[Pulp Fiction]

http://www.wymt.com/content/news/Bevin-a...16661.html

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT) - Governor Matt Bevin created the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission Tuesday, replacing the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority and the authority's medical advisory panel.

The agency oversees all professional boxing, wrestling and full contact competitive bouts and exhibitions held in Kentucky.

Bevin's order states the new commission will have a more “focused vision on unleashing the regulatory and market conditions necessary to attract world-class professional athletic events to Kentucky and to protect the safety of event participants.”

In a report published by Insider Louisville last June, managers of two major arenas in Kentucky criticized the KBWA for being at least partially responsible for keeping live World Wrestling Entertainment events from happening in the state

One of the issues mentioned in the report was a KBWA stipulation requiring immediate medical attention to any participant that accidentally bleeds.

“The live TV events with WWE are very large and they draw a lot of people and viewers, so there’s too much money involved to allow someone to stop one of the bouts,” said Dennis Petrullo, general manager of the Yum! Center in the 2015 Insider Louisville report. “It’s insane. I mean, look at Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, or mixed martial arts, there’s blood all over the place. And for some reason they have stopped them from coming into Kentucky because of blood in the ring.”

Dick Brown, the spokesman for Kentucky's Public Protect Cabinet at the time, said the burden did not fall on the state.

“This matter has been discussed with WWE, and there are ways for them to work within the regulations and still have their events,” said Brown. “It’s their choice not to hold pay-per-view shows here. There are about 20 pro wrestling promoters in Kentucky that follow these regulations weekly with no issues running shows under the regulations.”

The commission’s new Medical Advisory Panel is charged with providing advice and guidance “to advocate for and oversee the health and safety of participants in full-contact combative sports.” The order provides that members of the panel must “practice in medical fields that are related to the types of injuries of which a boxing, wrestling or mixed martial arts contestant is most likely to sustain.” At least one of the panel’s members must be a neurologist or neurosurgeon.

“The health and safety of competitors in boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts events is too important to ignore,” PPC Secretary David Dickerson said. “Gov. Bevin’s action today makes clear that we are to appoint experienced and qualified physicians to the panel who will make research- and experience-based recommendations to ensure that the well-being of event participants is never compromised. I look forward to assembling such a panel, which will include Dr. Seifert, a well-respected neurologist.”