Sulaiman: Mexico lost a great, loving father
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 21 Jan 2014
HE failed to push it even half a kilometer away from being classified as the red-light district of sports, but it?s hard to imagine where professional boxing would?ve ended up without Don Jose Sulaiman.
Sulaiman, 82, lost his life last Friday in California.
He had undergone heart surgery at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center last October.
**
Veteran broadcaster Ronnie Nathanielsz, a great admirer and ally of Sulaiman, said there was an outpouring of grief and sympathy from world boxing greats and plain Mexican fans.
Sulaiman?s remains were scheduled for cremation at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico, following a daytime Mass yesterday.
Among the notables who extolled Sulaiman was the legendary Mexican warrior Julio Cesar Chavez, who swore ?Mexico would?ve not have had so many world champions and successful fighters without Don Jose.?
**
Sulaiman was not any way a boxing trainer.
He was a former amateur boxer who next worked as a referee.
But he will be fondly remembered as an innovative leader who had always sincerely strived for the technical development of boxing, working hard in order for the sport to be less dangerous and brutal.
**
Sulaiman was mainly responsible for cutting the old 15-round title fight down to 12.
He also made it possible for official weigh-ins to be held at least 24 hours before the fight proper, not in the same morning of the championship bout.
He introduced in-between divisions--like junior featherweight, light welterweight, etc-- to protect the health of less hefy fighters.
**
Don Jose was in the Philippines in 1996 for the Battle of Manila Bay WBC featherweight championship at the Rizal Park between Luisito Espinosa of the Philippines and Cesar Soto of Mexico.
Upon arriving in Manila, there were two persons he readily sought out: lawyer Rudy Salud and former world flyweigrht champion Erbito Salavarria.
Sulaiman had worked under Salud, who drafted the WBC Constitution and crafted its rules and regulations.
Don Jose had always deferred to Salud as Rodrigo, his senior in the WBC ratings committee.
**
?Salavarria is the finest Filipino boxer I?ve ever known,? Sulaiman confided to this reporter, who next hunted for Erbito unsuccessfully.
Salavarria annexed the WBC flyweight title in Dec 1970 in Bangkok by stopping Thai hero Chartchai Chionoi in the second round, with King Adulyadeh Bhumibol in the audience.
It must?ve been that stoppage-- sharp and neat, clinical and bloodless--which had readily endeared Salavarria to Sulaiman.
**
Sulaiman was also an admirer of Manny Pacquiao, but he could not hide his hurt each time Pacquiao would beat a Mexican warrior. Born of Lebanese and Syrian parents, Sulaiman was Mexican as tequila and chili con carne when it came to boxing.
In fact, Don Jose was a leading petitioner who kept imploring Juan Manuel Marquez not to allow himself to be lured into a fifth bout with Pacquiao.
**
No need to emphasize anymore how Marquez had fully restored Mexican honor?which for years had been slurred with Pacquiao?s sensational streak over Latino warriors?with that cold-blooded sixth-round stoppage of the Filipino hero in December 2012.
Sulaiman had fought and begged for that regained honor never to be squandered.
This could be one of the reasons Marquez had kept away from Pacquiao, despite the mouth-watering multi-million dollar offers.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
CLARESSA SHIELDS VS. LANI DANIELS PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Wed, 18 Jun 2025Brian Norman Jr.: "This Championship Belt Means Everything to Me!"
Wed, 18 Jun 2025Julian Gonzalez Takes on Former World Title Challenger Jason Sanchez in Main Event on Friday, June 27th at The 2300 Arena in Philadelphia
Wed, 18 Jun 2025IBA reaffirms its commitment to good governance and stability in Africa
Wed, 18 Jun 2025Day One of the USA Boxing Junior Olympics and Summer Festival Concludes
Wed, 18 Jun 2025The Past Week in Action 16 June 2025: Hitchins Stops Kambosos; Wins by Andy Cruz and Teremoana; Donaire Returns
By Eric Armit, Tue, 17 Jun 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 9 - MUHAMMAD ALI WINS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
By Maloney L. Samaco, Tue, 17 Jun 2025OKC Nears First NBA Title in Thunder Era; Outclasses Indiana, 120-109 in Game 5
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 17 Jun 2025Crawford Refutes #3 P4P Ranking; WBA Doesn't Forget Nonito Donaire
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 17 Jun 2025GM John Paul Gomez joins Touchmove in Roxas City
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 17 Jun 2025Perfect foe, perfect outcome
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 17 Jun 2025Prospects Collide Results: Rajon Chance Defeats Yan Carlos Perez
Tue, 17 Jun 2025Undefeated Russian super middleweight Petr “The Surgeon” Khamukov to headline This Friday in Long Beach on DAZN
Tue, 17 Jun 2025International Boxing & MMA Consultants Appointed to serve as El Salvador Professional Combat Sport Commission
Tue, 17 Jun 2025Sasotize teams champion and 1st runner up in 2nd JCI Senate Chess Tourney
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 17 Jun 2025