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

Our beloved uncle Toño, Don Antonio Esper, has gone into the path of no return, he was my father’s best friend, confident and advisor, his presence at WBC conventions and events was always felt and his sweet smile and joy for life had an effect in the way that we all want to live our lives.

A full church, with people of all ages, thus demonstrating that his mark was left in the hearts and minds of several generations of the habitants of Ciudad Valles. Our family traveled from far and wide to say our final earthly goodbye to this charismatic tremendous man, leader and friend. He was a great son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and father-in-law. God greet him, and draw him close in his holy glory.

This Saturday one of the most anticipated fights will take place, Gervonta Davis vs Ryan García, at T Mobile, in Las Vegas. It is necessary to praise all this involved in making g this fight happen, it was not easy but the promoters, managers and networks put their minds in the right position in order to give the world this popular fight at the right moment.

Ryan García is a very popular young man, with a great presence on social networks from a very young age. But now in his maturity he has shown great boxing quality and a tremendous punch, especially with his fabled left hand. Charismatic, role model, kind and a mental wellness ambassador. Just to exemplify his kind heart, he was approached by Make a Dream foundation as a young kid who is fighting a tough battle had the dream of meeting Ryan, well, Ryan showed up at the MGM Grand arrivals with this little bout by his side giving him the experience of a lifetime, thank you Guadalupe Valencia and Al Haymon for making a dream come true, thank you Ryan for giving this kid and his parents ever lasting memories.

On the other hand, Gervonta Davis is a fighter already tried and tested on several occasions, who has defeated high-level boxers, but his worst enemy is himself, because he is constantly in trouble with the law. He has his day in court before a judge, on May 15, to find out the sentence that will be imposed, concerning his latest problem. However Gervonta is a good person who has been a victim of society, has tremendous discipline and has unbelievable boxing skills and punching power.

The lightweight division is on fire, with many fights prompting and eliciting great emotions in the fans.
On May 20, Devin Haney, the division’s undisputed champion, will fight Vasyl Lomachenko, who was considered the pound-for-pound best in the world a few years ago, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Shakur Stevenson is The WBC mandatory of the division and Mexico`s Isaac “ Pitbull” Cruz is also there as a tough contender as well as several others, who make this division the most competitive today. It reminds us of the era of the Four Kings: Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, and Roberto Duran.

We are entering the final stretch of the great event that will culminate in the fight of the best boxer in the world today: Saúl Canelo Álvarez, who returns home after 12 years of glorifying Mexico in the world’s rings.
This coming May 6, the world’s attention will be focused upon Jalisco, as Zapopan and Guadalajara will be united to receive the fans that will come from all over the country and from other countries with a full house is forecast, at the Akron Stadium, in the Chivas.
A lot of surprises are being prepared to make this a marvelously memorable national holiday. Thirty years ago, Julio César Chávez filled the Azteca. Now it’s up to Canelo to consecrate himself before his people.

I enjoyed the visit of Jill Diamond, director of WBC Cares, in Mexico City.
We are following up on the important issues that were given as an Action Plan, during our last Convention to strengthen the women’s boxing program with specific actions, among which are:
• Celebration of the fourth annual women’s boxing Convention.
• Creation of the manual, carried out by an agency specializing in social networks and marketing, to be distributed free of charge to women boxers to increase their media and market value.
• to include at least one women’s fight on each of the cards, where there are WBC world title contests.
• Continue with the medical studies for the revision of the specific rules of women’s boxing, to guarantee their physical integrity.

Did you know…?

Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, visited Ciudad Valles in 1982, when my father, José Sulaimán, took him to see where he grew up, and all the beauty of the Huasteca Potosina.
Ali walked the streets and people couldn’t believe he was there.
He was kind and affable as always, and he enjoyed a few days embraced by the hospitality of my family in Valles, led by my uncle Toño, who treated him like one of the family.

Today’s anecdote

It was in 1980 when my hero, Sugar Ray Leonard, lost to Roberto Durán. After the rematch was confirmed, I begged my dad to take me to it.
“No way, mijito”, he told me. “New Orleans is a very big and dangerous city, and I am going to be very busy, and you are only 10 years old; I’m sorry.”

And so he went without me to the fight.

The next day, my uncle Toño Esper came home, and he asked why I was so sad. Immediately afterwards I found myself on a plane, next to him, on the way to New Orleans. Upon landing, he gave me 50 dollars, which at that time was a fortune, and that’s how I was present at the famous “NO MAS” rematch between my two idols.

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