By Mauricio Sulaimán – WBC President – Son of José Sulaimán
I promised Manny Pacquiao to be present in his fight so I traveled to Las Vegas while our proud champions Oleksander Usyk and Bam Rodriguez also fought in very important matches on the same day at Wembley Stadium in London and Frisco Texas.
Arriving in Las Vegas brings back an endless number of incredible memories I’ve experienced in the so-called Sin City.
My first trip was when Mike Tyson won the heavyweight world championship. From there, almost 40 years later, I witnessed the magnificent display of greatness by the Filipino idol Manny Pacquiao, who this Saturday defied time and, at 46 years old, gave a superb boxing demonstration against our welterweight world champion, Mario Barrios. The result was a draw, but the world is left with a strong sense of victory for the Tagalo fighter.
Just as my father supported Sugar Ray Leonard to challenge Hagler, or Vitali Klishtko after back surgery , the WBC stands tall in the administration of boxing and the often extraordinary situations which need special attention.
Pacquiao is one of the greatest in history. Emerging from extreme poverty, eating from dumpsters, and living on the streets. One day, he found a gym that took him in, and the rest is history. He won his first world title, the WBC flyweight title, on December 4, 1998, and is the only boxer to win a title in eight categories. He defeated eight Hall of Famers, including Óscar de la Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Érik Morales, Juan Manuel Márquez, and Marco Antonio Barrera.
Manny called me to ask for the opportunity to return to the ring. His desire was to win the Green and Gold Belt and return home to retire as a WBC champion. After passing numerous rigorous and exacting medical exams and receiving a license from the Nevada Boxing Commission, we proceeded to a vote by the board of governors, and that’s how this championship bout was authorized.
It was wonderful to experience the week in an atmosphere that transported me back to the great fight cards I’ve been fortunate enough to witness. There was an incredible amount of global press, fans devoted to their idol, a Bible reading ceremony on Friday night performed by a group close to Manny, and a thrilling atmosphere during the fight, with constant chants of “Manny, Manny, Manny” pushing this extraordinary man to give his all in the ring. And so it was, I repeat, the final decision was a draw, but it is undoubtedly a great victory for Pacquiao.
The fight card was spectacular with many bouts all evenly matched, from the first fight which started at 2 pm until the last one which took place after the main event at 9 pm.
Joseph Brown looked sensational in a 4 rd win over Aaron Watson.
Mark Magsayo conquered the WBC Continental Americas title in a hard fought battle against Jorge Mata, Mark has a bright future with great plans to be announced soon.
David Picasso ranked #1 in the super bantamweight division in the WBC and former WBC silver champion had to dig deep to win a decision against tough Japanese Kameda
Gary Russell looked spectacular in his comeback fight after almost 4 years outside the ring, heavy emotions flowed within the Rusell´s .
Brandon Figueroa threw more than 1000 punches and won an elimination bout against Joet Gonzalez on a hard fought battle.
Isaac Pitbull Cruz won the interim WBC super lightweight belt by defeating a brave Omar Salcido, who replaced Angel Fierro, as Fierro didn’t fight due to health issues. Pitbull is a super star in the making loved in Mexico and followed due to his aggressive style and relentless pressure.
Sebastian Fundora, the WBC super welterweight champion, stole the night by engaging in a highly dramatic and bloody rematch against Australian Tim Tszyu, ultimately winning by TKO. Fundora dropped Tzsyu in the first round and battered him throughout out the fight, however Tim Tszyu demonstrated to have a huge heart and kept fighting trying to land that big punch, every second of the affair was dramatic, Fundora seemed hurt a few occasions and bled heavily from the nose.
The Aztec Warrior belt which was produced for the rematch between Pitbull and Fierro will be awarded to the fighter of the night through a social media voting process. I can proudly say that several of the fighters on the card deserve the recognition of WARRIORS.
One of the nights before the event, I sat reflecting on the almost 40 years I’ve been coming to this city. Boxing is considered one of the great icons that helped establish Las Vegas, alongside Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, pianist Liberace, and Elvis Presley. Boxing became an empire to attract crowds starting in the early 1970s. Caesars Palace was the great host for many years, and that’s where the era of Don King and Bob Arum unfolded, promoting Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Roberto Durán, and more.
In the 1980s, The Hilton took the torch. Mike Tyson was crowned there, and Julio César Chávez had glorious nights, as did many other champions.
In the 1990s, everything changed. The Mirage arrived, a hotel with an erupting volcano at the entrance, palm trees in the desert city, and a multitude of attractions. After that, everything flourished and blossomed, leading to today’s Vegas, with dozens of hotels of all types.
The Mirage opened with the third fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán “Uno Mas”, and from that moment, it dominated boxing.
The next transformation was in 1994, with the MGM becoming the largest hotel in the world, with 5005 rooms. It opened with the fight of the great Mexican champion, Julio César Chávez, on that historic night when he lost his undefeated record to Frankie Randall.
Last year, the MGM celebrated with a big party to commemorate its 100 boxing cards in its incredible 30 years of existence. This venue has dominated and maintained its prominence in promotion; it’s been the home of Tyson, Chávez, De la Hoya, Mayweather, Canelo, and, of course, Manny Pacquiao, who celebrated his 16th fight in the arena.
Did you know…?
The Mandalay Bay hotel attempted to position itself as the leader in Las Vegas. It managed to host some big fight cards with Oscar de la Hoya and Lennox Lewis. Even Érik Morales had his first fight there against Marco Antonio Barrera in February 2000 – I remember it well, it was my bachelor party trip!
Today’s Anecdote:
I don’t know how many times I was in Las Vegas with my dad, but every trip was memorable. Since he didn’t drink, smoke, gamble, or party, he focused on food. Piero’s restaurant is still standing and refused to sell to the many casinos around it. There was also The Tillerman, which is also outside the hotel area, Chins, which was in the Fashion Show mall, and perhaps his favorite, MoonGate at The Mirage, which had the most delicious Chinese food… “My boy,” he’d say, “the most important thing in life is to value what you have and enjoy every moment… I am happy because, thank God, I have never lost my capacity for wonder, which is easy to happen when you go to such incredible places again and again. I enjoy every new trip, every new experience, and even every bite in my encounters with whoever I’m with.”
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