By Mauricio Sulaimán – President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán
The month of September has turned out to be explosive for our sport, packed with high-profile cards and major events all across the globe.
We kicked off the month with the majestic presentation of Katie Taylor in front of a sold-out crowd of 83,000 spectators in her native Ireland, winning the undisputed championship across all four major governing bodies of boxing and bidding farewell to the sport of her dreams. From growing up in a tough neighborhood, where she had to disguise herself as a boy just to enter the gym and practice boxing, to filling Croke Park in Dublin—what a monumental success story.
Katie Taylor makes her entrance
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie
The following weekend, Mexico rumbled through Las Vegas, just like in the best of times when, alongside multiple concerts by Mexican artists, the world’s finest fighters stepped into the ring over Independence Day weekend. On this occasion, Ryan Garcia represented Mexico with great pride. He walked out to the ring with a mariachi performing “El Rey” accompanied by a deafening chorus from the fans, and went on to knock out the brave British fighter Conor Benn in the second round. In a card packed with Mexican talent, several promising prospects shined, and the co-main event delivered as well, with Australia’s Jai Opetaia stopping Armenia’s Noel Mikaelian in nine rounds.
This past Saturday, it was Isaac “El Pitbull” Cruz’s turn to ignite a completely packed arena in San Diego as he faced and dramatically knocked out Puerto Rico’s Néstor Bravo. A one punch KO. The Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry remains one of the most intense in all of boxing; from the press conference to the weigh-in and right up to the moments before the opening bell, the atmosphere was electrifying.
It was a rough and gritty fight, with Néstor Bravo resorting to holding and committing all sorts of fouls against the Mexican fighter, though he also managed to land some solid right hands using his reach advantage. It was in the sixth round when Pitbull unleashed a monumental left hook—reminiscent of the legendary hook Joe Frazier landed against Muhammad Ali, or the power-packed left hooks Mike Tyson threw with his entire body behind them. Néstor Bravo collapsed to the canvas completely dazed and spent, remaining there to hear the referee’s full count.
The crowd erupted in jubilation, and Pitbull’s post-fight interview has ignited social media with speculation about what lies ahead for Cruz. The following scenarios are being discussed:
* Facing the winner of the October 24 fight between Britain’s Dalton Smith and the Dominican Republic’s Alberto Puello for the undisputed WBC super lightweight title.
* Pitbull directly called out Ryan Garcia for a fight for the WBC welterweight title; Ryan immediately responded on social media, challenging him to meet in the ring this December.
* William “Camarón” Zepeda, WBC lightweight world champion, emerges as another potential rival by moving up to super lightweight.
Whichever path unfolds, the future looks exceptionally bright, with a wealth of thrilling matchups and combinations in these intermediate divisions.
Outside the ring, there was plenty of action as well. The documentary series Chavez vs. Chavez premiered on the ViX platform. It is a five-episode series—each episode better than the last—and an absolute must-watch. One must admire Julio’s courage in facing the camera to tell his story without any censorship, holding nothing back, and laying bare how, after being one of the most prominent figures in the entire world for a decade, he fell into the lowest depths of the underworld. Julio and many others share their testimonies, accompanied by emotional fight action from every stage of his career, never-before-seen footage of his personal life, and countless moments that take you from feelings of greatness and pride to—seconds later—sadness, disappointment, heartache, worry, and disbelief… How can a king fall so low as to end up cleaning toilets in a rehabilitation facility?
Yet greatness comes afterward. Driven by the same heart and sheer determination that led him to win 90 fights undefeated, compete in 37 world title bouts, and fill the Estadio Azteca with more than 136,000 spectators, he managed to claw his way out of the hell he lived through for years. Today, he celebrates 16 years clean… one day at a time.
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Did you know…
Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez is currently in Spain preparing for his October 31 bout in Saudi Arabia, where he will attempt to reclaim the WBC super middleweight championship currently held by Christian Mbilli. It was a smart decision to head over early and adapt his body to the time zone well in advance. The fight promises to be a war and a true collision of titans: one bringing experience and greatness, the other packing power, aggressiveness, and hunger.
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