By Mauricio Sulaimán
President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán
Boxing is going through a complicated period of adjustments as a new era is beginning, eliciting a transformation.
The announcement by the Showtime network to end its boxing programming, after 37 years of being one of the world leaders has come as a considerable surprise to the world, creating uncertainty and concern for many members of the industry of our great sport.
Boxing is the oldest sport of humanity, and its modern version began more than 300 years ago in England. People gathered on vacant lots to watch and bet on bare-knuckle fights between two sturdy individuals, basically devoid of rules. Eventually it became regulated, took shape, formulated, and by the beginning of the 20th century, it was a highly popular sport throughout the world.
It has been 100 years since the first million-dollar box office, which was previously unthinkable. For decades, the world’s stadiums and arenas were full, week after week, and the entire boxing business depended upon ticket sales. Eventually radio arrived, and fights were broadcast on the airwaves of that medium, generating additional income. Then television arrived, and that took the sport by storm. From thousands of fans in stadiums to millions at home, it completely metamorphosed the business model.
Broadcasting rights became a million-dollar income, and the paradigm changed.
At the beginning of the 90s, pay-per-view arrived, bringing about another great change which led to it becoming a multimillion-dollar business for a few, taking away the people’s ability to watch fights on open television. The North American networks HBO and Showtime made a great combination of fights on cable, building rivalries and then doing the big fights on pay-per-view.
Sophisticated technology arrived, and along with it, another transformation: streaming.
Various platforms came to boxing, especially DAZN, which shook the world by signing a $350 million contract with Mexican superstar Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.
Showtime is leaving, just as HBO did. Back then, nothing happened. The promoters adjusted, and the world’s fans won by continuing to lustily demand boxing.
Our sport is great. It generates emotions that no other show achieves, and it will be a matter of seeing in the coming months what models will be developed for the continued growth of boxing.
Long live Boxing!
Something that does hurt me a lot is the fact that many people that I have known for decades, seeing them at least several times a year, will be losing their jobs this coming December 29th. From the president of Showtime Sports, producers, public relations, and commentators, to the cameramen, who have spent their careers creating and crafting brilliant broadcasts of historic fights.
It was on Showtime that the whole world saw how Julio César Chávez filled the Azteca Stadium. The world also shook when it saw Mike Tyson ripped off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear, and so there are countless stories that will remain in the collective memory of fans, media, promoters, and boxers.
I am very motivated by the great program that the WBC agreed with Sedena, the Mexican Secretary of National Defense. There have already been two weekends in which it has been activated in Mérida, Mazatlán, and Zacatecas, and this Saturday, it will be in Cancún.
Sedena takes the war band to the venue where the fight takes place and the honors to the flag are celebrated, as well as singing the National Anthem. The public has been thrilled, and the pride of being Mexican has been exalted by witnessing this solemn act.
I am in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to witness the fight billed as “Battle of the Baddest” between the World Boxing Council heavyweight world champion, the British Tyson Fury, against the former UFC heavyweight world champion, Francis Ngannou. Anything can happen when 250 kilos and two meters 15 combined face each other in the ring. One titanic punch can change everything.
Speaking of new ways of doing boxing, the Middle Eastern countries are coming in strong with different models that have already transformed football, golf in a certain way, and without a doubt, boxing will find great cards and events in this region.
What will follow is Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, in the highly anticipated battle between champions where all four belts will be at stake. It is the first time that there will be an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis 20 years ago.
DID YOU KNOW…?
On Saturday, boxing returns in a big way to Cancun with the Mexican Eduardo “Rocky” Hernández, seeking the WBC super featherweight world championship against the champion, O’Shaquie Foster, from the United States. The promoter, Pepe Gómez, together with Matchroom, bring this great card, and that shows that this destination is an epicenter of boxing. Cancun has been a hub for international boxing since 2006. The efforts of Pepe Gomez with vision and dedication have opened the doors to many promoters and networks who have found in this destination a unique atmosphere to promote the sport of boxing.
TODAY’S ANECDOTE
One day, a young man from Tabasco came knocking on my dad’s door with ambitious plans to bring boxing to Cancun. This is how it began with the Night of Champions in 2006, when 98 world champions gathered together in a memorable extravaganza, the third World Medical Congress, four WBC World Conventions and the only heavyweight world championship fight in Mexico when HBO produced the Samuel Peter vs. Oleg Maskaev thriller. Legendary promoters such as Don King, Oscar de la Hoya, Akihiko Honda, Dan Goossen, Lou DiBella, and others have presented fights.
My dad enjoyed going to Cancun: “My son, here I feel free, calm. I love sunbathing and I even have a margarita. Cancun has it all, and everyone loves coming to enjoy Mexican hospitality. I will never forget the Night of Champions. Everyone had turned their backs on Cancun after Wilma, but we came in support with Artemio, Jesús and Pepe, and we clearly showed the world that Cancun and Mexico were still standing resolute, unbowed, and proud.”
I appreciate your comments at [email protected].
This man is a fool.
I don’t even read his stuff. What is he going on about now, not that I care?
Lot of people that buys stuff about WBC, but the WBC belt is the best everybody every boxer want to have this belt
The best boxer ever have been in WBC like :
Ali
Tyson
Robinson
Jc Chavez
Sugar ray Leonard
Etc etc et.
My fkn phone sukkks
Lot of people says or criticize WBC. But is the best boxing organización
WBO is the worst
It does not mean there have been no great champions in WBO but WBC is the best
Motorola flip phone perhaps?
I have an AT&T flip fone…..
I agree Carlos, here is a few more notable WBC Champs:
Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr., Wilfred Benítez, Wilfredo Gómez, Julio César Chávez, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Mike Tyson, Salvador Sánchez, Héctor Camacho, Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzón, Roberto Durán, Juan Laporte, Félix Trinidad, Edwin Rosario, Bernard Hopkins, Alexis Argüello, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Érik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Álvarez….ummm, I know I missed a few.
I know is impossible to name all of them but you forgot the best one 52-0 Ricardo finito López the best technique ever
And yea name all of them is almost impossible we have 230 champions about for 400 USA
I think we would be equal if we started boxing inn1890 like USA and it would not be so dificult to travel to USA like before was for Mexican boxers to come here and get an opportunity to fight for a championship fight
Nice breakdown of the past and current (technology) disruptions in Boxing.
Hopefully those guys from Showtime can move on and still provide value on the streaming applications on the way up.
“Mike Tyson ripped off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear”
This is what fans remember and talk about. No mention of how humble Evander was to not bite back – simply because thats what most would have done and it doesn’t matter.
“boxing returns in a big way to Cancun with the Mexican Eduardo “Rocky” Hernández”
O’Shaquie Foster is one of my favorite boxers to watch as of late. And maybe the main reason to watchthis card. So far, Foster seems to be a natural fighter like James Toney or Crawford. But he will need to be dominate to leave Mexico with the WBC title.
I am diehard boxing , it’s the best sport ever! But even I know boxing is not the oldest sport in the world. Maurice is a tool. I do feel the WBC is the more influential of the four governing bodies
Yep, that would be running, then wrestling at number 2.
Mr. S. its organizations with no scruples like the wbc , wba, wbo, ibf, greedy promoters, selfish networks/platforms unwilling to collaborate , some prima donna fighters , and some fans with no real knowledge of boxing that are ruining boxing .
I have been a boxing fan since I was a little girl. I started watching it with my dad. The problem now is that I can’t afford to watch it anymore. I had DAZN until they came close to doubling the fee and I certainly can’t afford the PPV costs. They have taken this great sport away from the average American. Isn’t there anyone who can show the fights two or three months after so it’s not competing with the live PPV?
– Get yourself an Amazon Fire Stick or Octastream and you’ll never spend another dollar on PPS (Pay-Per-Screw).
@Susan, Gary G is correct. Once you get one go on you tube, find a tutorial on how to set it up and viola! INOVA and MAGIS works fine.
i forgot some biased media members and some broadcasters that are on the promoters and fighters payroll. Espn, showtime, dazn, hbo [past] , azteca tv, and televisa, are all guilty of this. They try to “sell” unproven, “A- side – House ” fighters as “pound for pound” or the “face of boxing ” or “superstars” to “gullible fans” who “eat it up”. i hope this “sport/business ” continues to survive.
does he own part of your website ?
I love boxing, but I’m conscious is the worst sport with a Worst judgement
You see a wrong judges decicion every 10 fights (is too much )
Ufc has the best judgment ( you a fighter get robbed every 500 fights)
We all love the sport of boxing , unfortunately the ” The Boxing Business” doesn’t love us back .