By Mauricio Sulaimán / Son of José Sulaimán… WBC President
We are just one day away from the start of September, a month that holds a very special meaning for all Mexicans. It is the month when we remember our history and our roots, but over the years boxing also found a way to celebrate Mexico, to celebrate this sport, and for it to become a special date on the calendar.
Today we can say that September and boxing form an inseparable pair. Independence festivities became the setting for great bouts, unforgettable nights, and stories that have remained in the memory of millions of fans for more than 50 years.
Many fights have taken center stage on these special dates, featuring Mexican fighters and at an international level. Among the most remembered are when Rubén “El Púas” Olivares lost the WBC featherweight title to David Kotey on September 20, 1975, or when Muhammad Ali exacted revenge and defeated Leon Spinks in front of more than 63,000 people in New Orleans on September 15, 1978.
Then came great fights like the one between Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns on September 16, 1981, the day our beloved Julio César Chávez became world champion for the first time by defeating Mario “Azabache” Martínez on September 13, 1984, and how the Great Mexican Champion headlined more September dates in memorable bouts against Héctor “Macho” Camacho and Óscar de la Hoya, taking this celebration to another dimension, proving that Mexican boxing not only represented a sport, but also identity, pride, and unity.
After him, other great champions took up the baton.
Óscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. participated in those September cards and helped turn them into events of global reach, and then it was Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez’s turn, who in recent years made that special date his own. The three fights with Gennady Golovkin and matchups against Edgar Berlanga and Terence Crawford are some of the bouts Canelo contested on one of the most anticipated dates of the year for boxing fans.
The WBC has accompanied this tradition for decades and will do so again this year with bouts where our organization’s title will be on the line: on September 5 with Katie Taylor against Flora Pili; on September 12 when Ryan García defends the welterweight title against Conor Benn; and on the 19th with two of our interim champions, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz against Néstor Bravo, for the super lightweight title, and Jesús Ramos Jr. against Meiirim Nursultanov, for the middleweight title.
These are some of the great fights that have taken place throughout history in the patriotic month:
Rubén “El Púas” Olivares vs. David Kotey: September 20, 1975
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II: September 15, 1978
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I: September 16, 1981
Julio César Chávez vs. Mario “Azabache” Martínez: September 13, 1984
Julio César Chávez vs. Héctor “Macho” Camacho: September 12, 1992
Óscar De La Hoya vs. Julio César Chávez II: September 18, 1998
Félix “Tito” Trinidad vs. Óscar De La Hoya: September 18, 1999
Óscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas: September 14, 2002
Shane Mosley vs. Óscar De La Hoya II: September 13, 2003
Israel “Magnífico” Vázquez vs. Jhonny González: September 16, 2006
Sergio “Maravilla” Martínez vs. Julio César Chávez Jr.: September 15, 2012
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez: September 14, 2013
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos “Chino” Maidana II: September 13, 2014
Gennady Golovkin vs. Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez I: September 16, 2017
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II: September 15, 2018
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin III: September 17, 2022
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga: September 14, 2024
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford: September 13, 2025
Boxing once again demonstrated its greatness and its capacity to generate stories in every corner of the world this past weekend. We had activity in different countries, WBC world championships at stake, major protagonists, and, above all, fights that remind us that behind every belt lies a story of sacrifice, discipline, and dreams.
One of the standout moments of the weekend was Lester Martínez’s performance in Los Angeles, where he put on an extraordinary display against a rival of enormous quality like Luka Plantic and secured the first defense of his WBC interim super middleweight championship. He won by technical knockout in 10 rounds and gave a great demonstration of his quality against a dangerous fighter, proving that he belongs to the division’s elite.
In Birmingham we also experienced an extraordinary night. MVP continues to give people plenty to talk about with cards headlined by women and with matchups that demonstrate the enormous growth of women’s boxing.
Chantelle Cameron defeated Mikaela Mayer in a high-level, competitive fight featuring two great female boxers who proved that women’s boxing is going through one of its best moments. We also saw Caroline Dubois defend her unified WBC and WBO lightweight championship against Amelia Moore, building an important career and representing a generation of youth taking women’s boxing into new spaces.
There was activity in Mexico as well. In Naucalpan, State of Mexico, David Picasso defeated Colombian Maicol Rincón by knockout in just two rounds. Picasso has talent, discipline, and a hunger for victory. His performance made it clear that he is ready to seek another opportunity and I am convinced that we will soon see him dispute a championship fight again and represent Mexican boxing with pride.
But boxing does not stop, and we are approaching a moment that will be historic in Ireland, as Katie Taylor prepares to close an extraordinary career in front of more than 80,000 fans at Croke Park. Few farewells can have such a spectacular setting and such deep meaning.
Katie didn’t just conquer championships. She transformed women’s boxing, opened doors, and became an inspiration for millions of girls and young women who found an example of perseverance in her. That is why the WBC is preparing a very special recognition, and that night we will present the honorary “Queen of the Celts” belt, created exclusively to celebrate her legacy, her Irish heritage, and everything she represents for our sport.
And when we talk about major events, I cannot fail to mention that Acapulco will once again become the epicenter of world boxing. From November 8 to 13 we will celebrate the 64th Annual Convention of the World Boxing Council, a place that holds a very special meaning for our boxing family and that already welcomed us in 2022. Soon we will give more details about our big event of the year.
The weekend that just ended left us with many stories, but also a certainty: boxing is more alive than ever. From Los Angeles to Birmingham, passing through Naucalpan and looking toward Ireland and Acapulco, our sport continues to write extraordinary chapters.
Did you know…?!
The first world title that Julio César Chávez won was in September, on the 13th day in 1984. Julio had been a professional for just over four years and had 43 fights when the dreamed-of opportunity arrived for him, but he went in with everything against him, as the heavy favorite was Mario “Azabache” Martínez, who was experiencing a great moment in his career, with 20 fights without a loss and ready to finally be crowned. But he ran into Chávez, who that day took a very important step in his legendary career by winning the first world title of his career, the WBC super featherweight belt.
Today’s Anecdote…
On September 14, 2013, Canelo Álvarez had one of the most important fights of his career, the day he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. Don José went to the doctor the day before and the physician informed him of the severity of his heart condition, also advising him that he could no longer experience great emotions, so the instruction was not to watch the fight even on television, since what was urgent was his surgical intervention. And despite the medical advice, my dad watched the fight and early the next morning traveled to Los Angeles to check into the clinic where he would be operated on. Not even with medical advice did our beloved Don José stop watching his fighters.
I appreciate your comments at [email protected]
