Forty third anniversary of Jose Sulaiman becoming President of the WBC

WBCBoxing.com

By Victor Cota

It was on December 5, 1975 when our beloved Don Jose Sulaiman was unanimously elected President of the World Boxing Council in Tunis.

Today we are celebrating 43 years of that history changing  event,  along with  all the people who are part of this amazing and continuing story.

This is so much more than a  celebration,  as we recognize and commemorate the tremendous man who insured the survival of Boxing.  But also went on to develop it into a safer and more humane sport. This spanned  almost four decades, as President, but encompassed his entire lifetime.

Whoever imagines  things were easy for our Leader, is demonstrably wrong.  He had to fight long and hard against vested interests, ending some absurd traditions, rectifying the foolishness of many and above all,  he did this in the face of some, who merely saw boxing in terms of: “Greenbacks.”

Our Lifelong President worked for all of this  from the very first day of his mandate, determined to better and improve Boxing with dozens of vital innovations which transformed  it.

And throughout, Don Jose’s primary aim and accompanying guiding light was the  protection and well being of the boxer, from the beginning of the career, to retirement and well beyond.  He was the fighters’ Fighter, always championing them.

Now all the pugilists endorsed by the WBC count with the excellence of the services and medical care. We also managed to fight for biggest purses in order to recognize those who climb the ring.

The dedication, knowledge and compassion of Don José Sulaiman Chagnon currently appears in each and part of the world in which organized boxing is present. It was his hallmark and it is and will forever be the bright eternal flame of his legacy. So many are so grateful for these diverse and extraordinary array of his achievements, which form the basis of modern Boxing .

Don Jose  was a man who truly cared. It defined him as a person, and he’ll always  be remembered for it.