PACQUIAO AND WBC CONFAB PLACE RP ON TOP OF THE BOXING WORLD
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 18 Oct 2007
Boxing and tourism is a good mix. The 45th World Boxing Council (WBC) Annual Convention which will be held at the historic Manila Hotel on November 11-17, 2007 will attract around 700 foreign delegates and boxing personalities from 168 member countries. In 1975, the country also hosted the World Boxing Association convention and at the same time witnessed the world championship of the two boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in the ?Thrilla in Manila.?
Led by its President Jose Sulaiman, the WBC convention will be a huge gathering of the boxing world?s Who?s Who. Among the stars expected to grace the convention are former champions Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Lennox Lewis, Oscar Larios, the Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladimir, and Erik Morales.
?This will serve as great opportunity for our country to get more recognitions as one of the best sources of world boxing champions,? according to Games and Amusements Board Chairman Eric Buhain. At present, the Philippines has four reigning world champions ? Florante Condes, Nonito Donaire, Gerry Pe?alosa and Donnie Nietes
Although not a world champion, Manny Pacquiao is the world?s Fighter of the Year according to the Bible of Boxing, The Ring Magazine. His recent victories over Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales make him the most exciting boxer of the world today, placing the country at the epicenter of the world boxing atlas.
Because of Pacquiao?s quests and the WBC convention the country, has tasted unparalleled ring glory in years. Following The Pacman?s success are our emerging ring heroes who are now in demand to show their stuff in the United States, especially Las Vegas.
The Philippines is part of the 11 countries that made up the founding members of the WBC, which include USA, Argentina, Great Britain, France, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. They met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos to form an international boxing organization that would achieve the unity of all commissions of the world
It gave birth to the greatest and most powerful boxing organization of the world. At present, the WBC has nine regional governing bodies affiliated with it, which include the North American Boxing Federation (NABF), the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF), the European Boxing Union (EBU), the African Boxing Union (ABU), Asian Boxing Council (ABCO), Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE), Central American Boxing Federation (FECARBOX), CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau (CISBB) and the South American Boxing Federation (FESUBOX).
Among the innovations in the rules that the WBC has initiated are: the 10-Point Must System since 1963, non-scoring referees and 3 Judges in all WBC fights to improve concentration and fairness. In 1983, the WBC took the brilliant step of reducing the distance of its world championship bouts, from 15 rounds to 12, which other bodies soon followed for the boxers' protection. The WBC boosted the legitimacy of women?s boxing and the first WBC World Female Champion was super-bantamweight Mexican Jackie Nava.
One of the founding fathers of the WBC, former Philippine GAB Chairman Justiniano N. Montano, Jr. served as WBC President. While Atty. Rudy Salud, the former Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner and former WBC Secretary General, drafted the WBC Constitution and By-Laws. They added more feathers to the cap of Philippine boxing.
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