Symbology of the Zapotec Jaguar Warrior Belt

World Boxing Council commemorative belts for May 5 and September 16, were created as a special trophy, which is bestowed upon the winner of great fights held around these two Mexican holidays, regardless of the nationality of the contenders.

World sports have a constant calendar with specific dates in which they present their most prestigious events, leading to a great expectation worldwide.

Football has the Super Bowl in February, the World Series of Baseball takes place in October, the Champions League final is held in May.

In the case of boxing, something magical happens, as our sport has two dates on which we can see boxing at its zenith level: May 5 and September 16 (Commemorative dates for Mexicans).

These Special Belts concept was established in 2017, and since then, every year a culture is selected to create these belts and present a tribute from the sphere of the WBC to the world boxing and Mexican costumes.

On this occasion, the culture in charge of designing the commemorative belt to recognize the winner of the epic third match between Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin, has been the Zapotec one, located mainly in the region of Oaxaca, Mexico. 

It was the Jacobo and María Ángeles Workshop, who, have created this extraordinary work of art from Mexico to the world with the most distinguished elements.

 The belt is hand-decorated in organic and tribal forms conjugated in a bright color palette reminiscent of its artistic style.

In addition to enjoying two select applications in copal wood carving cup (the workshop’s main material), alluding to the claws of a jaguar, ornamented with the gold leaf technique.

The passion, the pride, the courage, the illusion, the tears and the effort are values inherent to boxing, which are juxtaposed with the artisanal decoration, including symbols, such as: Labyrinth, Rattlesnake, House and Person, whose meanings in wisdom Zapotec represent the constant search through the labyrinth, the maximum power — which comes from the rattlesnake —; the house is the place where the future is protected, grown and sown, and the person is the one who, humbly, forms his people and community. 

This is how an honorable Jaguar warrior presents this trophy as a tribute to discipline, perseverance and courage.

A unique belt, which is the result of the joint work between the World Boxing Council, the Jacobo and María Ángeles Workshop and Cleto Reyes, which will be presented to the winner of the conclusive clash between superstars Saul “Canelo” Álvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin, who will contest the undisputed 168-pound championship, held by the Mexican, on September 17 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.