Olshan partner Scott Shaffer was interviewed by Insider in an article entitled “Suspicions of an Unlawful Cash-for-rankings Scheme Raised as Boxing Promoter Admits Paying Consultancy With Ties to Sanctioning Body,” lending his boxing law expertise on a growing scandal involving boxing promoter Greg Cohen and the potential violation of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. As explained in the article, while Cohen was being deposed in an unrelated lawsuit, he made statements acknowledging payments to an “advocate and lobbyist on behalf of various boxers” named Sports Consulting Services. These payments raise serious red flags because of this particular consultant’s apparent ties to the sanctioning body WBA. Scott stated that “it would be a violation of federal law” if any payments from Cohen have in fact been funneled to WBA. If the money did indeed reach WBA, it would be a violation of the Muhammad Ali Act, which forbids officers and employees of sanctioning organizations from receiving any compensation from a promoter. While continuing to stress that violations remain to be proven, Scott went on to observe that “It is hard to imagine any reason for these payments other than to secure a better ranking or a path to a title shot for one of Cohen’s boxers,” and further stated, “If you look at Greg Cohen’s history, many of his boxers have gotten favorable treatment from the WBA, which makes people’s Spidey sense tingle.”
Author:
Scott Shaffer, partner
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
sshaffer@olshanlaw.com
Tel: 001 212 451 2302
