By Mauricio Sulaimán
Son of José Sulaiman / President of the WBC
This past Saturday, June 19, a historic step was taken with the celebration of Juneteenth day, around the fight for the WBC world championship in Houston, Texas.
World champion Jermall Charlo defended his title against Mexican Juan Macías Montiel in a fight that was dramatic and spectacular. A sensational boxing card promoted by TGB Promotions and Lions Only Promotions and aired by Showtime, which included an action-packed undercard.
Juneteenth marks the date that the state of Texas finally abolished slavery, an event which dates back to 1865.
The World Boxing Council decided to commemorate this date by dignifying human equality, and thus continuing our fight against any form of discrimination.
After analyzing some design proposals, we selected the wonderful art produced by Estudio Menchaca and a unique masterpiece was created, depicting the breaking of the chains and the brotherhood handshake.
It couldn’t have been a better time to do it; Precisely last Thursday the President of the United States, Joe Biden, signed the law to make this date a national holiday.
The WBC will be celebrating this day every year, by producing a commemorative belt, just as we do with 5 de Mayo and September 16.
It was a weekend with a lot of boxing activity. Top Rank promoted a card in Las Vegas, broadcast on ESPN; Golden Boy had a show in El Paso, with transmission on DAZN and the participation of Jaime Munguía looking great and Roca Zamora lost her WBC flyweight title to Marlen Esparza, in a sensational fight that surely will provide a rematch.
Tom Brown and PBC promoted the Houston show on Showtime where, in addition to Charlo vs. Macías, there was all-out war between the Mexicans Pitbull Cruz and Francisco Bandido Vargas.
Finally, in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Great Mexican Champion, Julio César Chávez, thrilled the public with a demonstration of class and lean courage, with a fabulous display against Héctor Macho Camacho Junior at the Jalisco Stadium, in a function broadcast on pay-per-view. and by Azteca TV.
A very emotional moment happened at the end – Julio Cesar and Canelo Alvarez embraced in the ring as it is the handing of the torch from one great to the other as Mexico´s top figure.
Yesterday was Father’s Day, which generated many emotions to most of humanity.
Many were able to share and enjoy this holiday with their parents and families, after a pandemic that kept us all away from our loved ones. Last year you couldn’t even visit, much less hug and kiss parents.
Many of us spent a day full of memories. Those of us who no longer have a physical presence, have our everlasting marvelous memories. In my case, I received many beautiful messages from people remembering my dad on this special day.
TODAY’S ANECDOTE
About 15 years ago, I traveled to Hermosillo to accompany my dad to a fight with our lightweight champion José Luis Castillo.
The promoter was Fernando Beltrán, and after the weigh-in we were going to have a production meeting; Beltrán called a nephew of his, who was in his 20s, and asked him to attend to my dad while we went to the meeting.
Sitting in the lobby bar, the kid was nervous and didn’t know what to talk about. Well, suddenly, out of nowhere, he said: “Look Don José, have you seen that hot girl over there?” My dad laughed so much and from there they didn’t stop talking all afternoon.
That Sunday, after the fight, it was Father’s Day. Beltrán and I went to eat with my dad, as he was flying to Los Angeles and we were flying to Mexico City. A meal that I remember as if it were today, because Fernando had just lost his father and it was full of affection, memories and emotion.
“Fernando, rest assured that you will always be like a son to me, and you can count on me and my family unconditionally,” my dad said with that comforting and warm voice that made you feel that everything will always be fine.
I appreciate your comments at [email protected].
Juneteenth? Gotta be joking >_< how bout this… First person to own a slave in America was a black man named Anthony Johnson in 1654 in Virginia. He went to the courts and demand its his right to own slaves. Look it up. Stop being a blind follower.
Not sure what a black slave owner has to do with the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
You sound like a victim of an intolerant subculture.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday and you’ll learn to live with it.
Good points, Tye Burnham, but altogether wasted upon most people, — who are both ignorant of the facts, and care not to be enlightened. As for this “knocking out discrimination,” it has about as much substance to it as a broth that’s been made from the shadow of a starved chicken. I say this because this so-called “discrimination,” concerning which everyone’s squawking, is aimed largely at White people. But, fact of the matter is that while I’ve heard no Caucasian boxer period make public racial insults towards Negroes, I’ve seen it the opposite numerous times by Negro boxers towards Caucasians. — with Haney and Hopkins being two cases in point. But did boxing’s sanctioning bodies call them down for it? LOL. But, had it been a White boxer spewing racist taunts, the punitive fur would’ve been flying all over the place. Whenever it’s okay for one group to do something, but not the others, it’s the stench of a diseased and dying society. Hypocrisy is how I define it.
You are absolutely right my friend, its perfectly acceptable to make racist comments against the Caucasian Race in our world of the racist ideology of the Critical Race Theory where one is totally being judges merely for their skin tone instead of the content of their character.
Well-said, Stan. In fact, you said more in one sentence than I was able to cough up in seven. Let’s not lose sight of the disputed fact that, after the smoke settles, it’s alright to be white — in spite of what’s pandered to us as the acceptable “status quo.”
How about knocking out corruption within the sport….
The best point on this whole thread! Thank you.
Would have to do away with his own organization-probably not going to do that.
I don’t know of any society that did not have slavery, including throughout black Africa, the Muslim world and the American Indians. But that’s all in the past, what isn’t is blatant “legal” discrimination against whites and asians, especially in school admissions, grants, set asides etc., but I’m sure you already knew that.
And slavery still exists in the first two!
You’re right about that. There are more slaves (mostly Negroes) in Africa, as I type these words, than America had in her entire history of slavery. But, since the ones who are practicing this present slavery are Muslims, everyone closes their eyes, stuffs bags over their heads, and then turns their heads away from the disturbing fact that MILLIONS of human beings are groaning in slavery right now. It’s far better to condemn White Americans for having practiced slavery one hundred and seventy years ago, than to confront the evil ideology that teaches it’s adherents to conquer and enslave — in the present day. Their both hypocrites and cowards for averting their eyes from the real problem, and then blaming an entire ethnicity for the evils in the world.
Hey GTFOH, Murry Solomon, with your BS wokeness! So far boxing has been more above all your crap than the team sports.
This Olympics needs to allow trans athletes to compete in the ring now! . Stop the real discrimination! Allow trans boxers to box. It will be a great day for equality to see a transgender person win the women’s gold! The world can’t wait to see the day. It will be a day of pride like no other. Peace and love on Juneteenth.
GTFOH
“It will be a great day for equality to see a transgender person win the women’s gold! ”
– You can’t be serious……………
– So, you want man (minus his manhood plus female hormones) to win a women’s Gold medal in the Olympics?
– Why ??
Here’s a corrupt head of a sanctioning body lecturing us in social issues. Yay! Go Fck yourself Mauricio Sulaimán
Wonder if Mauricio reads the comments section here. Would be quite interesting if he participated in a little Q&A session with the folks on this board.
Fact Juneteenth the day that Republicans freed the slaves from their Democrat slave owners, also Fact the original black were captured & sold into slavery by their fellow black Africans, a Fact that is totally ignored by corrupt & dishonest history revisionist. Fact, blacks are still being sold and traded in slavery to this very day in both Africa and the Middle East by Muslim slave traders.
dramatic and spectacular ? What fight was he watching?
Here we go again,tower of piffle.Wbc lovely family business.PR jargon,should be on MS facebook .
You’re not seeing the significance and importance of this new special belt?