ROUND 12: 63 Years Of The WBC

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

This Saturday, we celebrated the creation of the World Boxing Council. It is a divine coincidence that it was founded on February 14, 1963, as our organization is built upon and proclaims friendship in each and every one of its actions, just as this is the world celebration of Valentines.

63 Years of Legacy: Honoring the history, the champions, and the soul of boxing.

I must have been two or three years old when I heard a thunderous noise in my house. I ran downstairs to find my father in the living room with two giant men. It was Muhammad Ali and Don King, who was letting out his trademark booming laughter.

The Sulaimán family grew up immersed in boxing. It was, and remains, our daily life. On any given day, we would come home from school to find legends sitting in our dining room enjoying Doña Martha’s cooking – Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Durán, Larry Holmes, or perhaps a trainer, an amateur boxer, a prospect, or reporters. Anyone could be the guest of the day at that house in the Lindavista neighborhood, which truly served as the global home for boxing.

Legendary promoter Don King and longtime WBC President Don José Sulaimán share a candid moment at Sulaimán’s private residence in Mexico City.

I remember in the mid-70s, a group of amateur fighters from the provinces lived with us. My parents set up a bedroom for them because they had nowhere else to stay while trying to make the Mexican national team. Eventually, I went to a card at the Arena México and watched the heavyweight who lived with us – they called him “Rocky” – get knocked out during the Pan American Games in Mexico.

One day, Ramón Félix, a manager from Culiacán, arrived to ask Don José to meet a kid he claimed would be a boxing superstar. He sat next to my father and affectionately rubbed his belly, saying, “Come on, Don José, give him a chance. This boy Julio César Chávez is going to be great.”

Doña Martha accompanied by José Ángel “Mantequilla” Nápoles and Mike Tyson.

In the early 80s, we moved to a new house in the same Lindavista neighborhood – the home that has today become the WBC headquarters. For three decades, the house on Riobamba Street hosted countless moments that I hold dear in my heart. We were visited there by Mike Tyson, Julio César Chávez, Oscar de la Hoya, King, Bob Arum, and Fernando Beltrán, who brought along the young Erik Morales and “Travieso” Arce. We also hosted “Púas” Olivares, Ultiminio Ramos, Kid Azteca, “Mantequilla” Nápoles, and my father’s ultimate idol, “Ratón” Macías, and hundreds or perhaps thousands of more boxing people.

The end of 1984 was magical. The WBC and Don King organized a benefit card for the victims of the San Juanico explosion, held at the Toreo de Cuatro Caminos on January 1, 1985. New Year’s Eve dinner was at our house, and everyone fighting the next day was there – Chávez, “Macho” Camacho, and so many others. That is how we rang in the New Year. My mother and all kids ended the night exhausted. Then, around 7:00 PM on New Year’s Day, Don José called: “Vieja (honey), the event was incredible! We’re on our way over now!” “We? Who is ‘we’?” my mother replied.

For decades, the Toreo de Cuatro Caminos stood as a premier venue for world-class boxing, serving as the backdrop for legendary fighters and unforgettable championship bouts.

“Well, everyone! The same group from last night is coming over for dinner.” You can imagine the scramble to find food, drinks, and everything necessary, as in those years January 1 was like a ghost town, everything was closed. When they arrived, it looked as though everything had been prepared well in advance. It was another great adventure in the home of boxing.

It was there on Riobamba where, on countless occasions, Julio César Chávez would arrive after a night of partying, and my father would spend hours talking to him and his companions. Many of those talks led to one day bringing Julio to a rehab facility to eventually defeat addictions. I remember one day when Julio knelt down, weeping, to beg for one last title shot. Daniel Zaragoza did the same, pleading for that final chance because he had lost all his money in bad investments. Zaragoza won the title, defended it five times, and secured his children’s future.

During one of those meetings, accompanied by my dear friend Franco Carreño, Director of El Heraldo, something incredible happened. We ended up out on the street, sitting on the trunks of cars, chatting with Mike Tyson. This was the golden era before cell phones, when memories weren’t captured in selfies but were etched into the mind and heart. Cars drove by, and people couldn’t believe that Tyson was just sitting there like anyone else.

The World Boxing Council turns 63. There have been many achievements in this crusade to make boxing safer for those who step into the ring; to dignify the boxer so they are seen as heroes and athletes of stature; to recognize the power of women and secure their deserved place in the sport; to bring boxers closer to society through social responsibility programs that provide hope and dreams to millions of children worldwide; and to keep the idols of the past present in the public eye so they never feel forgotten, but always valued and appreciated.

Did you know?

On Monday, February 16, I had the honor of attending the “Mañanera” press conference where our President, Claudia Sheinbaum, officially announced the “Boxing for Peace” (Boxeando por la Paz) program. This is undoubtedly the greatest achievement for Mexican boxing – a program unparalleled in the world. Boxers will integrate into the Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro program, receiving a monthly salary and medical insurance. Recognizing boxing as their profession, they, in turn, will teach boxing classes to thousands of children across the country. Every boxer in a gym is a Mexican off the streets. It promotes physical activity and addresses mental health. It is their craft, and this program dignifies Mexican boxing like never before.

During “La Mañanera” press conference, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, was joined by Mauricio Sulaimán, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Jackie Nava, and sisters Lulú and Mariana “Barby” Juárez, among other prominent figures.

Today’s Anecdote

One Friday, the house was full. My mother had prepared a buffet of Mexican and Lebanese food for everyone gathered to head out by bus to Cocoyoc for a medical symposium to discuss rule changes for safety. As we were leaving, my father stopped at the door and happily thanked my mother for such an incredible feast for his guests. Doña Martha looked at him and said, “José, I need to buy something.” Don José replied, “Vieja, please, buy whatever you want, don’t even ask me, go ahead!” Upon my return from Cocoyoc, my mother greeted me with the drum set I had long craved – the one my father had never allowed because of the tremendous noise it made.

Martha Saldivar and Jose Sulaiman.

I welcome your comments at contact@wbcboxing.com.

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