Don José, Doña Martha are now together

By Mauricio Sulaimán
President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán

In the many years that I have had the great honor of writing my weekly column, last week was the only time that I couldn’t. Precisely a week ago, the most wonderful woman in the world left us, my Dear and Beloved Mother Martha Saldívar Sulaimán has gone into the path of no return.

There is no age, time or way to die, only those who have already lost their Mother will be able to understand.

A month ago, my Mother played poker with her friends, her greatest pleasure, and everything was normal, after some discomfort that we thought was a matter of changing medications, we took her for tests, and in just 30 minutes our life changed, they told us that the problem was a large and aggressive tumor in the brain.

God is infinite and compassionate. Dona Martha left us in just three weeks. She did not suffer and was surrounded at all times by her six children and 14 grandchildren.

I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to each and every one of those who supported us. We have received countless displays of affection through calls, messages, obituaries, publications, flowers and visits to the French Pantheon in Mexico City.

How reassuring is a hug, a look, listening a voice with beautiful words, receiving messages with writings that come from the heart and lodge in the soul!

Thank you eternally! I would like to be in this moment in front of each one of those who remembered my Beloved Mother, to directly thank them for so much kindness and affection received. Kevin Noone traveled from Thailand; Ahmet Oener from Turkey; Don Majeski and Jill Diamond, from NY; Mike George from Boston, Chico López from Puerto Rico, Alberto Leon from New Mexico, Ray Mancera from Texas, and many others.

Receiving condolences became a reciprocal act; we had to calm and hug several people who were crying inconsolably for Marthita’s passing.

My Mother was a great woman, my Father’s partner, and much more so in bad times than in good. She was both a father and a mother, since Don José traveled extensively throughout his life; she understood and embraced the role, and she was the one who supported a family of six children so that my father could travel the globe and revolutionize the world of boxing, thus saving many lives.

Our house welcomed everyone, my parents put traditional Mexican hospitality first, and ever since I can remember, my house was always full: Muhammad Ali, Don King, Leonard, Durán, Tyson, Chávez, Salvatore Cherchi, Mr Honda, Jimmy Lennon, Bob Arum, De la Hoya, and hundreds of promoters and champions had breakfast, lunch and dinner at home.

But it wasn’t just the champions, there were also humble fighters from the provinces who had nowhere to sleep, trainers and managers, the doors of the Sulaimán Saldívar house were always open to everyone.

What a way to cook! Don King would come straight to the kitchen shouting: I’m very hungry, where, where, uptttt. He would sit at the small table, and go all out on Dona Martha’s dishes.

Roberto Durán, every time he saw me, asked about her, and begged: for your mom’s meals. From one-on-one breakfasts, buffets for 80 people, big meals, and even organizing the New Year’s dinner to welcome everyone, like the participants in a boxing match at El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, to benefit the survivors of the San Juanico explosion… Chávez, Macho Camacho, and all their entourage, had turkey dinner at my house, that December 31, 1984.

She was a woman with great bearing and elegance, but down to earth and simple. Her passion for serving others was inherited from her family, and she was a great ally of those who sought her out to get something from my father.

She was a great joke teller, witty, intelligent and friendly. Anyone who had a problem approached her to talk, and thus be able to understand the difficulties of the moment and end with hope and illusion . We have a long list of sayings that she commonly intoned on the appropriate occasion.

Anecdote of today

One Friday in 1983 I remember a house full in the morning, dozens of people having breakfast from a large buffet prepared by Dona Martha: Mexican eggs, roast pork, chicharron in green sauce, pumpkin flower soufflé, nopalitos, hot cakes, quesadillas and all kinds of fruits and salads.

My house was the meeting point and then we went to Cocoyoc for a boxing medicine symposium, in which Ali, Don King, Omar Shariff and a large number of doctors and commissioners participated.

Already leaving, when saying goodbye, my dad said to her with great enthusiasm: “Viejita, you went over the top! How awesome! Everything was wonderful, thank you very much, see you here on Monday.” And Mrs. Martha responded: “Jose: I need to buy something very important, but I need your authorization.”

Without thinking, he replied: “Buy whatever you want, Martha, please, you don’t have to tell me anything”

Martha said: “Sure?”

Don Jose replied: “Sure, whatever.”

My Mom called me to come back a day early, that is, on Sunday… When I got home, she was waiting for me in the game room with the drum set she had bought me…

My Dad had refused to buy me the instrument because of the noise it makes, and my Mom told me that the only condition was to play only when my Dad wasn’t there.

How nice to see and feel how people remember my Mom! Without a doubt, she left a great mark and will live in the hearts and minds of many people, and she will surely be there at every moment with my siblings Pepe, Lucy, Güero, Fery and Clau; the daughters-in-law and son-in-law, the 14 grandchildren and thousands of people, whom she touched with her acts of friendship and kindness.

I appreciate your comments at contact@wbcboxing.com

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