CHAPTER 110 - STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT ALLOWING AND REGULATING BOXING, SPARRING, AND WRESTLING MATCHES AND EXHIBITIONS, BEING CHAPTER 84 OF VOLUME 37, LAWS OF DELAWARE, AS AMENDED, AND REGULATING THE CONDUCT OF SUCH MATCHES, AND PROVIDING FOR LICENSES AND LICENSE FEES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. That the Act entitled "AN ACT allowing and regulating boxing, sparring, and wrestling matches and exhibitions; establishing a State Athletic Commission; and prescribing penalties," being Chapter 84, of Volume 37, Laws of Delaware, as amended, be and the same is hereby amended by striking out and repealing Sections 5, 10 and 17 thereof, and by inserting in lieu thereof three new sections to be styled Section 5, Section 10 and Section 17, as follows:
Section 5. Licenses to Persons and Corporations:--The Commission may, in its discretion, issue a promoter's license to conduct, hold, or give boxing, sparring or wrestling contests, matches, or exhibitions, subject to the provisions of this Act, to any corporation or to any person or persons. Such corporation, person or persons must hold a lease for the premises in or on which any such professional match or exhibition is to be held. In the case of a corporation, all the officers of such corporation must have been bona fide residents of the State of Delaware for at least three years immediately preceding the granting of such license; and in the case of any person or persons, such person or persons must have been a bona fide resident or residents of the State of Delaware for at least three years immediately preceding the granting of such license. No license shall be issued to conduct, hold, or give boxing, sparring or wrestling matches or exhibitions in any city or incorporated town of this State which has adopted or shall hereafter adopt any ordinance prohibiting such exhibitions or matches within its corporate limits; provided, however, that when such ordinance prohibiting such exhibitions or matches within said limits has been adopted, or shall hereafter be adopted, no boxing, sparring, or wrestling matches or exhibitions shall be conducted, held, or given within five miles of said corporate limits.
Section 10. Regulation of Conduct of Matches or Exhibitions: --No corporation or person or persons to whom has been issued a license under the provisions of this Act to conduct, hold or give boxing, sparring or wrestling contests, matches, or exhibitions shall be permitted to give more than one such exhibition within any period of twenty-four (24) hours. In no event shall such professional boxing or sparring exhibition consist of more than a total duration of forty rounds; provided, however, that no contest in any exhibition shall be of more than ten (10) rounds in length. In all boxing or sparring contests or exhibitions the rounds shall be not more than three (3) minutes each. No boxer shall be allowed to participate in more than one contest within any twenty-four (24) consecutive hours, nor shall more than two contestants engage in any one wrestling or boxing contest. The Commission may, in respect to any contest or in respect to any class of contestants, limit the number of rounds of a contest within the maximum of ten (10) rounds. At each boxing, sparring or wrestling contest or exhibition there shall be in attendance, assigned as provided for by the Commission and at the expense of the corporation or person or persons licensed to hold such exhibition, a duly licensed referee, who shall direct and control the same. The referee shall have the power, in his discretion, to declare forfeited any remuneration or purse, or part thereof, of any contestant, or to fine any contestant, if, in his judgment, such contestant is not honestly competing, or for any violation of the rules and regulations of the commission for the control of such contests or exhibitions; provided such fine or forfeiture may be subject to review and adjudication by the commission. Any remuneration or purse, or part thereof, so forfeited, or any fine so collected, shall be paid into the State Treasury for the use of the Commission. There also may be in attendance, assigned as provided for by the Commission and at the expense of the corporation or person or persons licensed to hold such exhibition, duly licensed judges. The referee, or the judges, or the referee and judges, shall at the termination of each boxing, sparring or wrestling contest render a decision according to the procedure set out in the rules and regulations of the Commission. Each boxer shall wear during such contest gloves weighing not less than five (5) ounces if such contestant is a light weight or in a class of less weight, and not less than six (6) ounces if such contestant is in a class heavier than the light weight class.
Section 17. License Fees:--Each applicant for a license as required by Section 5 hereof shall, before a license is issued by the Commission and annually thereafter during the life of such license, pay to the Commission a license fee for each calendar year as follows: Promoter's license in cities of one hundred thousand population or over, Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00); promoter's license in cities of five thousand population and less than one hundred thousand population, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00); promoter's license, in cities of less than five thousand population, and elsewhere, fifty dollars ($50.00); and each applicant for a promoter's limited license, which license shall be valid for one exhibition or show only, shall, before a license is issued by the Commission, pay to the Commission a promoter's license fee of not less than Ten Dollars ($10.00) and not exceeding Fifty Dollars ($50.00), as the Commission shall determine. Each applicant for a license to participate in any boxing, sparring, or wrestling contest, match or exhibition, in which the contestants are professionals, shall, if a license therefor be granted, pay to the Commission a license fee not exceeding the following amounts, as the Commission shall determine: physicians, Ten Dollars ($10.00); judges, Five Dollars ($5.00); timekeepers, Five Dollars ($5.00); professional boxers, Five Dollars, ($5.00); professional wrestlers, Five Dollars ($5.00); managers, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00); referees, Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00); matchmakers, Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00); trainers, Five Dollars ($5.00); seconds, Five Dollars ($5.00). All such licenses shall expire at the end of the calendar year in which they are issued unless otherwise provided.
Approved April 18, 1935.