Round 12: Straight From The Heart: Emotions, Legends, And Boxing Unity

By Mauricio Sulaimán / Son of José Sulaimán / President of the WBC

A week filled with emotions of all kinds. I want to start with the good news. Yesterday, Sunday, the National Boxing Class took place all over the 32 States of our country ; it was a resounding success and once again demonstrated how boxing is the sport of the Mexican people.

This 2026 edition was different from the previous three. The first took place in 2022 exclusively at Mexico City’s Zócalo, and its successfully achieved objective was to break the Guinness World Record. The second was also held at the Zócalo, and last year’s took place on a national scale, featuring a full Zócalo connected via giant screens simultaneously with every state across the country.

This 2026 edition was different, yet equally exciting, moving, and successful. Under the leadership of CONADE and its director Rommel Pacheco, perfect coordination was achieved alongside the teams from the Ministry of Labor’s Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro program—led by Marath Baruch Bolaños—as well as the World Boxing Council and the Mexican Boxing Federation teams.

The WBC assembled a great group consisting of state coordinators, ambassadors, and the support of FECOMBOX, along with dozens of boxing commissions, hundreds of gyms, and the full participation of our sport’s national community.

This national class serves as a great boost to the magnificent Boxeando por la Paz (Boxing for Peace) program, established by our President, Claudia Sheinbaum.

This week was very special as we celebrated the life and memory of the great Salvador Sánchez, with a tribute at the National House of Representatives in Mexico City on Tuesday and a day full of events in Santiago de Tianguistenco on the anniversary of his passing, Wednesday the 12th. This was the 44th anniversary, yet the love and remembrance is incredible.The day featured a tribute to his mother, Doña María Luisa Narváez, in the auditorium—with municipal president Erika Olea de la Torre in attendance—followed by a mass officiated by Father Roberto Santana, a procession to his tomb at the cemetery, and concluded with a great amateur boxing card and a delicious taco festival which fed more than a thousand attendees .

The sad news was the passing of Prichard Colon, a boxer who suffered a ring accident 11 years ago and fought like a warrior with the dedication and love of his mother, Nieves. Prichard is now resting in peace. The world spoke out in memory of our eternal champion and with grief and condolences to mother Nieves and father Richard.

That tragic accident served as the inspiration for the global crusade against the infamous rabbit punches.

It was a week packed with activity: that same Tuesday, the official WBC belt was presented to William “Camarón” Zepeda, our lightweight champion, who defeated Lamont Roach in a great fight this past August 1st. “Camarón” Zepeda attended the Chamber of Deputies accompanied by his beautiful family—his wife and two babies—as well as his trainers Jay “Panda” Nájar and Carlos Duarte, who received their champion towels, the recognition the WBC bestows upon trainers of world champions.

That Tuesday was filled with action, as the Chávez brothers, Julio César Jr. and Omar, were present in Puebla to present their upcoming fight. Joining them was their father, my dear Julio César Chávez, to present a fight night with a cause scheduled for September 19 at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium, with all proceeds dedicated to the fight against addiction.

It brings me great joy to see Julio and Omar away from outside-the-ring troubles, focused on their professional careers, and active. I wish them the best of luck for their fight on the 19th, confident that it will be a fantastic event supported by the government of Puebla, led by Alejandro Armenta—a great promoter of sports who continues to drive initiatives like this, fully aware that sports are the best vehicle for a healthy society.

And on Saturday, we watched one of the greatest female fighters in history conquer the green and gold belt once again: Claressa Shields. She defeated Australia’s Kaye Scott to become unified middleweight champion, adding these titles to her current collection as undisputed heavyweight champion. Claressa’s legacy is truly impressive: two-time Olympic gold medalist, world champion across five weight divisions, and currently holding titles in both middleweight and heavyweight—simply one of the best in history. Congratulations, we are incredibly proud of our champion.

Did you know…? The WBC instituted the “Prichard Colon Rule” with the goal of minimizing punches behind the head. Intentional strikes to the back of the head behind the ear area are strictly prohibited. Referees must be firm and take immediate action, ranging from warnings and point deductions to disqualification.

Today’s anecdote… My father’s relationship with the Chávez family was built on profound respect and affection, and he loved them all dearly. Don José saw Julio Jr. at his peak when he became WBC middleweight champion, witnessing the defenses he made of that belt and standing up for him when he was unfairly attacked under the claim that he did not want to face Sergio “Maravilla” Martínez—against whom he ultimately put his world championship on the line during Mexican Independence Day weekend in 2012. My father would be extremely happy to see Omar and Julio sharing a fight card as they will in Puebla, and given the deep affection he had for the entire family, I am sure he would have loved to crown Omar himself.

I appreciate your feedback at contact@wbcboxing.com

The post Round 12: Straight From The Heart: Emotions, Legends, And Boxing Unity appeared first on FightNews.

Source link