By Mauricio SulaimánPresident of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán
I used to be privileged to be current for the Inaugural Ring Journal Annual awards. Throughout this journey, I had the chance to satisfy and discuss with HE Turki Alalshikh and I’m extraordinarily impressed and enthused to grasp a few of his factors of view and priorities in boxing. His place on the subject of PED testing is powerful and is totally consistent with the WBC Clear Boxing Program. Additionally, his willpower to assist new upcoming expertise will open the horizon to the so many younger fighters simply on the lookout for a possibility to shine and conquer glory.
For a few years and a long time, the world of boxing has dreamed of getting a ceremony just like the presentation of the well-known Oscar statuette, which is dealt with on the planet of cinematography, the well-known Oscars.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh made that dream come true final Saturday, January 11, in London, England.
The spectacular venue was the Outdated Naval Royal Faculty, a constructing protected by UNESCO, as a World Heritage Web site. The crimson carpet, the arrange and the manufacturing, briefly, every thing within the model of the Academy Awards.
The Ring publication was born 103 years in the past in the US, {a magazine} that recorded every thing that occurred on the planet of boxing in occasions the place there was no tv, telex or fax, to not point out the Web or social networks.
The publication was eagerly awaited by followers and journalists of our sport world wide. The Ring was based by Nat Fleischer, who, along with his ardour for boxing, ultimately began {a magazine} now forgotten by current expertise, however of nice worth. The annual publication “Ring Document E-book” was the report of the exercise of every fighter. Although there are criticisms of the validity of a few of these information, it served as a foundation for having the historic report of worldwide boxing exercise.
Billy Dib gained the comeback of the yr award with a standing ovation. Billy battled and defeated most cancers, and went on to hold up the gloves after a farewell combat in Hamburg in the course of the WBC Annual Conference.
The journal suffered turbulent occasions, and in its final stage of existence it was acquired by the nice champion Oscar de la Hoya, who has simply offered it to the already world-renowned Turki Alalshikh.
In simply three months, the publication returned to its authentic model of paper printing, along with the digital model. Two points have already come out, and the outlook is encouraging.
Let’s return to the gala. Your entire boxing world was current or represented. It was like being in a time capsule. Within the blink of an eye fixed, the perfect boxers of the second started to reach, legendary champions and new expertise, additionally promoters, managers, and completely different members of the boxing group.
Canelo Alvarez appeared in what’s his first assembly with His Excellence, accompanied by the nice supervisor/coach, Eddy Reynoso, and Richard Schaefer. The fantastic undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk was along with his crew, Egis Klimas and Alexander Krassyuk.
Additionally energetic boxers Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel, Zhilei Zhang, Conor Benn, Teofimo Lopez, Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, Devin Haney, Lawrence Okolie, Martin Bakole, Vergil Ortiz, Nick Ball, and Ryan Garcia. Ladies champions have been represented by champions Gabriela Fundora and Skye Nicolson.
The legends included Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Amir Khan, Frank Bruno, John Conteh, and Shane Mosley, amongst others,
Over time I’ve attended many boxing occasions, primarily the celebrations and conventions organized by the World Boxing Council, and seeing so many champions collectively is indescribable. On this event there was an electrifying vitality within the air and the occasion exceeded all expectations.
I’m positive that my father, José Sulaimán, is smiling with nice enthusiasm to see that boxing goes by this nice second, to see boxing creating within the Center East the place our blood comes from, to see the Riyadh Season WBC Grand Prix fulfill his dream of knowledgeable boxing World Cup.
Turki Alalshikh’s affect is spectacular, and one of the vital essential info is that he’s getting rival promoters to work in concord and the nice fights can happen.
Japan is shining in the beginning of 2025. Its high star, Naoya Inoue, defends the undisputed title on January 25. Junto Nakatani, the bantamweight knockout artist, will give an opportunity to Mexican David “El Common” Cuellar in February, and Kenshiro Teraji remains to be strong now because the flyweight champion who will discover motion in March.
On February 1, PBC will placed on its first card of 2025, and will probably be spectacular with David Benavidez towards David Morrell, Brandon Figueroa in a rematch towards Stephen Fulton, and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz dealing with Ángel Fierro. The WBC has instituted a commemorative belt, “The Aztec Warrior,” as a trophy for the winner of essential fights between Mexican fighters as a tribute to the so many battles that includes these countrymen, Morales vs. Barrera, Chavez vs. de la Hoya, and naturally, Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez. This primary Aztec Warrior belt is devoted to the reminiscence of Israel Vazquez who handed away in December.
On February 22, the massive card to start out the Riyadh Season can have seven world title fights.
The Final Crescendo options:
Undisputed gentle heavyweight title: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.
Light-weight title (WBC): Shakur Stevenson vs. Floyd Schofield.
Middleweight title (WBC): Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz.
Interim tremendous welterweight title (WBC): Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov.
Interim heavyweight title (WBC): Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel.
Interim gentle heavyweight title (WBO): Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith.
Heavyweight title (IBF): Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker.
Do you know…?
Don King is taken into account the best boxing promoter in historical past, and on Saturday he was honored at The Ring awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his profession, in a approach that he’s virtually passing the baton to Turki Alalshikh.
Anecdote for right this moment
My father met Canelo when he was a younger boy. From the primary assembly he noticed one thing in him, and from that second, he devoted himself with nice ardour to undertaking him, assist him, and embrace him as a sports activities godson.
The Ring Telmex program was began underneath the management of the nice Mexican Carlos Slim, a scholarship program to offer month-to-month assist to a particular group of upcoming expertise. Effectively, Canelo was a part of the primary technology and look what he has performed. Don Jose additionally exalted Canelo as the following celebrity of Mexican and world boxing in each alternative. As we speak, Canelo is a actuality, this mature and profitable younger man is the utmost consultant of world boxing and is in the perfect stage of his private {and professional} life. I used to be sitting between Saúl and Turki Alalshikh, and I couldn’t cease desirous about my father and the way a lot he all the time wished Saúl to succeed. As we speak it’s a actuality.
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