Africa Year 2025 Celebrations Continue Apace

The World Boxing Council has designated 2025 as the Year of Africa, seekingto commemorate all the history, achievements, magnificence, and splendor of African boxing.

We recall great moments between the WBC and the heart of Africa.
• WBC President for Life, Don José Sulaiman, was elected in 1975 in Tunisia.
• ​​South Africa was suspended from the WBC due to the oppression it experienced under the Apartheid regime. This was a sign of support for the struggle to liberate Africa led by Nelson Mandela.

• In 1988, Mandela invited the WBC to hold its annual convention in Johannesburg.
• The legendary Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman fight from Kinshasa, Zaire.

We also remember great champions Batling Siki, Marcel Cerdan, Vic Towell, Dick Tiger, Hogan “Kid” Bassey, David “Poison” Kotey, “Professor” Azuman Nelson, Gary Coetzee, Dingaan Thobela, Carlos Takum, among others.

Throughout these months in 2025, various events have commemorated the African continent.

– ABU-WBC Tournament: This amateur tournament was held from February 6 to 8 in Lagos, Nigeria, at the Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, with the full support of Yucateco Boxing. The event featured boxers from Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

– Kevin Lerena vs. Serhiy Radchenko: South African Kevin Lerena retained his WBC Bridger world title on Thursday, May 1, by defeating Serhiy Radchenko in the third round in Pretoria, South Africa.

– Souleymane Cissokho vs. Egidijus Kavaliauskas: To continue the celebrations, on Saturday, May 10, the Frenchman of Senegalese origin faced the Lithuanian in a WBC welterweight elimination bout. Souleymane Cissokho prevailed in a thrilling fight held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

The official logo of the year of Africa features the traditional silhouette of the WBC boxer surrounded by the flags of the African countries who are members of the WBC.