Tennessee Athletic Commission closes one bout protest and approves charges in unpaid-fighter complaints

The Tennessee Athletic Commission voted on multiple enforcement recommendations at its June 17 meeting in Nashville, closing one bout protest after a video review and approving formal charges in separate complaints alleging unpaid fighters.

The commission, chaired by Executive Director Roxanna Gamuccio, considered four matters on the legal report. Jesse (legal counsel) recommended closing complaint 2025005601, saying "there was nothing found that showed that, anything out of the ordinary as far as the rules are concerned was, was implemented to make a, you know, a big difference." The commission accepted that recommendation by voice vote.

The commission then considered two complaints involving the same promoter (listed in the legal report as "cases 2029061 and 2025013, 4 21"). Legal counsel recommended authorizing formal charges for alleged failures to pay gross receipts tax and to pay professional fighters. The commission voted to accept legal counsel's recommendation to move forward with formal charges; counsel said the promoter could settle, proceed to a formal hearing, or present new evidence.

A separate complaint (listed in the legal report as "20250102101") alleging failure to pay a professional fighter also drew a recommendation to authorize formal charges and a civil penalty consistent with the related matter; the commission approved that recommendation.

The highest-profile matter on the legal report was a protest of a November 2024 boxing match in which a bout was recorded as a knockout. The commission played real-time and slowed videos of the concluding sequence and heard from the losing combatant, who identified himself in person as Mr. Daniels. Daniels told the commission the ropes around the ring were loose and said the knockdown resulted from "a sheer push" through the ropes rather than a clean, front-facing punch. He said he had obtained a slower, closer cellphone video because the original live stream "does not show any of this." Legal counsel noted the opposing fighter had been contacted and had declined to seek overturning the result.

Commission members and a longtime referee who attended the meeting reviewed the footage and offered differing readings of the final exchange. Commissioner Dan McGrew said he saw body motion consistent with a slip and a hook, while another commissioner said the image quality did not meet the standard required to overturn a contest. After discussion, a commission member moved to close the complaint; the motion carried by voice vote.

All motions on the legal report were decided by voice votes; specific roll-call tallies and individual vote attributions were not provided in the transcript.

The commission's legal report also noted two administrative updates: proposed waiver rules are currently under review by the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, and the legislature approved a sunset extension extending the commission's existence to June 30, 2031.

The commission did not announce schedule or penalties for any authorized formal hearings at the meeting.