Achievements of Don José Sulaimán: The Revolution of Pre-Weigh-ins
Don José Sulaimán Chagnón, the man who not only presided over the World Boxing Council, but humanized and modernized the sport, walked his talk to great milestones during his career, which we continue to honor throughout 2026.
In Don José’s tireless mission to humanize boxing and eradicate tragedies in the ring, one of the WBC’s most effective prevention tools emerged: the mandatory implementation of 30-day and 7-day pre-weigh-ins prior to a championship fight.
This measure did not just change the logistics of training camps; it struck at the root of one of the sport’s most dangerous issues: extreme weight cutting in short spells. Before this initiative, many boxers would reach fight week excessively overweight, relying on dehumanizing methods (saunas, plastics, total deprivation of food and water) to make weight on the scale. This sudden “cut” caused cellular dehydration, organic weakness, and metabolic exhaustion. A starvation recipe for frequent disaster.
The rule is clear: a boxer cannot exceed a specific percentage of their weight class limit as the fight approaches:
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30 Days Prior: The boxer must not exceed 10% of their weight limit. This forces the athlete to begin a scientific diet and a gradual descent one month in advance.
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7 Days Prior: The limit is reduced to 5%. By this point, the boxer’s body must already be close to the ideal weight, avoiding brutal last-minute dehydration.
Recently, the WBC added an additional 14-day control at 7%, further strengthening this safety perimeter.
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