By Mauricio Sulaiman

The WBC received a list of fighters at risk who have had activity in 2019 and 2020 in the United States. This list circulated by Greg Sirb has inspired this communication.

The time has come for the world of boxing to unite in all fronts and fight against the most dangerous practice in our sport, MISMATCHES. It is time to take a cohesive and united stance on a global basis, against the injustice, risks and life-threatening dangers of mismatches, in order to prevent serious injury and even loss of life…we must and we will protect a boxer from the blight of an uneven fight.

A matchmaker is a key element in a boxing bout, utilizing, applying and imparting experience, humility, humanity, and common sense, by carefully assessing the proven abilities of each boxer, before they fight each other, because for a competitive match…it takes two!

Boxing is a sport of amalgamation, but also graduation. From the amateur ranks, a young professional boxer needs the apprenticeship of four rounds bouts, progressing to six rounds and only then higher. But there is also an additional clear responsibility for Promoters, Commissions, Trainers, Coaches and all the rest of us, to be vigilant and to make sure that the capability level is properly and responsibility balanced, in order to at all costs avoid a glaringly obvious mismatch…a tragedy waiting to happen. It doesn`t have to happen!

An unscrupulous minority are all too conniving and cynically willing, to knowingly and insidiously embrace mismatches, “Throwing of lambs to wolves.”

Boxing entails the pride of an extended family. Those who stray away from the hard-won principles and rules of our sport, degrade and debase it. They are a disgrace, who must be identified, halted, shunned and banished. There is no room, place or niche in boxing of the modern era, for this sort of avaricious and appalling behavior.

Sadly, even today there are boxers whose records show that they are at significant, considerable and immense risk. Boxing will always have its journeymen. But apart from them, these other often isolated fighters, who are in real danger, could more accurately be categorized as victims. It`s our intention, our job, our duty and our responsibility to identify them and prevent them placing their current and future health, wellbeing and very lives at risk.

Greg Sirb has compiled a list of Boxers at Risk. This list serves as an example to understand the situation. Sadly this situation happens in most countries in the world. This list must be an example of what other countries should also do. Boxing Commissions must lead the way by creating and publishing this list, using their national, regional and local knowledge, to add to it and constantly update it, in order to keep it current and relevant. The World Boxing Council will work to distribute this list and to encourage as many federations and commissions to do the same.

The World Boxing Council has always led the way in introducing rules and regulations, which place the health of boxers as the number one priority. We hereby begin a journey to invite all Federations , Commissions , Governing bodies, promoters, matchmakers, agents, media and any single person interested in boxing to participate in the process to eradicate mismatches.

The WBC will never give quarter and it will never compromise on this issue. For us, safety is and will forever remain first and foremost!

Formulating, compiling, updating and extending a list of Boxers at Risk, is the next great challenge and forward step that our great sport of boxing is now embarking upon. We must endeavor and we must accomplish this vital task.

Our boxers and their families deserve nothing less. In this respect we will do our best…and then we must do even better.

We welcome anyone interested in becoming a member of the Safe Boxing Task Force to actively participate in this important matter.