loose his recognition as a Champion, even if he fought under special permission.

  13. When a champion is inactive for more than six month, at the sole discretion of the championship committee the chairman may call for an Interim championship elimination. The inactive Champion may be named a Champion in recess.

  14. When the Champion in recess is able and willing to fight again, he must defend the title against the Interim champion. If either the Champion or the Interim Champion refuse to fight, they may loose their recognition of Champion or Interim champion. If the Champion in recess still inactive for more than 12 month, he will loose his recognition as a Champion but he will be qualify to fight for the title at any time that he returns to activity.

  15. A title may be lost for any of the following reasons:

a) Loss in a bout

b) Violation of Association rules

c) Violation of a bout contract provision; or

d) False statements or misrepresentations.

  1. In the event that the NABA title is declared vacant, the two highest available contenders shall fight for the title. If the highest available contenders are not willing to fight for the title the championship committee shall grant the opportunity to fight for the title to any contenders ranked in the NABA rankings.

  2. The Championship Committee, under special circumstances, is empowered to approved a Championship fight at its sole discretion.

  3. The Association recognizes that strict application of these rules may be suspended or modified in certain extraordinary situations when justified. In such cases, the Association will consider a request for Special Permit (or Exception) for any of the following reasons:

        a) To engage in an optional defence otherwise barred by a mandatory defence requirement.

        b) To fight for a title in a different weight division.

        c) To engage in a title fight for other organization.

        d) To engage I a non-title fight.

        e) To fight for a title with a non-rated boxer.

        f) To extend or otherwise modify a mandatory defence period.

  1. Special Permits may be granted, denied or granted upon certain conditions at the sole discretion of the Chairman of Championship Committee or by the president.

  2. A Request for Special Permit must be accompanied by a payment to the Association of $500.00 U/S dollars, unless the fee is waived in whole or in part by the President in his sole discretion for good cause shown.

D.       PURSE BIDS

When after a reasonable amount of time (30 days) the parties involved in negotiations for a title fight, can not reach an agreement, the Association will call a Purse Bid.

The procedure to follow shall be the same used in the WBA.

E.       CONTEST RULES

By the sole fact that the Association is based in North America the Contest Rules Shall be those adopted by the Association of Boxing Commissions.

F.        APPEALS AND REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION OR FOR RATINGS INFORMATION

  1. A Boxers directly affected by a decision of the Ratings Committee may file

a) Request for Ranking Information or a Request for Reconsideration, or both

  1. A Boxer directly affected by a decision of the Championship Committee may file a Request for Reconsideration.

  2. A boxer may appeal any of the following if they directly affects him

a) A decision of the Ratings Committee on a Request for Reconsideration;

b) A decision of the Championship Committee in a Request for Reconsideration or                                            

c) Any Action taken by a Committee or an officer otherwise subject to appeal.

  1. Final decisions made by the President are not appeal able.

  2. Any appeal must be made between seven (7) working days of the date the decision in question has been made.

  3. The appealing procedure shall be the same used in the WBA.

                    SANCTIONING FEE SCHEDULE

Promoter's Fee: $2,500.00

Boxers:

Champion: 3% of Purse, minimum payment $300.00

Challenger: 3% of Purse, minimum payment $200.00

Vacant Title: 3% of Purse, minimum payment $250.00 each

Championship Belt (applies only when the championship changes hands): $500.00

Supervisor Fee: $500.00

Judges: $300 each

Referee: $400

*Promoter shall provide the Supervisor with a return airline ticket, ground transportation and accommodation and meals.

ALL PAYMENTS SHALL BE DELIVERED TO THE SUPERVISOR AT THE WEIGH-IN   CEREMONY

Contacts Numbers:

George Martinez: (416) 410-2443

Guy Jutras: (514) 933-2225

Hector Hernandez: 58 66 1 613 1132

Matt Paulus: (416) 519-9886

Angelo Castro: (201) 203 9074