By Mauricio SulaimánPresident of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán
I lastly returned from a protracted journey on which I visited London and Madrid with great outcomes.
On one hand, I used to be current at an imposing boxing occasion at Wembley Stadium, when the attendance document was damaged with 96 thousand followers, and however, I used to be the place all of it begins, within the boxing gyms of Madrid. It was a sensational journey in some ways. I held vital conferences with Lennox Lewis and Adrian Ogun, formally offered her inexperienced and gold belt to our ladies’s champion, Caroline Dubois, spent a superb time with WBC representatives Geraldine Davies, David Walker, and Ciro Orcini, and had an exquisite assembly with HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela with formidable plans for 2025.
Spain is a vital nation for the World Boxing Council, a founding member of the physique in 1963, headquarters of the presidency of the European Boxing Union for a number of many years below the management of Don Ruben Martinez, and host nation of a number of annual conventions, along with some nice champions in historical past: Jose Legra, Pedro Carrasco, Perico Fernandez, Miguel Velazquez, and the Lince de Parla, Javier Castillejos.
The federal government authorities of this nation decided that put our sport on the canvas, prohibiting boxing on tv because the 90s; As we speak, boxing can solely be broadcast from midnight to six within the morning.
The followers are there and proper now boxing is the game of style in society, filling gyms for leisure coaching, health, and for novice {and professional} competitors.
Cristian Morales together with his chain of gyms “Morales Field”; European featherweight champion on two events, now passionately devoted to offering high quality service in all his branches full of youngsters and households.
Brooklyn Boxing, which started a couple of years in the past with the efficient administration of Miguel De Pablos and former champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, with a lot of models all through the nation in addition to internationally.
Emporio Boxing, the champions manufacturing unit is a high-performance middle with dream amenities and who’s already the official middle of the WBC.
This journey marks the start of the brand new period of Spanish boxing. My pal Luis Menendez, Spanish by beginning however who lives in Mexico, has tirelessly sought to search out the system to dignify boxing in his nation, along with being an important promoter of Mexican boxing.
I held very productive conferences with the President of the Spanish Boxing Federation, Felipe Martinez, and with the President of the Madrid federation, Enrique Soria.
One of the vital conferences was with Media Professional, with whom we started a planning course of of assorted choices to convey boxing again to tv.
Fascinating subjects are developing – novice tournaments, WBC championships in Spain, social accountability applications with WBC Cares, coaching camps on the high-performance middle for nationwide and worldwide boxers, and numerous different subjects.
In a memorable assembly, my spouse, Christiane, in control of WBC Cares in Mexico, offered the honorary award to the Mexican tv host Jimena Perez. Jimena is a champion of life. She beat breast most cancers and is already an envoy for WBC Cares. She present in boxing the self-discipline, dedication and keenness that motivates her day by day to be a winner.
One other WBC ambassador made a while in his busy schedule for us. David Summers, singer and chief of the legendary band “Hombres G,” shared with us alongside his spouse Cris.
There are such a lot of tales intertwined with boxing. I had the chance to speak with Hovik, the favored Spanish actor born in Lebanon to an Armenian father, who performed Bogota within the well-known collection “Cash Heist / La Casa de Papel.” It seems that he was a two-time Spanish heavyweight champion, and he confided with me that if it wasn’t for his time in boxing, none of his success would have been attainable.
Spanish boxing has a hope. His identify is Sandor Martin, a star fighter who’s the official WBC challenger in tremendous light-weight and is on his option to dealing with the WBC champion, Alberto Puello.
Sandor was a WBC youth world champion and EBU European champion. He turned identified in boxing when he confronted and defeated the massive favourite, the multi-champion Mikey Garcia. Sandor knocked down the double world champion Teofimo Lopez on two events, who received a really shut break up determination. Spanish boxing is on his shoulders and if he’s topped world champion, this nation that so badly wants a brand new boxing idol, will explode in pleasure.
I met so many expensive buddies and champions on this journey: Charlie Giles, Lennox Lewis, Tony Bellew, Salvatore Cherchi, Ahmet Oner, Marcos Arienti, Miguel DePablos, Javier Castillejos, Chano Planas, Domingo Matas, and so many extra.
October begins with the worldwide marketing campaign for the prevention of breast most cancers. It will be significant for everybody to know that it’s a curable illness so long as it’s detected in time. It’s human nature to be afraid and conceal when one thing appears fallacious, however no, we should promote self-examination, routine check-ups, and go to the physician when there may be the slightest suspicion that one has a lump.
Do you know…?
Numerous legendary boxers left Cuba to pursue a profession overseas. A few of them stayed in Mexico, equivalent to Mantequilla Nápoles and Ultiminio Ramos, whereas the nice José Legrá got here to Spain to turn out to be one of many biggest champions in historical past.
As we speak’s anecdote
We have been in Torremolinos, Spain, at one of many annual WBC Conventions. On the awards dinner there was a flamenco group, and the ambiance was great. My dad was at his desk with Don King, Bob Arum, Dan Goossen, and others.
Don King acquired up from the desk and went up on stage, pulled out of his pocket a giant wad of 100-dollar payments and shouted in his personal means: “Sure, sure, for you! Thanks very a lot! Viva Spain!”, addressing the group, who instantly started to play. Don flirted with the gorgeous dancers and commenced to mimic their dance when immediately he misplaced his step and took a number of steps backwards, and increase! Don King fell on his again, and instantly, he acquired as much as proceed dancing with out having dropped a single invoice through the fall.
Video: https://vimeo.com/1015265899
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