By Mauricio Sulaimán – WBC President – Son of José Sulaimán
This past weekend, we celebrated Father’s Day, during which the memes that Mexicans can create with such wry and dry wit are very fun to enjoy. Countless messages flooded my email and whassap, yet, I spent this day alone here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the second phase of the Grand Prix, the professional Boxing World Cup, is just about to begin.
The Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix was one of my father’s visions and dreams, which unfortunately had to be canceled in 2013 when he was hospitalized. Thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, it’s now a reality and exceeding expectations. Don’t miss the action on June 20 and 21, live on DAZN (dazn.com/wbc).
Last Tuesday, the commemorative postage stamp honoring José Sulaimán’s 50 years as WBC President was unveiled. The Director of Correos de México ( National Postal Service ) , Violeta Abreu, welcomed us at the Postal Palace, one of Mexico’s most beautiful buildings, located at the Historic Center, downtown Mexico City.
This was a great tribute to Don José, making this Father’s week celebration even more special and sensitive. The sheet comprises of five stamps, each with great significance and a beautiful design created by Nancy Torres of Correos de México.
Raúl “Ratón” Macías was perhaps the greatest inspiration for Don José to venture into boxing at a young age. Raul was his idol and later his dear and loyal friend. Muhammad Ali, simply the greatest of all time, inspired my father to fight against discrimination of any kind and the abuse of power. Julio César Chávez, the greatest in Mexico’s history, eternally loyal and always close to Don José, he who gave him one of his greatest satisfactions by recovering from his addictions, and my father saw him fully recovered and well before he passed away. Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, the greatest representative of boxing in the world today , proudly Mexican, and a WBC champion since 2009.
We are going to launch a WBC campaign, but also a personal one, to teach young people what it means to write a letter and everything related to it. It’s clear that technology is replacing mail; now everything is email, social media, apps, and platforms.
When I studied high school in Winchendon, a small town near Boston, it was thrilling to run daily during morning break to the reception to see if I had received any mail. Getting letters from my parents, siblings, or friends was incredible, and there’s no way to substitute that feeling. Likewise, writing a letter, buying stamps, moistening them with saliva, and putting them on the envelope to send them to their destination—those letters full of feelings and messages and anticipation that no email can replicate.
I invite you to reflect and do a practical exercise with your family, friends, colleagues, and in your circles of influence. For my part, I wrote some letters here in Riyadh that I will send from here; they will surely arrive in Mexico after I return, but I am sure they will be warmly received. Also, at the WBC, we are going to launch a contest, an idea from Mariana “Barbie” Juárez, where the best letters written on various topics will be received at the WBC office and special awards will be given.
Just as we all feel the nostalgia of sitting in front of the TV watching boxing on Saturday nights with our parents or grandparents, I am sure we have that nostalgia for letters.
One of the letters that had the biggest impact on my life was the one I received the first week of high school in the United States. A letter from my dad— I still have it, I cherish it as a treasure. A profound, masterfully written message in which, without mentioning the word “drugs”, he made me understand the care I should take. He guided me by explaining that a new life was beginning, alone, without direct supervision from mom and dad, and that I would encounter various situations where I would have to make decisions, peer pressure, loneliness and other … “My dear son, there is no temptation or pleasure worth more than the honor and dignity of the Sulaimán name. We are good, healthy, and proper people; we are about sports, leadership, service. I know, my beloved son, that you will always carry the principles and values your mom has instilled in you, and that I, even from afar, have tried to be a worthy example for you.”
Another hand written letter which made a huge impact on me was the one I received from Don Carlos Slim a few days after my father passed away. Don Carlos words brought ease to my soul and inspired me to understand there is a life out there and the opportunitty to dignify my fathers name and legacy through our deeds.
I was invited to an interview on a show with Santiago Vizl, son of the great Fernanda Familiar. I loved it, and his special touching and heartfelt empathy brought me to the verge of tears. He made me remember my dad and my mom in a way that I had not felt in a long time.
Today, I celebrate both on Father’s Day—my adored old man and my mom, who was also a father throughout my life.
When both parents are gone, you become an orphan, and life is never quite the same. The emptiness I feel is indescribable; there’s no one to turn to to unload problems, anxieties, ideas. There are no longer those moments when, after being with them, you go out into the world knowing everything will be all right, that they are there to take care of us and solve everything. But life is also different for the better; now there’s great motivation to follow in their footsteps, to continue their legacy, and the inspiration to try to be as good parents to our children.
Did you know?
Camila Zamorano became the youngest ever in boxing history to capture a world championship. She won the WBC atomweight title by unanimous decision against two-time champion Mika Iwakawa of Japan, in front of an impressive sold-out crowd at the Multiple Use Center in Hermosillo, Sonora, at the tender age of 17.
Today’s Anecdote
Don Elias Sulaimán, my grandfather, was my dad’s adoration. He would call him from anywhere in the world, and invariably, he demanded that we spend Holy Week and New Year’s in Ciudad Valles to be near Grandpa. He never lost his Arabic accent; his Spanish was limited, and every word had a special touch. He was adorable but firm and had total authority until his last breath. During one vacation, which coincided with Father’s Day, all the children and cousins were in the pool; imagine the intense heat in Ciudad Valles in mid-summer, around 115 degrees; My dad, about 65 years old at the time, was sitting by the pool with Don Elías when he decided to stand up and, with a big smile, head towards the pool to jump in. Suddenly, Don Elías’s voiced out: “My dear boy, where do you think you’re going? No way, come back here! Don’t you see you could catch a cold?” Don José, obedient, returned to his seat, but with a disappointed expression as we all learned a huge lesson in life.
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