Ludwig Cancels Next Mogul Chessboxing Event, Calls It His Biggest Failure
In a livestream on Sept. 27, Ludwig, the creator of Mogul Chessboxing, announced that the next iteration of the event scheduled for this fall has been canceled. He expressed disappointment, labeling it as the “biggest failure” of his career.
Ludwig revealed that despite being deep into the organization process for the event, it wouldn’t be able to take place. The cancellation occurred because the event couldn’t obtain sanctioning from a federally-run athletics commission. Both USA Boxing and the Nevada State Athletics Commission declined to sanction Mogul Chessboxing, which prevented Ludwig and his team from proceeding with the event.
Without sanctioned status, Ludwig would have risked going to jail due to the requirements of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, which mandates amateur sports events to have official sanctioning.
Ludwig explained that the change in location for the second iteration of the event posed a significant challenge. Moving it to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, often referred to as the “fight capital of the world,” brought complications with securing sanctioning. However, hosting the event at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, the venue for the previous year, would not have presented the same problem since it had oversight from a sanctioned body.
One of the main hindrances for Mogul Chessboxing was its mixed nature. USA Boxing didn’t recognize it as Olympic boxing, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission, known for sanctioning UFC events in Las Vegas, didn’t deem it as a true fighting event. As a result, both organizations concluded that Mogul Chessboxing didn’t fall under their jurisdiction.
Two months before the event was set to take place, the Nevada State Athletic Commission requested a change to kickboxing and chess for sanctioning. However, with competitors already training for boxing, it was unrealistic to switch disciplines so close to the deadline.
Despite the disappointment of canceling the event, Ludwig expressed determination and plans for the future. He said, “I have the motivation to do the best shows I can in 2024.”