World Boxing Council (WBC) President for Life, Jose Sulaiman, was especially vocal this past week, much to the amusement of many of his critics. In his monthly “Hook to the Liver” column, Sulaiman blasted lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, chastised the handlers of his beloved Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and lamented his current feelings and eventual arrival at the end … [Read more...]
The Boxing Tribune Year-End Awards: 2011
2011 was a mixed bag for fight fans. Marred by poor officiating, awful judging, and stifling promotional politics, boxing could easily have drifted into a dark era of malaise. Instead, the sport proved, once again, that there's nothing wrong with boxing that can't be fixed by what's right with boxing. The rise of quality stars in their twenties is slowly, but surely forcing … [Read more...]
Peter Manfredo Jr.: The Great White Hope
By Fox Doucette Brace yourself. I'm about to defend Jose Sulaiman and the WBC. Please don fireproof clothing. See, you can jabber all you want about how the Mexico City-based sanctioning body manipulates the rankings to benefit Mexican fighters. Sulaiman's guilty as charged on that front, which is why Saul Alvarez holds the WBC belt at 154 and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, … [Read more...]
Preceded by Their Reputation, The WBC’s Decision on Hopkins-Dawson Stinks
Quite often the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) decisions reek of corruption, greed, favoritism, and even racism. When they gave Antonio Margarito the number 1 ranking as a jr. middleweight following his uncomfortable decision over club fighter Roberto Garcia, I smelled a rat and opined that Margarito, not Floyd Mayweather, was signed, sealed, and delivered for Manny Pacquiao’s … [Read more...]
WBC Declares Hopkins – Dawson Technical Draw, Hopkins Still Champ
The WBC, following a review from its board of governors, has declared the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson light heavyweight title bout on October 15 a technical draw, overturning referee Pat Russell's original call of second round TKO in Dawson's favor. The controversial ending to Bernard Hopkins' title defense at The Staples Center saw the 46-year-old champion injure his … [Read more...]