By Mauricio Sulaimán
President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán
The emotions and feelings experienced last week are difficult to put into words, but they will remain in my mind and heart for life.
My brother Héctor invited me to visit Holy Father Francis, accompanying Adrián Pallarols, who is the Pope’s goldsmith, and one of the most beloved and closest since his childhood.
It was an unforgettable meeting where he gave us a series of life advice and concepts in a few words and with a lot of meaning. He has a unique ability to synthesize like I had never seen in my life.
On one occasion he addressed a group of firefighters, and his message was forceful.
“I pray every day that everyone in the world has a job and works, and I pray every day that firefighters do not have work.”
That is how he made it clear that when a firefighter has work, it means that there is a tragedy.
Vanes Martirosyan is a retired boxer who is undergoing a difficult treatment in Tijuana, where he went to receive chemotherapy for cancer. The Pope took Vanes’ photo in his hands and prayed for his successful and prompt recovery. He also prayed for the health of the greatest promoter in history, Don King, who at 93 years old is in a delicate state of health. Several other private prayers were gently given for special people in our boxing community and the boxing world as a whole.
Regarding boxing, we have had many events with the Holy Father since 2016, when he granted the WBC the honor of carrying out the BoxVal (Boxing with Values) program, with which we have traveled the world with various programs with the support of thousands of people with the direction of WBC Cares.
There have been fights for peace, the first being Canelo Álvarez (Catholic) against Amir Khan (Muslim). Also Gennady Golovkin vs. Daniel Jacobs, Chocolatito González vs. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder, and many other promotions in Italy, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, and various other countries.
The commemorative belts of these fights have been hand made by Adrian Pallarols, who crafts with his hands priceless pieces that carry the Pontifical Blessing.
We have planted Olive Trees of Peace in each of the events, and everything has been done with great emotion and the satisfaction of serving.
His Holiness sent an emotional and powerful message to the boxing community, asking for respect for the rules and fair play, being a contact sport, claiming for boxers’ awareness of what is done to their own body and that of the opponents.
He also provided us with beautiful messages for Mexico, highlighting the greatness of our people for having the Virgin of Guadalupe and messages in support of Oaxaca and Guerrero that have been hit so hard by natural phenomena, the USA in several states and other regions of the world.
The most emotional moment was when we talked about the recent loss of our dear mother Martha. The Pope gave us a very heartfelt message for everyone in the Sulaimán Saldívar family.
I am back in Mexico with renewed spirit and determination, with the motivation to always try to be a good person, to serve others with compassion and mercy, and to continue living with the values that José and Martha instilled in us.
A phenomenal closing is coming for this incredible 2024 in our sport. There are fights of the highest level, among others:
- Rematch of Robson Conceicao vs. O’Shaquie Foster.
- Super flyweight unification between Jesse Rodriguez and Pedro Guevara.
- Great card at the Dallas Cowboys stadium with Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, and Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos.
- In Riyadh, William “Camarón” Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer.
- And to close a magnificent year, the highly anticipated rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the world heavyweight championship, as well as the return of the “Monster” Naoya Inoue.
- We are in full swing, with the preparations for our 62nd annual convention, from December 8 to 14, in Hamburg, Germany.
The boxing world will meet to analyze what was achieved this year and plan for 2025. We have many topics of great interest, but as always, the priority will continue to be the safety of the fighter.
The BoxMed platform continues to advance by leaps and bounds, which serves so that all fighters have this app that documents their medical record, such as weight control, anti-doping tests and medical examinations, injuries, and more.
It is the first time that we have brought together the World Women’s Convention, thus taking a definitive step towards the integration of our sport. There will be a great boxing event with various WBC titles, and worldwide broadcast on DAZN.
Did you know that…?
The World Boxing Council has held annual conventions around the world; the first in Mexico, and in 1975, in Tunisia, where José Sulaimán was elected President. Also, Thailand, Spain, Las Vegas, New York, Miami, Philippines, Japan, Argentina, Italy, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and more, but this is the first one held in Germany.
Today’s anecdote
In boxing, we can experience the traditions and customs of so many nationalities. The hospitality that one visits is a way of experiencing the diversity of cultures.
On one occasion, my mother accompanied my father on a trip through the Orient.
My mother enjoyed telling us what happened at a dinner they were invited to in Korea. There were several members of the WBC, all men, and my father with my mother. They entered a traditional private room in a restaurant from that country. There were cushions on the floor where everyone sat.
Once everyone was seated, suddenly a door opened and traditionally dressed ladies entered, each one sitting next to a gentleman, and throughout the dinner, they assisted them with food and drinks, cleaned them with napkins, in short, incredible attention. One of the guests got up to go to the bathroom, and there behind him was the lady who followed him. Immediately my mother turned around, and in a firm tone said: “Jose, don’t even think about going to the bathroom, because I’ll get up and go with you, kid.”
I appreciate your comments at [email protected].
Can’t wait for Conceicao Foster 2!I’ll be able to catch up on some sleep.
– I will be there !!!!!!!!!!!
Jesus Christ. Shut the f*ck up already.
I made some excellent burritos this week.
Pan seared steak with unsalted butter, garlic, thyme, and sea salt sounds so good.
Teppan style: filet mignon in garlic butter, vegetables, fried rice. Throw in some chicken which is diced up right in front of you and don’t forget to soak it down with a nice IPA and we are in business!
– I made ribs in the oven yesterday.
– Add a little water, season the meat, cover in aluminum foil, and bake at 350F for 3 hours.
– The meat is steamed to tenderness.
– Remove foil, add BBQ sauce, and place back in oven for 10 minutes.
– Starvin’………
What the USA needs is a great president. Not Mattress Harris & Knucklehead Walz.
Do you have any suggestions?
You mean Tampon Tim and BJ Harris?
What about Warp-Speed Donald? Remember, he said the vaccines were safe.
Even though the Moderna vaccine was banned in Japan. Even though the vaccines
have arguably killed more people than the
virus itself. What a shit show. Donnie’s gonna save the world, right? He’s going to
fix all of our problems, right? He’s going to
“lock her up” just like he did last time, right?
Uh-huh. The guy wears orange make up and
puts ketchup on his steak. Weird dude.
Either way, we…are…beyond…screwed. And
35 trillion dollars PAST bankrupt. But hey,
don’t worry. Boxing is the outlet that will make you forget all of that. My man, LeKaren!
“Even though the vaccines have arguably killed more people than the virus itself.”
– Any published proof from a reputable Organization on your claim???
There are no reputable medical organizations as far as I’m concerned. If you are trusting the mainstream media for statistics you
are dumber than a bag of rocks. If you are trusting government statistics, same. American Medical Association is corrupt to the core.
Gary, I know you are smarter than that. Look at all the cases of myocarditis, strokes, and sudden death syndrome since the vaccines were rolled out. Some of the best conditioned athletes dropping dead on soccer fields and football fields with no explanation. What is the common denominator? The g-ddamn
clot shots.
“….accompanying Adrián Pallarols, who is the Pope’s goldsmith…”
– The Pope has his own Goldsmith?????
– I remember touring The Vatican way back in the day as part of a trip to Italy.
– I was amazed at all the artwork, paintings, statues, and other valuable historical items that are owned by the Catholic Church.
– Whenever the Church claims they need money thru donations, etc., I remind myself that they could sell some of these items if they really needed the money.
Gary, would you believe that Washington,
DC was built on 7 hills, just like Rome?
Would you believe before it became DC
it was Rome, Maryland? Would you believe the man that sold that land was
named Francis Pope? There was also a
creek on that land connected to the Potomac River, and it was called Tiber Creek (Tiber River runs thru Rome)? I
couldn’t make this up if I wanted to.
Please research it for yourself.
First the “Holy Father” is God and not a man named Francis. Second, the space Sulaimán occupies could have been used to highlight up and coming fighter. Similiar to the article they wrote called “Francis ready to shine at 130.” More of that and less of this.
Top of the morning to everyone. Question: What happens to our tonsils when we hit adulthood? Do they disappear?
“What happens to our tonsils when we hit adulthood?”
– Google says:
– “As we age, our tonsils naturally shrink, limiting the inflammatory reaction to bacteria and viruses. In some adults, however, tonsils can remain the same size. This can leave them susceptible to infection and inflammation.”
“My brother Héctor….”
Is Mauricio related to Hector the toad from Scarface? Interesting.
what crap. The synagogue of Satan is the Catholic system. Anyone who calls this fraud anything but exposed and obviously a devil is either retarded or a devil himself.
I’m guessing you know about the black pope? Has nothing to do with skin color.
I’m guessing you also know Pope Sylvester
and Constantine changed the sabbath day
from Saturday to Sunday. Most Catholics
know nothing about that. I think if a lot of
Catholics knew about the history of the
Catholic church they might not be Catholics.
What’s ironic is when the church was “reformed” by the Protestants they still kept
the changed sabbath day. Until the 7th Day
Adventist’s started letting people know what
time it was. Of course, they make some blunders predicting the return of Jesus on certain dates, which obviously didn’t happen
(yet).
How come the picture is such poor quality? I mean, these are the leaders of the, supposedly, greatest boxing organization and richest religion posing together.
– Surprised that the WBC didn’t sanction a special belt for this special occasion.
– The “Pope” belt………….
Love it, great comment!
Pope Francis said there should not be any borders.
Does not the Vatican itself have borders? I think so.
What an interesting photo, showing the spiritual leader of a worldwide organisation that collects hard-earned money from its believers, who fear being on the wrong side of judgment day. And the Pope!