WBO OPENS 27TH ANNUAL CONVENTION AT HISTORIC CAESAR'S PALACE
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 28 Oct 2014
LAS VEGAS ? More than 300 delegates ? boxing officials, managers and promoters from all over the world arrived to the boxing capital of the world to attend the 27th annual convention of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) scheduled Oct. 27 to 31.
The venue of the convention is the historic Caesar's Palace Hotel, built in 1962, the venue of the some of the most important fights in boxing including Sugar Ray Leonard's fights with Wilfredo Benitez, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler, Hagler vs Hearns and Hagler vs Duran. Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Oscar de la Hoya also headlined in the Caesar's Outdoor Arena before the arena was torn down to make way for the modernization of the hotel in the 1990s.
Presently, the WBO is home to many of the world's elite champions including Manny Pacquiao, Chris Algieri, Wladimir Klitschko, Sergey Kovalev, Mikey Garcia, Guillermo Ringodeaux, Juan Francisco Estrada and Donnie Nietes.
After the whole day registration, the participants had a welcome cocktail at the Caesar's Palace poolside in the evening with amiable WBO president Francisco 'Paco' Valcarcel graciously hobnobbing with the participants entertained by a live band playing Latin music.
The Philippines is well represented with delegates coming in headed by GAB chairman Ramon Guanzon and GAB commissioners Fritz Gaston and Aquil Tamano, boxing officials Salven Lagumbay, Danrex Tapdasan, Edward Ligas, Gil Co and Philippine Professional Boxing Ring Officials ? Luzon Chapter president Gred Ortega. ALA Promotions' Michael Aldeguer and Dennis Canete are also in attendance as well as this writer representing Philboxing.com.
WBO Vice-President for Asia-Pacific Leon Panoncillo and Australia's Danny Leigh represent the Asian region as well as delegates from Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and China. As usual, a huge number of the participants are coming from the Latin American countries and North America.
Real work will commence Tuesday, Oct. 28, with the general assembly of the WBO executive committee to report on previous year's activities in the morning and the regional vice presidents' reports in the afternoon.
On Wednesday, Oct 29, there will be an ABC Officials Seminar with the officials panel to be coordinated by ring officials Gino Rodriguez, Joe Cortez, Michael Pernick and Robert Byrd.
On Thursday, Oct. 30, the general assembly and executive committee closure has been calendared followed by the championship and ratings committee discussion. Thursday evening is the highly-anticipated gala dinner. The convention adjourns on Friday, Oct. 31.
A WBO sign points delegates to the registration counter located at the Convention Rooms of the mammoth Caesar's Palace Hotel.
Delegates mill beside the pool during the evening welcome cocktail.
L-R: Ring official Greg Ortega, GAB Chairman Ramon Guanzon, GAB Commissioner Aquil Tamano and boxing judge Levi Martinez (R) and his wife.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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