Great WBC Activity in April 2025

April 30

Members of the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids, Michigan, with the support of the WBC, funded, beautified, and restored the marble tomb of the great Stanley Ketchel, who was the first boxer to regain the middleweight title.

April 29

Trip to Riyadh for Canelo vs. Scull fight card

The WBC unveiled the 2025 Tlaxcala “Xicoténcatl” Belt, a masterpiece of design and symbolism crafted by Imperio de Metal. This unique belt is deeply inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Tlaxcala, honoring the spirit of a legendary warrior and the vibrant artistic traditions of the region. The winner of the Canelo vs. Scull fight will take home this beautiful belt.

A commemorative belt was unveiled in honor of Jess Zilla and in honor of brain cancer awareness, which is celebrated in May. The belt, which was presented with the slogan “Gray in May,” commemorates Jesselyn Silva, a young fighter who wanted to be an Olympic and WBC champion, but unfortunately died of brain cancer. The winner of the match between Naoya Inoue and Ramón Cárdenas will take home this beautiful belt. Inoue was the impressive victor.

April 28

WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion, Ukrainian Oleksander Usyk, and IBF champion Daniel Dubois had their first face-to-face meeting at Wembley to promote their long-awaited rematch for the undisputed heavyweight title.

April 25

At the Thai embassy in Mexico City, it was officially announced that the 63rd WBC Convention will be held in conjunction with the first WBC Muay Thai convention in Bangkok, Thailand. These highly anticipated events will take place at the end of November and the beginning of December.

April 24

A WBC Talks event was dedicated to the life and great work of Pope Francis.

Turki Alalshikh was appointed President of the Saudi Boxing Federation for the 2024–2028 election period. The appointment adds a new dimension to Alalshikh’s already extensive portfolio, considered one of the key figures in the cultural and sporting transformation of Saudi Arabia.

April 22

The city of Fort Myers paid tribute to an extraordinary athlete and inspirational role model, WBC Featherweight World Champion Tiara Brown. Known for her extraordinary skill and tenacity in the boxing ring, Tiara has demonstrated that her influence extends far beyond sports. Her commitment to community service and education exemplifies what it means to be a true champion through her philanthropic efforts, specifically through the Tiara Brown Scholarship. This initiative annually awards four scholarships to deserving high school students, providing them with essential resources to pursue their educational goals. By investing in their future, Tiara not only encourages academic excellence but also instills a sense of hope and ambition in young minds.

April 21

Pope Francis, the first Latin American supreme pontiff and very popular among the faithful around the world, died at the age of 88.

April 20

Visit to Canelo Álvarez at his training camp in Riyadh

It was confirmed at a press conference held by cbo in Japan that Junto Nakatini will make his fourth defense of the WBC bantamweight title against Ryosuke Nishida, but it will not be the only title at stake, as Nishida is the IBF champion.

April 17-20

The first stage of the Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix took place. The first world boxing championship in history was held at the BLVD City Global Theater in Riyadh.

The competition consists of five stages throughout 2025 and will culminate in December with the crowning of the champions, who will also claim the José Sulaimán trophy.

April 19

In a flawless performance, Gabriela Fundora retained her undisputed flyweight championship with a seventh-round TKO victory over Mexican Marilyn Badillo at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.

In a spectacular fusion of sports and entertainment, French boxer Bakary Samake successfully defended his World Boxing Council Silver Super Welterweight title against South African Roarke Knapp at the Paris La Défense Arena.

Dalton Smith retained his WBC Silver Super Lightweight title by defeating Mathieu Germain at the Park Community Arena.

April 18

Attendance at an event at the Mexican Embassy in Saudi Arabia with the ambassador.

April 12

After 10 years, the WBC Baltic title returned, a championship that existed from 2008 to 2015 and was founded by then-WBC Vice President Edmund Lipinski. This year, we already had two fights in the return of this championship. The first was on April 11, when Rafal Dudek faced Kajetan Kalinowski at light heavyweight. Kalinowski won the bout by knockout in the eighth round. The following day, Kacper Meyna and Mariusz Wach faced off at heavyweight. Meyna emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

April 9

The World Boxing Council held the second WBC Boxing Coaches Seminar of the year in China, bringing together twenty dedicated and aspiring boxing coaches from across the Asian country.

April 8

During the traditional “Martes de Cafe” with ambassadors from around the world, details of the Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix were officially presented. 128 boxers participated, 32 per division, in a single-elimination tournament. The “José Sulaiman” trophy, which will be awarded to the tournament winners, was also presented.

Belt presentation and recognitions to the WBC Amateur champions from Neza

Meeting with journalist Juan Carlos Tapia and comedian Memo Ríos

April 7

Kyrgyzstani fighter Dmitry Bivol notified the WBC through his attorney, Patrick English, that he has vacated the organization’s light heavyweight title. The WBC confirmed David Benavidez as its light heavyweight world champion.

April 6

Through a tremendous collaborative effort between the Mexican government, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, with the invaluable support of Miguel Torruco, and the World Boxing Council and its President Mauricio Sulaimán, the largest National Boxing Class in history was held.

April 5

Tina Rupprecht, 32, of Germany, was crowned unified world boxing champion, defeating previously undefeated Japanese Sumire Yamanaka on points in a thrilling fight held at the MBS Arena in Potsdam.

April 4-5

The IWBHF held the induction ceremony for the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame. It not only honored the legendary fighters inducted, but also recognized those who have made a significant impact on the sport beyond the ring.

April 2-3

The WBC Women’s Summit, an event that brought together the greatest pioneers of women’s boxing, promoters, ring officials, journalists, and leaders in the sport, was held with great success at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

April 1

The WBC created the microsite https://george-foreman.wbcboxing.com/  where we can find messages and posts about the life and legacy of George Foreman as a tribute to his incredible life. The world has reacted in an incredible way, and while we mourn his passing, we must also honor his tremendous life, unique achievements and eternally glorious memory.