Mike Mazzulli Out, Tim Shipman In as President of ABC
- Matthew Brown
- Aug 9, 2025
- 2 min read
08/09/2025
Mike Mazzulli’s decade-plus reign as President of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) has officially come to an end. The longtime regulator stepped down from his post without seeking re-election, a move he had signaled back in May, according to multiple reports.
Stepping into the role is Tim Shipman, the current executive director of the Florida Athletic Commission. Shipman, who assumed that position in June 2023, has overseen a notable surge in boxing events in the Sunshine State. Prior to his current role, he served as the commission’s assistant director for seven years.
Mazzulli’s tenure, once seen as steady leadership in the regulatory world, has in recent years been marred by controversy. Questions arose following the November 2024 Turki Alalshikh–Golden Boy Riyadh Season Latino Night card, where no drug testing was conducted for any undercard bouts. The Mohegan Tribe’s Department of Athletic Regulation, which Mazzulli heads, served as the commission of record for the event. Despite repeated inquiries, Mazzulli did not provide an explanation for the absence of testing.
Further scrutiny fell on Mazzulli, as multiple state commissioners privately questioned his support for the TKO-backed “amendments” to the Muhammad Ali Act — legislation introduced as the Boxing Revival Act. Critics have labeled the bill a significant rollback of fighter protections that the original Muhammad Ali Act had secured.
While he will no longer lead the ABC, Mazzulli reportedly plans to remain as director of the Mohegan Tribe’s Department of Athletic Regulation, a post he has held since 2003.
Shipman now inherits the task of steering the ABC through a transitional period, as the organization faces mounting challenges on issues ranging from uniform regulation enforcement to the ongoing debate over fighter safety and rights reforms.
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