SERGIO MARTINEZ AND RACHEL DONAIRE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST SULAIMAN?S OUTRAGEOUS COMMENTS
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Jan 2012
Two prominent figures in the sport of boxing has spoken publicly against Don Jose Sulaiman?s insensitive comments regarding abuse and violence against women.
Middleweight King and Ring Magazine?s Number 3 Pound for Pound boxer Sergio Martinez addressed the issue last week in a press conference in his native country of Argentina. ?It is a sin what Floyd Mayweather did. It is more than clear.? Martinez stated. He was referring to Mayweather being sentenced by a Las Vegas court for a domestic battery case that the boxer pleaded guilty to and Sulaiman?s defense of the said act. Sulaiman stated in an interview that, ? While beating a lady is critical, It is not a major sin or crime.?
The said statement elicited criticisms from the media and fans that are following the sport. Martinez who advocates anti bullying in schools, was the first boxer to denounce the Sulaiman remark publicly last December 29 in Buenos Aires. He demanded that Sulaiman apologize which the World Boxing Council president has not done since making the statement a week ago in an interview with Philboxing.com?s Ronnie Nathanielsz. Sulaiman instead issued a clarification of his remarks, pointing to the language barrier as a reason for it.
?Me and any other citizen in the world feels that we have the right to ask for Don Jose a public apology in concern to the barbarity he has said about violence against women.? Martinez declared.
Another well known personality of the sport also expressed her disappointment of Sulaiman?s remarks. Rachel Donaire, spouse of WBO and WBC bantamweight champ Nonito Donaire, indicated her disapproval through her of?cial Facebook account.
?This is disgusting! I cant believe (the) WBC said this about battered women. Whoever puts their hand on a woman is a coward.? Donaire posted.
Rachel Donaire also criticized Sulaiman?s attempt at apology, ?Come on! Sorry, but how can you say that your English was a mistranslation from Spanish to English yet draft such an eloquent, grammatically perfect, and structured apology??
Donaire was referring to an email sent by the WBC to various boxing publications and site wherein Sulaiman apologized not on his controversial statement but in ?not ?nding the right words in English? in that interview.
Donaire further expressed by a text message to this writer that, ?I understand in many ways that boxing is a man?s sport. There are not many women promoters, managers and even female boxers that aren?t fully supported. I believe a lot of (the) current statements about women only highlight the mentality that needs to be changed and pushed with the current times.?
Sergio Martinez and Rachel Donaire joins the many who are vocal of their criticism of Sulaiman and his insensitive remarks about violence against women. Major sites like ESPN, Yahoo and now The Daily Mail of the UK expressed their commentary of it in recent articles posted in their sites. Martinez and Donaire are the two who are closest to the sport that made a stand against it publicly.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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