The California State Athletic Commission has teamed up with the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego to locate beneficiaries of the Professional Boxer's Pension Fund.
The commission sponsors the pension fund, which was launched in 1982 and is the only pension fund for boxers in the world.
The commission reached out to the consulate earlier this year since many former boxers' last known addresses were in Mexico. Former and retired boxers who have fought in California are eligible for benefits — which average $17,000 — when they are at least 50 years old and have fought in a minimum number of professional rounds in the state.
One issue is outreach for eligible boxers who may be unaware of the pension fund, which has about $4.6 million in assets.
"Reaching former and retired boxers, especially those in other countries, comes with its challenges," commission spokeswoman Monica Vargas said in an email. "While CSAC does its best, information on file provided by the boxers may be outdated and CSAC has been working on additional resources to locate boxers and get updated contact information."
A total of nearly 200 boxers meet the criteria for eligibility. The consulate was able to locate 23 of those boxers, four of whom have already received their checks.
"CSAC is grateful to the Consulate of Mexico, Secretary of Foreign Relations Office of Mexico, the World Boxing Council and many others for their efforts to reach former boxers through their networks and resources," Ms. Vargas said.
The commission has published a list of boxers they are seeking on its website.
