The celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the World Boxing Council have started
To start talking about the history of the most important boxing organization in the world, the World Boxing Council, it is necessary to make a time travel.The fighting with fists as a contest and show is one of the oldest activities in history. This kind of contests have been made almost since forever in all continents but the truth is, it all began in Africa by the year 6000 B.C. in what it is known now as Ethiopia then it moved to Egypt and from there to the Mesopotamia civilizations.Through time, the boxer Jack Broughton introduced a technical and methodical approach to practice this sport, optimizing displacement and punching.By the end of the XIX century, boxing fever began to spread to Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Filipinas, South Africa and Spain.
Boxing was considered by many years as sport for barbarians; it was a very rough sport in which safety and integrity were not always what it mattered the most. Boxers sometimes fought and even died inside the ring for a very low payment.
Because of this, the need to regulate the sport emerged, so the President of Mexico, Adolfo Lopez Mateos, decided to create an organization who managed to unify all committees of the world to control the spread of boxing, this is how in February 14th, 1963, the World Boxing Council (WBC) was founded; initially formed by 11 countries: USA, Argentina, England, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. Its main founders were the Mexicans Luis Spota and Ramon G. Velasquez, who were presidents of the WBC, and Onslow Fane of England and Justiniano Montano from Philippines.Until now there have been five WBC presidents, but only one man has remained as the absolute leader that has taken this organization to be the most important in the whole world, Jose Sulaiman Chagnon, who became president in December 5th, 1975 by unanimous voting in Tunisia during the 13th WBC Annual Convention.Back then, the WBC had only 21 affiliated countries now it currently has more than 164.
Some of the modifications the WBC have made and that have changed boxing: 1.- The reduction from 15 to 12 rounds in championship bouts2.- Mandatory weigh-in one day before the fight 3.- The creation of intermediate weight divisions 4.- Four roped ring5.- Boxing glove with attached thumb 6.- UCLA donations for scientific research 7.- Annual medical tests for champions and ranked boxers8.- Life insurance and hospitalization for all boxers that take part in boxing cards9. Pensions and economic support to boxers in need
The WBC is an organization that works hard, every single of its members, tries to take boxing to be the most important sport, but above all things tries to protect the boxer; 50 years have passed since the organization was founded, it has been hard years, but like the president Jose Sulaiman says, they have passed faster than blowing wind, nevertheless and despite how brief it may have been, there has been 50 years of struggle, learning, mistakes, changes, joys, sadness… unforgettable fights between the greatest boxers in history, of birth of many champions and of many histories that it would be hard to write of all of them, but with any doubt will remain in our hearts.
Since the moment in which Jose Sulaiman was elected president, the WBC has sanctioned bouts in the five continents featuring the greatest boxers in history like: Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Salvador Sanchez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Azumah Nelson, Oscar De la Hoya, Ruben Olivares, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, among many others.
Boxing was considered by many years as sport for barbarians; it was a very rough sport in which safety and integrity were not always what it mattered the most. Boxers sometimes fought and even died inside the ring for a very low payment.
Because of this, the need to regulate the sport emerged, so the President of Mexico, Adolfo Lopez Mateos, decided to create an organization who managed to unify all committees of the world to control the spread of boxing, this is how in February 14th, 1963, the World Boxing Council (WBC) was founded; initially formed by 11 countries: USA, Argentina, England, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. Its main founders were the Mexicans Luis Spota and Ramon G. Velasquez, who were presidents of the WBC, and Onslow Fane of England and Justiniano Montano from Philippines.Until now there have been five WBC presidents, but only one man has remained as the absolute leader that has taken this organization to be the most important in the whole world, Jose Sulaiman Chagnon, who became president in December 5th, 1975 by unanimous voting in Tunisia during the 13th WBC Annual Convention.Back then, the WBC had only 21 affiliated countries now it currently has more than 164.
Some of the modifications the WBC have made and that have changed boxing: 1.- The reduction from 15 to 12 rounds in championship bouts2.- Mandatory weigh-in one day before the fight 3.- The creation of intermediate weight divisions 4.- Four roped ring5.- Boxing glove with attached thumb 6.- UCLA donations for scientific research 7.- Annual medical tests for champions and ranked boxers8.- Life insurance and hospitalization for all boxers that take part in boxing cards9. Pensions and economic support to boxers in need
The WBC is an organization that works hard, every single of its members, tries to take boxing to be the most important sport, but above all things tries to protect the boxer; 50 years have passed since the organization was founded, it has been hard years, but like the president Jose Sulaiman says, they have passed faster than blowing wind, nevertheless and despite how brief it may have been, there has been 50 years of struggle, learning, mistakes, changes, joys, sadness… unforgettable fights between the greatest boxers in history, of birth of many champions and of many histories that it would be hard to write of all of them, but with any doubt will remain in our hearts.
Since the moment in which Jose Sulaiman was elected president, the WBC has sanctioned bouts in the five continents featuring the greatest boxers in history like: Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Salvador Sanchez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Azumah Nelson, Oscar De la Hoya, Ruben Olivares, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, among many others.
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