The World Boxing Council is celebrating their 56th anniversary today. It all started on February 14, 1963 at the Prado Alffer Hotel in Mexico City at a meeting of representatives from 11 different countries.
It was due to the initiative of an amateur boxer, the then-President of Mexico, Adolfo Lopez Mateos, who gave instructions to the President of the Boxing Commission of the Federal District, writer Luis Spota, to create a new group to improve and develop the Noble Art. Representatives came from England, United States, France, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Panama, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Mexico was the host.
Meetings were held for several days until the agreement was announced by which the World Boxing Council was created. The first President was Britain’s J. Onslow Fane, who occupied this position for only a few hours, citing lack of time to able to devote to the job.
A second election led Luis Spota to the Presidency, with Professor Ramón G. Velázquez as Executive Secretary.
Mr. Spota did not take on the role with the expected enthusiasm and after four years he resigned, being succeeded by Filipino Justiniano Montano.
After Montano, Professor Velázquez was appointed as President until the end of 1975, when Don José Sulaiman Chagnon, who had worked alongside his predecessor as Executive Secretary, was unanimously elected as our leader.
The election of Jose Sulaimán took place in Tunisia on December 5, 1975, and it was from there, and due to his inspirational direction, ideas and dedicated work, that the World Boxing Council began its prodigious growth.
Don Jose’s enthusiastic and tireless efforts, as well as his great knowledge, many contacts, and especially friends all around the world, led him to boost the WBC into a giant organization, completely changing and transforming the sport with new rules to protect the brave fighters who climb up into the ring to conquer glory.
Unfortunately and sadly, José Sulaimán died five years ago. He was succeeded by his youngest son, Mauricio Sulaiman Saldivar, who had been working as WBC Executive Secretary.
On February 11, 2014, Mauricio Sulaiman was unanimously elected WBC President, and since then he is guiding its destiny along with the WBC Board of Governors from the 166 countries who are affiliated to the organization.