Jose Sulaiman: 34 years as WBC president

It happened in the main ballroom of the Africa Hotel in Tunisia (December 5th, 1975), the now Doctor, Jose Sulaiman Chagnon, was unanimously elected President of the World Boxing Council, within the framework of the thirteenth Annual Convention of the Organization created in Mexico on February 14th, 1963. The Commissioner from Tamaulipas took part as one of the 32 delegates who represented 21 countries in that meeting of the most important and serious group that has ever existed in the sport of fists. Habib Bourguiba, was the President of the Republic of Tunisia back then, and Mr. Bourguiba as well as all the local sports people, gave the event the importance it had. Since then, the WBC and boxing itself have registered a total change in many respects, thanks to the tireless work of our President and of people who have been by his side, many of whom still perform to their best, always serving the best interests of the sport. After the 34 years that have gone by, boxing is another sport, different from the one it used to be, when the last quarter of the last century was beginning. Many happenings and relevant events have changed our sport, which has now become a less risky, more productive, regarding great fighters as well as the purses they currently earn. Revolutionary rules, such as the reduction of the number of rounds in a fight, from 15 to 12, mandatory weigh-in 2 hours prior to the bout, the creation of intermediate divisions, the four-rope ring; dozens of improvements in the regulations, which make of current boxing a much safer activity for those who practice it. Since Jose Sulaiman Chagnon was elected WBC President, up to now, December 5th, 2009, the WBC has sanctioned 1506 world title fights in all the divisions, in the five Continents, with the participation of several great fighters, some of whom are considered to be among the best of all time. Among others, terrific fighters stand out, such as Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Tommy Hearns, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler, Oscar De La Hoya, Ruben Olivares and many more. Dozens of Political and Religious Leaders of the highest level, as well as Presidents and Prime Ministers of several countries have welcomed our President and other members of the World Boxing Council as recognition to the indisputable prestige achieved by the organization. For the lovers of statistics, we will tell you that one day after the election of our President, in Africa, here in the capital of Mexico, there was a bout between John Stracey, from Great Britain, and Cuban-Mexican Jose Angel “Mantequilla” (Butter) Napoles; in such fight Stracey became Welterweight world champion. Congratulations to our President, and we wish him many years to come as the leader of the organization he has made be the most important of all the boxing organizations that have ever existed!!