WBC News Oct 10

The WBC Conventon closed this afternoon at the Cosmos Hotel in Moscow.

After hours of discussion and debate that were spread over two days, the WBC resolved an exhausting conflict during the morning's general assembly meeting -- to honor and show tribute to super lightweight world champion Kostya Tszyu and his tremendous accomplishments in the ring, and to follow the WBC's rules and regulations regarding his lack of a mandatory world title defense for over two years. The motion was passed by the WBC Board of Governors to create an honorary new category, "Champion Emeritus of the World," for only those fighters who are recognized as the greatest of WBC world champions. Another motion was passed that named Tszyu the first WBC Champion Emeritus of the World and will allow him to carry his WBC championship belt, with his new status, into his next fight. WBC President Jose Sulaiman said, "He is being elevated."

The motion was then passed to vacate the super lightweight world title and approve the fight between No. 1 ranked Gianluca Branco of Italy and No. 2 ranked Arturo Gatti of the United States, scheduled for January 24, for the vacant WBC super lightweight championship of the world.

Other motions that were passed are as follows. The fight between No. 3 ranked Ricky Hatton of Great Britain and No. 4 ranked Oktay Urkal of Germany will determine the official challenger in the super lightweight division. Urkal is the European Boxing Union champion.

Featherweight world champion Erik Morales of Mexico, who is moving up in weight to challenge for the super featherweight world title, was named WBC Champion Emeritus of the World and the featherweight world title was vacated.

Another exhausting conflict in the super middleweight division was resolved. World champion Markus Beyer of Germany will next fight former world champion Eric Lucas of Canada, with the winner being commited to fight Danny Green of Australia within 90 days.

In the afternoon's general assembly meeting, the WBC Annual Convention sites for the next two years were approved. Cardiff, Wales, had previously been approved as the site of next year's convention, but withdrew. Phuket, Thailand, has now been approved for 2004. Toledo, Spain, was approved as the site for the 2005 convention.

NABF Vice President Mauricio Sulaiman of Mexico showed the features of the new and expanded WBC webpage and demonstrated how to access them. The WBC's webpage address is wbcboxing.com.

Dr. Paul Wallace of the United States discussed and described the project to create an unprecedented new internet website that would make fighters' medical information available to certified ringside physicians. Dr. Wallace said, "It's a huge undertaking. I'm proud to be a part of it. I'm proud to have received the call from Jose saying, 'Make it happen.' I'm glad we at the WBC are leading the way." President Sulaiman said, "This is the start of a gigantic project, but I'm sure that it will be successful. All of the nine Continental Federations of the WBC will participate in something that can change the history of boxing."

WBC World Medical Advisory Board co-Chairman Dr. Francisco Massa of Spain and European Boxing Union Medical Board Chairman Dr. Mario Sturla of Italy reviewed and discussed several of the important medical issues in which the WBC is involved.

The ring officials held their meeting in the afternoon. WBC Ring Officials Board Chairman Tom Kaczmarek of the United States said, "We had a very successful seminar with referees, judges and observers from around the world in attendance. The referees' clinic focused on safety in the ring. The judges' clinic focused on concentration and the mental-computer aspect of scoring. The WBC's goal is to provide fairness and excellence in officiating."

WBC Vice President John Allotie Cofie of Ghana was appointed Honorary Lifetime WBC Vice President.

In his closing statement, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said, "In closing the convention, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people that came. The WBC is going through a very good time. It is false that we are going through grave times. We are working very hard, we are getting visits and requests from all of the important, and more modest, promoters of the world. All the boxers want to fight for the green belt. We are seeked out for our opinions of boxing in the world. Everybody believes that without the WBC's participation, whatever is done doesn't have the same impact. And I believe that, regardless of what we are commited to because of our problems with the law, the WBC has not changed its objectives nor its goals. We might have problems there, but the WBC is working as well and as hard as ever.

"I love the WBC and I love every single member of the Board of Governors that have been close to the WBC for years. I would give my right arm for any of you. Everybody knows it, and they know what I mean. I live to serve others, not to serve myself. I have never asked anybody to favor me, but I have asked everybody to serve others. In this moment of time, I am paying one hundred-percent of the expenses of my presidential office, not the WBC, because I do not want to subject the expenses that we have always offered for the benefit of this organization to the authorization of a judge.

"I think that the operations of the WBC are not understood. We don't sell nor buy anything. Those operations don't belong to us. Our operations are to help boxing, with promoters, with doctors, to help boxing in any manner with the media and to keep the image of the WBC at its highest level. As long as I live, I will dedicate my life to behave exactly in the same way. I will not accept humiliation from anyone. I would not look up to king, nor will I look down at a shoeshine boy. To me, we are the same. You are my friends.

"So, the WBC will live, will continue working, will continue being the voice of boxing in the world, to fight against injustice, against abuse. You saw the convention. It was open to everybody. Everybody participated. We didn't stop anybody from talking. Everybody came and expressed themselves as they wanted, and the great majority of the WBC decided everything. Nobody took a personal position. We tried to help. We tried to make people negotiate and reach agreements.

"So, in closing, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everybody. As my son said, at every convention, my smile comes back to me as well as my desire to work. Because you and your friendship, having the same objectives, make my life. I deeply appreciate your support, I appreciate also your disagreements because in this WBC, democracy is the absolute credo.

"It's time to close the convention. Good luck, and see you in Phuket."