By Mauricio Sulaimán – WBC President – Son of José Sulaimán
Precisely on his birthday, September 12, legendary Canadian boxer George Chuvalo passed away at the age of 89. The boxing world entered a period of mourning to bid farewell to one of the all-time greats of the ring, who famously faced the greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali.
This week in Las Vegas, the traditional Mexican Independence Day weekend had a bit of everything: concerts by Mexico’s most popular artists, including the cancellation of one of the performances by sensation Carín León—who, due to force majeure, was unable to arrive in Las Vegas to perform at The Sphere, though he did perform on Friday, Saturday, and additional dates—as well as Maná, Cristian Castro, and many others.
The T-Mobile Arena rocked, and Mexico was once again proudly represented with the spectacular victory of Mexican-American Ryan García, who brutally knocked out his British opponent Conor Benn in just two rounds.
It was a fantastic card featuring exciting and competitive bouts, capped by two spectacular knockouts in the main events. Australia’s Jai Opetaia knocked out Armenia’s Noel Mikaelian in 9 rounds.
This fight brought a very welcome note as it marked the first real step toward collaboration between our organization, the World Boxing Council, and the new promotional company ZUFFA.
For many months, there has been widespread speculation about ZUFFA’s intentions and numerous media clashes between its multi-billion dollar empire—which controls UFC, WWE, and many other entertainment enterprises. There have been multiple media reports, senate hearings and confession among all existing boxing entities, promoters, managers, and sanctioning bodies dedicated to fighter safety and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act which is being looked at a possible reform has created unbelievable noise and concerns.
In the end, everything turned out positive, defined by great harmony, mutual respect, and the optimistic feeling that meaningful progress was made for the good of the sport and the boxers.
Ryan García walked to the ring escorted by Marco Antonio Barrera and the famous wrestler Rey Mysterio, with the mariachi band playing El Rey. The performance sent the crowd into a frenzy and generated an explosive atmosphere, setting the stage for the dominant performance Ryan delivered against Britain’s Benn.
Immediately after the final bell, challenges from other champions caused a stir at ringside: Teófimo López had to be escorted out of the arena after attempting to aggressively enter the ring, while Devin Haney put himself forward for a rematch with Ryan.
In addition to defending his WBC world welterweight championship, Ryan took home two very special honors: the Adolfo López Mateos commemorative belt, inspired by the Toltec culture of Hidalgo, named “Tollan Topiltzin”. Crafted by talented artisans from the state of Hidalgo, this piece is deeply rooted in Toltec heritage. The term Tollan evokes the ancient capital of that empire—a concept associated with greatness, wisdom, and artistic mastery. Likewise, Topiltzin (“Our Noble Lord”) pays tribute to Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, ruler of Tula’s golden age. The piece stands out for its central plate and ornaments carved from natural obsidian, genuine leather finish, gold-plated metal reliefs, and representations of the jaguar and the eagle, sacred symbols of warrior strength and authority. He also received an invaluable piece of jewelry , a beautiful ring with diamonds and precious stones that Maestros Joyeros crafted exclusively for the winner of this bout.
Another key highlight of the event was the presence of great champion David Benavidez, who holds the WBC light heavyweight title as well as the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. Benavidez entered the ring for a face-off with Opetaia, setting the stage for an imminent showdown between the two in 2027.
I had the opportunity to reunite with dear friends who have been an integral part of the WBC: Rex Walker, Vice President and founder of the Youth World Championship; Duane Ford, Vice President and NABF board member; Chuck Williams, who for many years served as director of conventions and special events; and Alberto León, Vice President and legal committee director; along with many other friendly faces with whom I shared moments of great joy during this iconic and traditional boxing week.
Did you know…?
September 16 has become a grand tradition for world boxing, and year after year, legendary fights featuring Mexico’s greatest fighters have been celebrated on this weekend. Here are a few of them:
Julio César Chávez vs. Mario «Azabache» Martínez / September 13, 1984
Shane Mosley vs. Óscar De La Hoya II / September 13, 2003
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos «Chino» Maidana II / September 13, 2014
Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford / September 13, 2025
Óscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando «El Feroz» Vargas / September 14, 2002
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez / September 14, 2013
Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga / September 14, 2024
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II / September 15, 1978
Sergio «Maravilla» Martínez vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. / September 15, 2012
Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II / September 15, 2018
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I / September 16, 1981
Israel «Magnífico» Vázquez vs. Jhonny González / September 16, 2006
Gennady Golovkin vs. Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez I / September 16, 2017
Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin III / September 17, 2022
Óscar De La Hoya vs. Julio César Chávez II / September 18, 1998
Félix «Tito» Trinidad vs. Óscar De La Hoya / September 18, 1999
Rubén «El Púas» Olivares vs. David Kotey / September 20, 1975
Today’s anecdote…
One of those legendary event cards surrounding Mexican Independence Day took place in 1992, when Julio César Chávez and “Macho” Camacho finally stepped into the ring together; it was one of the biggest, most anticipated, and most challenging fights to organize. There were simply no tickets available—it was complete madness, and all of Mexico wanted to be there… About 10 days before the fight, we were at home when the phone rang, and my sister Lucy told my dad: “Dad, a young man is on the line, someone named Luis Miguel, and he needs to speak with you”… Sure enough, it was that Luis Miguel, calling our house to see if he could sit next to my dad to watch the Chávez vs. Camacho fight, offering in return to invite my dad to his concert the following night at Caesars Palace…
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