One of the most emotional weeks, with multiple expressions of love and grief, was the passing of the Holy Father Francis, who had been in ICU for a month, very delicate but then  performed a true miracle by appearing to give his final blessing to humanity, precisely on Easter Sunday.

Thus, Pope Francis left his mark on us forever, and his memory will be eternal. Without a doubt, we will soon celebrate his immortality as I am certain that he will named Saint Francis.

I thank God for having the opportunity to meet him, for being part of his gospel and serving under The WBC  BoxVal program, which was established in 2016. It will continue now, stronger than ever, inspired by knowing that his desire for a better world can still be achieved through education and values, through boxing.

I was invited by my brother Hector to travel with him to the Vatican back in February 2016 as he was elected to form the Mexico chapter of Pope Francis non religious foundation, Scholas Ocurrentes. So we entered the audience where some 50-60 persons were present and as soon as I saw the Holy Father coming into the room a special feeling invaded my body and mind.

During that audience, my first moment of total admiration for Pope Francis occured during a speech by a group of firefighters, who introduced their organization, followed by the Holy Father’s comment, “Every day I pray that everyone in the world has work, and every day I pray that firefighters never have work.”

One of his greatest virtues was his ability to synthesize incredible and impactful messages succinctly using very few words, leading listeners to reflection and understanding.

Unexpectedly, I was given the floor, to announce the formation of the BoxVal program and explain what the World Boxing Council would do worldwide. I also confirmed the celebration of the inaugural “Fight for Peace,” the bout between a Catholic, Saul Canelo Alvarez, and a Muslim, Amir Khan.

As the audience concluded, he approached to greet some children sitting in front of me. To my surprise, he approached me and extended his hand, which I immediately took he followed saying “So, world champion?” I froze, not knowing what to say, and then he said, “But heavyweight!” and at that moment we burst out laughing.

Pope Francis had a great sense of humor and an incredible ability to make encounters memorable. In one of our private meetings, Héctor told him that he was a lawyer by profession, although he clarified that he didn’t practice his profession and was dedicated to industry. The Pope responded, “That’s good because all lawyers are cousins ​​of the devil,” with such a unique smile.

His gaze and smile were like those of an innocent and pure child; they reflected so much and calmed the soul.

At the Canelo vs. Khan fight, we had the opportunity to meet Adrian Pallarols, who produced that first peace belt, a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece. Adrian was His Holiness’ goldsmith, but more than that, he was the son he never had. He attended Mass as a child and was always close to Father Jorge Mario Bergolio, eventually Poep Francis. The friendship and closeness with Adrian, grew for Hector and me, and it was he who brought us closer together, giving us the most important moments of our lives in the company of the most incredible person I have ever met.

In each of our encounters, we sought the blessing of many rosaries and cards from the Holy Father; we are witnesses to the power of prayer, the power of faith, and the miracles these items have achieved.

On December 1, 2018, WBC world champion Adonis Stevenson was knocked out by Oleksndr Gvozdyk in Canada and required brain surgery for the severe injuries he sustained.

I flew to Canada on the 18th of that month to visit our champion; Yvon Michell picked me up at the airport and we drove to Toronto; during the drive he told me bluntly “ Mauricio, it is a matter of days, maybe even hours, the MRI shows complete bleeding in both sides of the brain “

I  brought one of those special  rosaries  with me ; As soon as I entered his room in ICU the following morning,   I placed it in Adonis’s hand. He was in a coma, critical condition;  I prayed, holding his hand with the rosary, and gave him words of encouragement, as I looked out the window as snow was starting to fall I could only feel peace;  I sat next to his bed,  his girlfriend and Lamont Jones were there with me. Al Haymon had Lamont there at all times to support Adonis family in all aspects. Adonis suddenly began moaning loudly and trying to get up. Many doctors came in, and they brought us out into the hallway where the family burst into tears with joy, as it was the first sign of life since that tragic December 1st.  Hours later, the MRI showed that the bleeding had vanished. Today, Adonis lives a normal life, driving and traveling as an Ambassador of Peace for the WBC and Boxval.

This is one of the many miracles we have seen through the intercession of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis met several champions and boxers in these great years. We brought Deontay Wilder to meet him back in December 2019, also Julio Cesar Chavez and Julio jr, The WBC proudly participated with the holy father in important donations which were sent on behalf of every boxer and promoter who has ever participated in WBC bouts with the money used directly for the aid of kids in Ukraine and Gaza.

The World Boxing Council will hold a series of activations in memory of our beloved and adored Pope. May God rest his soul.

On Friday, we held a press conference at the Thai Embassy where we announced the location for our annual Convention, which will be held in Bangkok the first week of December. General Thanapol Bhakdibumi was with us, and along with Ambassador Rooge Thammongkol, it was confirmed that the WBC and WBC Muathai will join forces for the first time to hold the annual congress. This year, Mexico and Thailand celebrate their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, adding interest to this important event.

Did you know?

The Amazing MuayThai World Festival will take place in Verona, Italy, from June 25th to 29th.
This is a historic event celebrating athletic excellence, cultural richness, and the global community of the sport.

Organized in partnership with WBC MuayThai, this festival will feature an unprecedented list of competitions and activities, including youth tournaments, elite-level matches, and adult competitions.

Today’s Story

Sergio Maravilla Martínez was WBC world champion when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope. That same year, he was invited to  a private audience with the Pope  and Sergio appointed two guests to accompany him: Miguel de Pablos and José Sulaimán. Unfortunately, my father had surgery, which took place on October 1st.

My father fell into a coma on October 2nd and it remained that way until the 20th of that month. The audience was held on the 18th, and during it, one of the most beautiful acts in the history of our family took place. Maravilla Martínez pleaded  to the Pope for Don José’s health. Pope Francis took the world championship belt certificate bearing my father’s signature and prayed over it, folding it several times. At the end, he said to the champion: “Please send this to his family immediately.” The certificate arrived along with a rosary on the 20th… My mother placed it under his back on the mattress… Miraculously, hours later, my father opened his eyes and lived almost three more months, to say goodbye to everyone. We will never forget that act of compassion by Sergio Martínez and Miguel De Pablos, and the power of Pope Francis’s prayer was manifested with that miracle.

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