By Mauricio Sulaiman – WBC President – José Sulaiman’s son
Planes, trains, and automobiles; after a long journey with layovers in Barcelona, Madrid, and Istanbul, I managed to reach one of the most important countries in the history of our beloved World Boxing Council: South Africa.
My initial stop was in Barcelona, where I met with a great group of friends from the boxing community led by the great champion Sandor Martín and the recently crowned champion in Las Vegas, Ismael Flores. I had the honor of spending time with the grandson of Marcel Cerdan and a number of other friends.
On Sunday, I was invited to the presidential box of the monumental Spotify Camp Nou stadium by the club’s vice president, Rafael Yuste, and witnessed Barcelona being crowned champions of the Spanish League by defeating their archrival, Real Madrid, 2-0. My apologies to my brother-in-law Pepe Manzur, my nephew Juan Pablo, and a few other friends, but that day, Barcelona looked magnificent.
The next day, we left by train for Madrid: Luis Menéndez, Sargis, and Sandor Martín. We were traveling like mules with a massive amount of luggage, because on every trip I have to carry a large quantity of things for each stop: belts, gifts, memorabilia, materials, etc. In short, from the moment we arrived in Madrid, there wasn’t a single minute of rest.
We had a great lunch with many members of the Spanish boxing community, including members of the Spanish Boxing Federation, the great champion Javier Castillejo, four WBC regional champions (both male and female), managers, trainers, and our representative, Miguel de Pablos.
After lunch, I had the honor of participating in the prestigious radio program hosted by Juanma Rodríguez and Jaime Ugarte. Salvatore Cherchi arrived from Italy, and at night, we had more meetings.
Chano Planas put a proposal on the table to bring the convention to Spain; I met the Olympic team and a couple of great professional prospects. We made a deeply moving visit to the oncology unit in the company of the Cris Foundation, where we talked with those warriors who are putting up a great fight and will surely emerge with their hands raised, alongside their parents and the entire medical staff, who truly are heroes of humanity.
We visited one of the wonderful gyms of the great Spanish champion Cristian Morales, and before heading to the airport, we stopped by to see the incredible Leone boxing store, Italian gloves in partnership with Rafa.
My departure to Istanbul, as a technical stop toward my final destination, was a bit tiring, but from there I finally departed for Johannesburg, South Africa.
This is the first time I have visited this country, and it has captivated me. Since I was a child, I heard countless talks, discussions, and controversial decisions regarding South Africa; I heard the name Nelson Mandela and the concept of Apartheid many times.
Being here, I attended a powerful event at the Nelson Mandela Foundation where the boxing community gathered for an inspiring four-hour conversation. This experience provided profound clarity on why my father, José Sulaimán, and his colleagues at the WBC fought for 17 years against the injustice of Apartheid.
The history shared there has deeply touched me, especially as we see a similar struggle emerging in the United States. Muhammad Ali, a follower of Mandela’s principles, also went to prison, and he sacrificed his career and freedom to protect others and, eventually fighters from abuse. Today, multibillion-dollar entertainment companies are attempting to undermine the very laws Ali established to protect athlete rights and economic conditions.
By invoking Ali’s name to mask their greed – a tactic akin to “sportswashing” – these entities have proposed a league format to the U.S. Senate that mirrors the UFC model, where companies thrive while fighters receive minimal compensation.
Boxers are our sport’s most valuable assets. They deserve a free market and the right to negotiate with proper guidance, rather than being forced into a monopoly. Promoters and sanctioning bodies like the WBC exist to support these athletes from their earliest dreams to their world championship goals.
Boxing does not belong to any single institution or corporation; it belongs to the boxers and the fans. We must stand together to ensure fair competition and protect the integrity of the sport.
Did you know…?
Siyakholwa Kuse conquered the WBC strawweight world championship this Saturday by winning a unanimous decision against the Filipino Melvin Jerusalem. Kuse is the fourth South African to win a WBC world title, joining Sugar Boy Malinga, Dingaan Thobela, and Kevin Lerena.
Today’s Anecdote
Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, was elected President in 1994, and the annual WBC convention was held there in 1998, with Mandela himself inaugurating it.
“My son, being next to Nelson Mandela at our convention was undoubtedly one of the most incredible and memorable moments of my life; his humility, warmth, and sincerity gave me the ultimate joy, as he told me in private that he knew boxing had taken up the fight against evil, that a man named Sulaimán was fighting for me and South Africa. That gave him strength and reassurance, and so, in the most difficult moments, my boxer’s mindset carried me through the hell I lived through. Boxing made me feel free.”
I welcome your comments at contact@wbcboxing.com.
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