10.07.04 – Phuket, Thailand – The general assembly meeting on Thursday morning at the World Boxing Council’s 42nd annual world convention was devoted to mandatory title defenses. Regarding the heavyweight division, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said, “We had No. 1 ranked James Toney as one of the fighters in a final elimination bout, but unfortunately, he was injured. The Board of Governors decided we should respect the WBC Rules and Regulations that state that in every vacant title, there must be two defenses of the title. We gave the champion a voluntary defense, but we have to appoint two official challengers. So, once Toney was out, it was presented to the WBC here that No. 2 ranked Hasim Rahman was going to fight No. 5 Kali Meehan, the fight was already contracted. So the WBC decided to have that as an elimination bout.
“The WBC also decided to have No. 3 ranked Monte Barrett fight No. 4 Owen Beck. Then Toney will come back into picture when he is able to return.
“Now, if what I’m hearing is true, that Rahman is fighting Meehan in a WBA elimination bout, then they’re out, they’re out of the WBC, period. Then it would be only Barrett versus Beck. I don’t like it when promoters play with us. I don’t accept it, because we play with no promoters. For us to vote for an elimination bout between Rahman and Meehan, it was because the promoter told us that the fight was signed and that they would accept it as a WBC elimination bout. But if they have the other commitment, may God bless them and I wish them very good luck.
“We would have had No. 1 Toney in with No. 2 Rahman, but Toney was unavailable. So, Toney will fight the winner of Barrett versus Beck to determine the second official challenger.”
Cruiserweight: WBC world champion Wayne Braithwaite was scheduled for a title unification fight against WBA champion Jean-Marc Mormeck, but it was postponed when Mormeck was injured and will be rescheduled. The Board of Governors voted that the winner of that fight must fight the No. 1 ranked official challenger next, O’Neil Bell.
Light heavyweight: A purse offer for the mandatory title defense of world champion Antonio Tarver of the United States against No. 1 ranked official challenger Paul Briggs of Australia was held Thursday afternoon during the general assembly meeting. Bobby Goodman of Don King Productions won with a bid of $2,711,000. Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing bid $2,475,000. William Takataka of D-Rush Promotions bid $2,000,080.
Super middleweight: No. 1 ranked Mikkel Kessler of Denmark was scheduled to challenge WBC interim world champion Danny Green of Australia. Kessler’s promoters, however, have refused to comply with the purse offer, in which they participated, for that fight. If no response is received by the WBC from Kessler’s promoters by the end of the day on Thursday, Kessler will forfeit his right to the fight and Green will become the official challenger for WBC world champion Cristian Sanavia of Italy for the undisputed WBC title.
Middleweight: A purse offer for the elimination bout to determine the official challenger between No. 2 ranked Howard Eastman of England and No. 3 ranked Jermain Taylor of the United States was also held Thursday afternoon during the general assembly meeting. Mick Hennessey won with the sole bid of $252,000, with a 50-percent share for each boxer.
Super welterweight: World champion Winky Wright of the United States made a step-aside offer of $150,000 to interim champion Francisco Castillejo of Spain, which was accepted. The Board of Governors voted that the winner of Wright’s fight against Shane Mosley must fight Castillejo next for the undisputed WBC world title.
Welterweight: The purse offer for the final eliminator between No. 1 ranked Carlos Baldomir of Argentina and No. 2 ranked Miguel Rodriguez of Mexico to determine the official challenger has been rescheduled for November 1.
Super lightweight: Promoters Todd DuBeof of Top Rank and Carl Moretti of Main Events requested that the free negotiation period be extended to November 1 for the fight between world champion Arturo Gatti of Canada and Floyd Mayweather of the United States. The Board of Governors approved.
Lightweight: Promoter Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions requested a voluntary title defense for world champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico before his mandatory defense, and it was approved. The Board of Governors voted to start the free negotiation period for the final eliminator to determine the official challenger between No. 1 ranked Michael Clark of the United States and No. 2 ranked Sirimongkol Singmanassuk of Thailand.
Super featherweight: No. 1 ranked Mzonke Fana of South Africa, who recently defeated No. 2 ranked Randy Suico of the Philippines in an elimination bout, was confirmed as the official challenger for world champion Erik Morales of Mexico.
Featherweight: A final eliminator was approved between No. 1 ranked Rocky Juarez of the United States and No. 2 Humberto Soto of Mexico. An alternative suggested by Juarez’ manager Shelly Finkel – that if the fight between world champion Injin Chi of Korea and Juarez could be made by April, 2005, with the winner to fight Soto next – was accepted by the Board of Governors.
Super bantamweight: World champion Oscar Larios of Mexico, who shared the “2003 WBC Boxer of the Year” award with Roy Jones Jr., is scheduled to make his mandatory defense against No. 1 ranked official challenger Nadel Hussein of Australia on November 27.
Bantamweight: World champion Veeraphol Nakhonluang of Thailand has a 30-day free negotiation period for his mandatory defense against No. 1 ranked official challenger Diego Morales of Mexico. If no agreement is reached, the purse offer will be held on November 20.
Super flyweight: World champion Katsushige Kawashima of Japan is scheduled to make his mandatory defense against No. 1 ranked official challenger Jose Navarro of the United States in January.
Flyweight: World champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand is scheduled to make a voluntary defense against No. 10 ranked Noriyuki Komatsu of Japan. An elimination bout to determine the official challenger between No. 1 ranked Luis Maldonado of Mexico and No. 2 ranked Brian Viloria of the United States was approved.
Light flyweight: World champion Jorge Arce of Mexico made a mandatory defense in April, 2004. He is scheduled to make a voluntary title defense in November or December.
Strawweight: No. 1 ranked official challenger Isaac Bustos of Mexico has won an eliminator, and is scheduled to challenge world champion Eagle Kyowa on December 18.
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On Wednesday afternoon, International Championships Chairman Mauro Betti of Italy was elected the fifth WBC International Secretary.
Promoter Salvatore Cherci of Italy was selected by the promoters in attendance at the convention to be the Promoters’ Representative on the WBC Board of Governors. Mr. Cherchi will have a vote on all matters except those involving fighters. He said, “I will put all my heart into this position.”
President Sulaiman commented, “I want the promoters to be close and active participants in the Board of Governors.” A representative for former world champions and another for current world champions on the Board of Governors are to be determined.
The 43rd annual WBC world convention in 2005 was confirmed for Spain, with the city to be determined.
CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau Vice President Vladimir Masalov of Russia, who is also the president of the Patrons of Our Century Charitable Foundation, presented WBC President Jose Sulaiman with the Patrons of Our Century Golden Order for his extensive charitable work.
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The World Boxing Council’s 42nd annual world convention closed on Friday at the Hilton Arcadia Hotel in Phuket. Dr. Paul Wallace of the United States, Chairman of the WBC Medical Advisory Board, discussed the agenda of the 2nd World Medical Congress scheduled for April, 2005, in Acapulco, Mexico, which includes:
A review of the recommendations from the 1st World Medical Congress held in Aruba in 1997.
Five days of didactic training and workshops.
Electrolyte drinks: the replacement of essential electrolytes before, during and after contest. Certification program for WBC ringside physicians: only WBC certified ringside physicians working title fights.
Regional Medical Supervisors (for WBC fights): insure WBC medical standards and protocols, death/serious neurological injuries investigations.
Appointments of commission physicians to to Medical Advisory Board: identify and coordiinate worldwide research (example: effect of weight loss).
Training seminars: medical independent or joined with officials training seminars.
Medical database: world registry.
Dr. Barry Jordan of the United States also addressed the general assembly.
The WBC Hall of Fame elected four new members: Wilfred Benitez of Puerto Rico, Lionel Rose of Australia, Sonny Liston of the United States, who was one of the first WBC world champions, and Pone Kingpetch of Thailand.
Several WBC officers gave reports, including Hubert Minn of the United States, Chairman of the WBC Ring Officials Committee; Mauro Betti of Italy, International Championships Chairman; Rex Walker of the United States, Chairman of the Youth Championship Committee; Roy Van Putten of Aruba, Chairman of the Continental Americas Championships; and Alberto Guerra of Panama, Chairman of the Latin American Championships. Bismarck Morales of the United States was appointed Vice Chairman of the Latin American Championships.
Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation President Frank Quill of Australia reported that the Kun Min Boxing Council of China, a non- government commission, applied for membership in the OPBF, and therefore affiliation with the WBC, and was accepted. The application was made by Mr. Liu Gang. Kun Ming is a city in the Sichuan Province with a population of 31 million. Mr. Quill said, “Within 20 years, China will see a tremendous development in sports, and could become a major force in professional boxing.”
In closing the convention, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said, “The people in the WBC are the best people in boxing, and the people in boxing are the best people in the world. When I look around and see your faces, not all of your faces, but each of your faces, I will remember this for the rest of my life. I know that the WBC will live forever.”