Hundreds of Teamsters and other boxing fans attend the first-ever unionized boxing match in Nevada on May 17. Heavyweight Heroes, held at Ballys Event Center in Las Vegas, featured a full card of boxers under contract with the Joint Association of Boxers (JAB). This was the second event held under JAB’s auspices—the first was held on April 15 in New York.

The contract for the event increased wages for the fighters and included disclosure and arbitration clauses – a first-ever in Nevada.

In the fight’s main event, heavyweight Samuel Peter (19-0, 17 Kos) won by decision over Charles Shufford (20-6, 9 Kos). Ray Austin (21-3-2, 15 Kos) also defeated Gilbert Martinez (18-7-2, 7 Kos) after he knocked Martinez to the mat in the fourth round, causing the referee to stop the fight with a TKO.

The Teamsters have been supporting JAB and helping the boxers get their union up and running. That has been critical to JAB’s early success, said JAB President Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

“Every fighter on this card got a raise thanks to the Teamsters,” Muhammad said from the ring. “We have the strongest union in the world walking hand in hand beside us.”

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa attended the event, which was broadcast live on pay-per-view. “This is a big process,” Hoffa told the fight’s broadcast commentators. “We want to get in on the ground floor and help make things better for the fighters.”