1914 California Proposition 20

California Proposition 20 was a 1914 California ballot initiative known as the prize fights initiative. It passed with 56 percent of the popular vote.^[2]

The prize fight initiative addressed the question of "irreligious prize fights" (as per proponents) versus "moral boxing" (according to opponents).^[3] It prohibited charging an admission fee for any fight lasting more than four rounds, and prohibited awarding any prize worth more than $25.^[4] The wording on the ballot was "Initiative act amending penal code. Prohibits the engaging in or furthering in any prize fights or remunerative boxing exhibitions, training therefor, or betting thereon; the conducting, participating in or witnessing any boxing exhibition on Memorial Day or Sunday; authorizes regulated four-round amateur boxing exhibitions unless prohibited by ordinances [etc]."^[5]

An Oakland sportswriter named Billy Fitz argued that the limitations imposed by the law, restricting fights (that had once gone on as many as 20 rounds) to four rounds would encourage a rush of poorly trained amateurs who would fight more brutally in order to win a shorter match (rather than previous endurance contests which he felt were conducted by well-prepared professional boxers).^[6]

The 1914 law was repealed with the passage of 1924's California Proposition 7.