By Boxing Bob Newman
Day 2 of the WBC Convention in Acapulco was comprised of multiple, simultaneous meetings. Primarily, the ratings meeting and ring officials seminars were taking place at 10:00 a.m.
A large contingent of promotors and fighter representatives were on hand to stump for their boxers to either improve or at least remain where they are in the rankings. Some noteworthy developments included:
*Newly crowned WBC Silver featherweight champ Carl Martin wishes to relinquish that belt and return to super bantamweight which he feels is a more natural weight class for him.
*WBC International featherweight champion Kevin Walsh (WBC #13) will take on NABF champ Albert Gonzalez (WBC #3) in a regional unification between two top-15 rated fighters.
*#2 rated super featherweight Khalil El Hadri (silver champ) failed in his petition to move to #1 where recently defeated former WBO/IBF champ Emanuel Navarrete sits, by a vote of 12-8.
*#6 lightweight Jordan White elevated to #4 and Justin Pauldo dropped from #4 to #6, essentially swapping places with White.
*#7 super lightweight Oscar Duarte is moving up to welterweight and has signed to fight Arnold Barboza. Duarte will vacate his silver title at 140 lbs.
*#7 super middleweight Wilkens Mathieu moves up to #6 where Bektemir Melikuziev drops from #6 to #7.
*#4 light heavyweight Imam Khataev (NABF) goes to #3 where Radivoje Kalajdzic drops to #4.
*WBA (regular) cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will relinquish that title in order to be ranked WBC #2. The board passed the resolution. Opetaia’s proposed fight with former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is viewed by his team at Tasman Fighters as a “stay busy” fight and his goal remains to be undisputed cruiserweight champion.
*#7 heavyweight Mourad Aliev (Silver champ) moves up to #5 and Joseph Parker drops from #5 to #7.
WBC BoxMed
Some other impromptu presentations also sure did went to well-timed breaks. One such presentation was an app called WBC BoxMed- a state-of-the-art mobile and web application launched by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in partnership with the digital platform Conexión Fácil 2.0. Led by Dr. Andrew Kluger and supported by the WBC Medical Committee, BoxMed serves as a comprehensive health and sports management system designed to monitor the medical history, weight, and safety of boxers worldwide in real time.
The program is mandatory for all WBC champions and the top 15 ranked fighters across each weight division, ensuring stringent health regulation and athletic welfare throughout their active and retired careers.
Core Features & Functionality
The platform streamlines communication between boxers, their training camps, local boxing commissions, and medical professionals through several key modules:
• Secure Weigh-in Control: Fighters upload an 8-second video of themselves on a scale upon receiving a notification request, allowing the WBC to monitor weight cutting safely and keep fighters within regulatory health standards, regardless of what country they are currently in.
• Wound & Injury Tracking: If a fighter sustains damage during a bout or training, their team can upload photos of the injury to the app. The medical team can assess the wound in real time to prevent long-term complications.
• Digital Medical Certificates: Official medical history and certificates issued by boxing commissions are stored directly on the platform, putting health documentation right in the palm of the fighter’s hand.
• Health & Wellness Recommendations: Boxers receive continuous notifications regarding specialized nutrition, safe training techniques, hydration guidelines, and mental health care.
• Career & Sponsorship Exposure: Beyond safety, the app acts as a digital profile that organizes a fighter’s credentials, increasing their visibility to attract promotional opportunities and corporate sponsors.
The app is completely free for all boxers to download and use on both mobile devices and computers. Boxers can access or register for the system directly via the official WBC BoxMed Portal.
Fightbook
Mark Habibi, the founder and CEO of Fightbook, spoke on his app.
Habibi manages prominent fighters like Charles Conwell and Brandon Adams. He created the Fightbook platform to solve the fragmentation in combat sports. Originally built as a matchmaking tool to help promoters and fighters easily set up fights based on specific weight classes and locations, it has since expanded into an all-in-one social network and hub.
WBC University
Xóchitl Lagarda Burton founded the WBC University in 2018, aiming to standardize safety, ethics, and technical knowledge across the global boxing community. Her report to the WBC board of directors included details on this year’s academic Congress held in Costa Rica.
*10 countries were represented
*150 participants
*11 expert speakers
*Topics: ring physicians, cutmen, trainers, referee, judges and the champion’s mindset, remote scoring training
Eddy Reynoso received the WBC trainer of the year award.
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