Sulaiman Calls For World Summit on Boxing.

By James Blears

WBC President Jose Sulaiman is calling for a World Summit to discuss the future of the sport, and he wants the other rival bodies involved.

He said: “I believe that all those who love boxing must understand that we all have to get together for the good of the sport.”

The Presidents of the WBA and the IBF have already accepted invitations to the WBC’s Medical Convention in Cancun and there will be discussions with them about the format of the summit.

Sulaiman says that the WBO have yet to reply to the Medical Convention invitation. But if they attend, he would be happy to include them in the World Summit, which is earmarked for next year, and will coincide with the WBC’s forty fifth anniversary. He also commented: “If they don’t come, well God Bless them.”

However, he also said that a neutral venue would be found and that the WBC would be an equal participant, rather than a leading light.

The plan is to have up to four preliminary meetings this year to assess the issues and problems that boxing currently faces, so that a detailed agenda can be established prior to the Summit.

Sulaiman said that the intention is to try to reach more uniformity on rules and especially safety, plus welfare for boxers.