Head of WBC Jose Sulaiman Dies at 82

By Francisco Romero

Tucson, AZ – After 38 years at the helm of the World Boxing Council, Jose Sulaiman died on January 16. He was 82 years old.  

Nicknamed the “Father of Boxing” Jose Sulaiman was not only an executive in the world of boxing, he started as an amateur boxer, worked as a trainer, a referee and a promoter.  He was elected President of the WBC in 1975 and remained in that post until his death.  

“He took care of boxers from all over the world, he made sure we were taken care off in all aspects,” mentioned longtime fighter Nicky Perez “He was someone who promoted the sports in every corner of the planet.”  

On of Sulaiman’s biggest accomplishments in the sport was to reduce the number of rounds in a championship boxing match from 15 to 12 rounds, an action fighters welcomed in the name of safety.  

Sulaiman was born in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico on May 30, 1931.    

Controversy also surrounded Sulaiman’s tenure in the WBC as he was often criticized for giving titles to fighters, some believed had not yet earned nor deserved, as well as placing boxers on the WBC’s rankings without merit.  

Sulaiman passed away in Los Angeles, California at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since last October.   

Sulaiman became an icon in the world of boxing as his annual WBC conferences were attended by boxers, promoters, advertisers and people from the boxing industry from all over the world.  It was not strange to have interpreters relay his message in seven different languages at one point in time.  

During the glory days of Julio Cesar Chavez, Sulaiman was always seen by the side of the Mexican champion.  

His son Mauricio Sulaiman is expected to take over the reigns of the WBC.