WBC Prez Comments on Boxers Using Star Power For Advantages

By Steve Kim

For years there has been a simple rule in boxing: if you are a star, you seemingly play by a different set of rules than everybody else.

That seems to be the case with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who defends his WBC middleweight crown on Saturday night versus Amir Khan at a catch-weight of 155-pounds and has made it clear that for the time being a fight with Gennady Golovkin will have to be at this weight.

With his position in the sport, Alvarez can make such demands.

"It has always been like that. There's certain fighters that reach a level of elite position in the recent ten, to fifteen years and it's been very difficult to manage and to keep boxing honorable and to keep boxing without the anarchy and abuse of power," said WBC president, Mauricio Sulaiman, who's organization has it's own set of rules and regulations.

"But that's what you have to deal with, boxing has always had big stars: Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, (Mike) Tyson,  (Julio Cesar) Chavez. It is very important to try and force the same rules that made them champions to be enforced when they are champions.

"A champion has rights and a champion has obligations. So we just have to go and enforce the rulebook."

The winner of Saturday's bout between Khan and Alvarez must then enter negotiations to face the WBC interim titlist, Gennady Golovkin. If a deal is not struck, then Golovkin would become the WBC middleweight champion.

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com