58 Years of the WBC and its Impact to Philippine Boxing
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 21 Feb 2021
February 14, 2021 was Valentine's Day and it also marked the 58th anniversary of the World Boxing Council or WBC, acknowledged today as the primus inter pares, the first among equals of the four recognized major global boxing sanctioning bodies that included the World Boxing Association (WBA), the International Boxing Federation(IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
The WBC was initially established by eleven countries that included the Philippines, the United States, Puerto Rico, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. Their representatives met in Mexico City on 14 February 1963, upon invitation of Adolfo López Mateos, then President of Mexico, and formed WBC as an international organization to unify all commissions of the world to control the expansion of boxing.
Prior to the formation of the WBC, the American National Boxing Association or NBA which later transformed itself into the WBA held an almost sole monopoly of sanctioning world title fights and recognizing world champions challenged only from time to time by such groups as the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), the European Boxing Union (EBU) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) all of which lacked the all-encompassing 'international' status they claimed.
That could be the compelling reason the then Mexican president Mateos was prompted to lead in the foundation of the WBC in 1963 with Luis Spota as inaugural president. It is common knowledge that Mexicans passion for boxing is rivalled only by their love for cockfighting, soccer and baseball (Much like Pinoys who are torn between boxing and basketball).
Significantly, the WBC proceeded to recognize the then reigning eleven world champions in as many weight divisions as its inaugural title holders which included two Filipinos namely: Gabriel Flash Elorde and Roberto Cruz, champions respectively in the junior lightweight and junior welterweight classes.
The other WBC inaugural world champions were Americans Sonny Liston (heavyweight), Harold Johnson (light heavyweight), Denny Moyer (junior middleweight) and Davey Moore (featherweight), Nigerian Dick Tiger (middleweight), Cuban Luis Rodriguez (welterweight), Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz (lightweight), Brazilian Eder Jofre (bantamweight) and Thai Pone Kingpetch (flyweight).
Today, WBC has 161 member countries worldwide.
The current WBC President is Mauricio Sulaimán. Former Presidents include Spota and Ramon G. Velázquez of Mexico, Justiniano N. Montano Jr. of the Philippines and José Sulaimán of Mexico from 1975 until his death in 2014.
The coming of the WBC proved to be the long sought after needed shot in the arm for its member countries especially the Philippines which found itself without a world champion four years later in 1967 with Flash Elorde finally losing his junior lightweight title to Japan's Yoshiaki Numata.
It was providential that then Cavite Governor Montano, chairman of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) was elected WBC president in 1968. Together with Atty Rodrigo Rudy Salud, Montano worked and persevered to give deserving Filipino fighters immediate shot at the world title.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS TADURAN VS. PEREZ WEIGH-IN RESULTS
Fri, 03 Apr 2026PLANET ICE FIGHT NIGHT: WEIGH-IN RESULTS AS BROWN AND DUCAR FACE-OFF FOR FINAL TIME
Fri, 03 Apr 2026Battle of the Trades Returns for Its 3rd Year April 25 at Torrey Pines Community Resource Center in Las Vegas
Fri, 03 Apr 2026Bobby Laing vs. Russ Kimber in intriguing Intra-state match-up between Massachusetts Light Heavyweights on ‘Rumble at the Rink II’
Fri, 03 Apr 2026PH chess wizard Jacobb Seda ties for 1st, settles for silver on tiebreaks in Thailand meet
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 03 Apr 2026Rene “Chulo” Santiago, Masataka Taniguchi Officially Make Weight for Friday’s Unified World Title Clash in Tokyo
Thu, 02 Apr 2026Marlon Tapales and Yukinori Oguni Make Weight in Clash of Former World Champions
Thu, 02 Apr 2026Taduran in high spirits ahead of title defense in California
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 02 Apr 2026Waiting to beat Floyd
By Joaquin Henson, Thu, 02 Apr 202620th Philippine Xiangqi Open tournament on May 1
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 02 Apr 2026Can Tapales Overpower Oguni to Increase his Chances of Another World Title Fight?
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 02 Apr 2026BROWN-DUCAR PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES IN FULL: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AHEAD OF FRIDAY'S ALTRINCHAM FIGHT NIGHT
Thu, 02 Apr 2026Wise Owl Boxing Makes Headlines Again with Signing of Former World Champion Julio Cesar “El Rey” Martinez
Thu, 02 Apr 2026Santiago-Taniguchi Final Presser
Wed, 01 Apr 2026Jimuel in Action on Friday!
By Carlos Costa, Wed, 01 Apr 2026