WBC Boxing Convention News

World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman led the general assembly meetings at the WBC’s 46th annual convention on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday morning was devoted to ratings, which will be published soon. The afternoon was free, and many attendants toured the Panda Research and Breeding Base in Chengdu to see the Giant Pandas. On Thursday, mandatory world title defenses were addressed.

Before the mandatories, however, President Sulaiman talked about boxer Daniel Aguillon, who passed away in October after a fight in Mexico City. He was the first ring fatality there in 56 years. President Sulaiman asked convention attendants to donate whatever money they could to help Aguillon’s wife and two young children.

The response was extraordinary – WBC officers, Continental Federations and various committees, as well as several promoters showed great compassion and generosity by making donations that totalled $35,00.

President Sulaiman personally donated $2,500. WBC treasurer Juan Sanchez and WBC flyweight world champion Daisuke Naito each personally donated $1,000.

Rex Walker, president of the North American Boxing Federation and chairman of the WBC Youth Championships, pledged $1,000 from each organization. Chairman Mauro Betti donated $1,000 from the WBC International championships.

The African Boxing Union, the Asian Boxing Council, the British Boxing Board of Control, the European Boxing Union, the CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau, and the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation each donated $1,000. The Continental Americas Championships and the Caribbean Boxing Federation each pledged $500. The Central American Boxing Federation and South Amercan Boxing Federation donated $500.

Promoter Don King donated $3,000. Dino Duva and Ahmet Oner each pledged $2,000. Salvatore Cherchi, Gary Shaw, Thompson Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions, Warriors Boxing, Sycuan Promotions, Promociones El Jefe, Andrew Wasileski, Gankor Promotions, Nahkonluang Promotions, Virat Promotions, and Sinwancha Promotions each donated $1,000. Zuvillaga Promotions pledged $500.

WBC Counselor General at Large Avel Gonzalez personally donated $300, and Gus Mercurio and Dr. Alain Recto each personally donated $100.

Mandatory world championship defenses: Heavyweight world champion Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine was approved to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez of Cuba in his next fight. If no agreement is reached during free negotiations, a purse offer will be held on December 19.

Cruiserweight world champion Giacobbe Fragomeni of Italy was approved to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Krzystof Wlodarczyk of Poland. If no agreement is reached during free negotiations, a purse offer will be held on December 1. An elimination fight was approved between number two-ranked Herbie Hide of Great Britain and number three-ranked Matt Godfrey of the United States.

Light heavyweight world champion Adrian Diaconu of Romania/Canada was scheduled to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Silvio Branco of Italy, but was injured in training and the fight postponed. It will be rescheduled when Diaconu is medically cleared. The winner has been approved to fight number two-ranked Glen Johnson of the United States.

Number one-ranked super middleweight contender Carl Froch of Great Britain is scheduled to fight number-three ranked Jean Pascal of Haiti/Canada for the vacant title. WBC world champions who win a vacant title are required to make two mandatory defenses. Number two-ranked Jermain Taylor of the United States has been approved to fight number four-ranked Jeff Lacy of the United States to determine the first mandatory challenger. Number five-ranked Karo Murat of Germany has been approved to fight number nine-ranked Marcus Johnson of the United States to determine the second.

Middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik of the United States has been approved to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio of Mexico. Pavlik, however, has not payed the sanction fees for his last two fights. If the fees are not payed within 15 days, he will be stripped of the title.

Super welterweight world champion Vernon Forrest of the United States is in negotiations to fight interim champion Sergio Martinez of Argentina. A request was made to extend the free negotiation period, and the purse offer was rescheduled from November 14 to November 28.

Welterweight world champion Andre Berto of the United States has been approved to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Luis Collazo of the United States. An elimination fight has been approved between number four-ranked Carlos Baldomir of Argentina and number 13-ranked Jackson Osei Bonsu of Belgium. If Baldomir wins, he will become the next mandatory challenger. If Bonsu wins, he will need to win another elimination fight to become the next mandatory challenger.

Super lightweight world champion Timothy Bradley Jr. of the United States requested a voluntary defense against the winner of the December 13 fight, which is for the WBO title, between Kendall Holt of the United States and Ricardo Torres of Colombia,. The voluntary defense was approved on two conditions: that it takes place early enough next year so that Bradley can still make his mandatory defense in May or June, and that the fight is for only the WBC title. Number one-ranked Devon Alexander of the United States is the mandatory challenger.

Number one-ranked lightweight contender Edwin Valero of Venezuela has been approved to fight number two-ranked Antonio Pitalua of Colombia for the interim title. If no agreement is reached during the free negotiation period, a purse offer will be held on December 1. Lightweight world champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines has not payed his sanctioning fee for his last fight. If it is not payed within 15 days, he will be stripped of the title.

The rematch has been approved between interim super featherweight champion Humberto Soto of Mexico and number two-ranked Francisco Lorenzo of the Dominican Republic for the vacant world title. Soto has not paid his sanctioning fee for his last fight, however, and will be stripped of the title if it is not payed within 15 days.

If the fee is paid, the rematch will take place and final elimination bouts will be scheduled to determine the two mandatory challengers: the first between number one-ranked Urbano Antillon of the United States and number three-ranked Thong Por Chokchai of Thailand, and the second between number four-ranked Rocky Juarez of the United States and number five-ranked Humberto Gutierrez of Mexico.

Featherweight world champion Oscar Larios of Mexico will be inactive while he heals from a severe cut in his last fight. An interim title fight has been approved between number one-ranked Elio Rojas of the Dominican Republic and number-two ranked Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba.

Super bantamweight world champion Israel Vazquez of Mexico will be approved, when is medically cleared, to fight number one-ranked Rafael Marquez of Mexico. Interim champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan has been approved to fight number two-ranked Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico.

Bantamweight world champion Hozumi Hasegawa of Japan has been approved to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Vusi Malinga of South Africa.

Super flyweight world champion Vic Darchinyan of Australia has been approved for one voluntary title defense. Number one-ranked Devid Lookmahanak of Thailand has been approved to fight number two-ranked Evans Mbamba of South Africa to determine the mandatory challenger.

Flyweight world champion Daisuke Naito of Japan has been approved for a voluntary defense next month, then must fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Ponomrunglek Kratingdaeng of Thailand. The winner of that fight must next fight number two-ranked Julio Cesar Miranda of Mexico.

Light flyweight world champion Edgar Sosa of Mexico has been approved to fight number one-ranked mandatory challenger Juanito Rubillar of the Phillippines.

Strawweight world champion Oleydong Sithsanerchai of Thailand has a voluntary defense scheduled in two weeks, and interim champion Juan Palacios of Nicaragua is fighting in Chengdu on Friday night. The winners of those two fights have been approved for a mandatory title fight.