Sulaiman leaves with Pinoys in his heart

MANILA, Philippines — World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman left Manila yesterday to return home to Mexico with fond memories of his five-day visit where he experienced Filipino hospitality, warmth and friendship. He said there will always be a place in his heart for the Philippines.

“It’s like Disneyland because everybody loves boxing,” said Sulaiman. “I came to honor two of the greatest champions of the world, Flash Elorde and Manny Pacquiao. In the 1960s and 1970s, boxing was concentrated in the US and Europe but Elorde brought light to the Philippines. We in the WBC consider him to be the greatest superfeatherweight champion. No man before or since has held the title for seven years like Elorde while Manny is the Philippines’ greatest ambassador. No man has won world titles in eight divisions like Manny who’s known as the terror of Mexicans but is a hero in Mexico, having beaten (Marco Antonio) Barrera, (Erik) Morales and (Antonio) Margarito.”

Sulaiman noted that Pacquiao’s first world title was the WBC flyweight championship and he went all the way to capture the WBC superwelterweight crown. At the 1st Pacquiao-Elorde Awards Night in the Okada Grand Ballroom last Sunday, Sulaiman presented the original WBC title belts to the Elorde family and Pacquiao as a tribute to the fighters from different generations. Sulaiman said he brought the straps from the WBC’s vault of artefacts in Mexico with their origins traced to the Ali era. “Green is the color of hope and gold is the color of glory so the championship belt was designed with those two colors,” he said. “The original belts were not as thick as they are today and (Muhammad) Ali wore the original version.”

Sulaiman said the Philippines has so far crowned 47 world champions, including 15 from the WBC, but cited it’s quality, not quantity, that counts. “Filipinos fight with heart and passion,” he said. “I remember the Mexican WBC lightflyweight champion Chiquita Gonzalez was undefeated when he lost his title to a Filipino Rolando Pascua by a knockout in 1990. There are many more Filipino WBC world champions like Elorde, Manny, Rolando Navarrete, Luisito Espinosa, Erbito Salavarria, Nonito Donaire, Jr. and Rene Barrientos. Most boxers are born in a humble bed and they try to make a difference in their lives through boxing which I consider to be the greatest sport. Boxers fight for their families, friends, loved ones and countries. In the WBC, we care for boxers before, during and after their careers.”