By James Blears
WBC President Jose Sulaiman is going to create a worldwide numbers classification category for boxers. The system is being created in order to prevent mismatched opponents from being clobbered by superior fighters.
Sulaiman explains he’s determined to finally stamp out boxing mismatches, which became infamous with the: “Bum of the month” contests, when a long line of no hopers were dispatched like ninepins, by the formidable Joe Louis back in the 1940’s.
However the mismatch syndrome continues to this day, and Sulaiman says he’s going to put a stop to it.
He stressed: “One of the most important safety problems, is that many boxers are used by promoters to fight bums. Fatal accidents happen because technical superior boxers are fighting inferior ones, and we can’t continue like this.”
Sulaiman is proposing that the 164 countries affiliated to the WBC classify their fighters and this will be subject to scrutiny and confirmation by the WBC.
The guidelines are that category one boxers will be those ranked from one to ten by the WBC. Category two, will be from 10-20 , three will be from 20-30, four will be from 30-40.
Category five will be regional champions, six will be national champions, seven will be other types of champions, category eight will be ten rounders, category nine will be eight rounders and category ten will be six rounders.
Champions from category one would be allowed to fight category two boxers, but no lower.
Sulaiman is also proposing the introduction of another new rule, which would mean that a boxing referee could penalize a boxer one point, if he clinches five times during a fight.
He confirmed that all of this will be discussed at the WBC’s second Medical Convention in Cancun during the 24th-29th of April. And for final approval it will go to the Annual Convention in Manila during the 17th-20th of November. And subject to approval, both measures could be adopted worldwide within a year.
