CMB · History

The World Boxing Council (WBC, known in Spanish as Consejo Mundial de Boxeo) is an international body that sanctions world championship fights in professional boxing. It was founded on 14 February 1963 in Mexico City, at the invitation of then-Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos, with the aim of bringing boxing commissions from different countries under a single recognition. Its headquarters are in the Mexican capital, and its green championship belt carries the flags of its member countries.

Founding and early presidents

The first president was Mexico’s Luis Spota, from 1963 to 1968. He was followed by Justiniano Montano Jr. of the Philippines, from 1968 to 1971, and then by another Mexican, Ramón G. Velázquez, from 1971 to 1975. During those years the organisation added national commissions and set up its own system of rankings and mandatory challenges, with Mexico as its administrative base.

The José Sulaimán era

José Sulaimán became president in 1975 and held the post for almost four decades. Under his leadership the WBC recognised new divisions: its first cruiserweight title fight took place on 8 December 1979 between Marvin Camel and Mate Parlov and ended in a draw, before Camel won the rematch in March 1980. After South Korea’s Kim Duk-koo died following a 14-round bout with Ray Mancini, the body cut championship fights from 15 to 12 rounds in 1983, a measure other organisations later adopted. In November 2013, at the convention in Bangkok, Sulaimán was named president for life. He died in Los Angeles on 16 January 2014, aged 82.

Controversies and the courts

The majority draw between Julio César Chávez and Pernell Whitaker in 1993 remains one of the most disputed decisions in a WBC fight. In 1998 Germany’s Graciano Rocchigiani beat Michael Nunn for the vacant light heavyweight title, but the WBC later withdrew that recognition when it reinstated Roy Jones Jr. as champion. Rocchigiani sued, and on 7 May 2003 a court ruled in his favour, awarding him 31 million dollars. On 11 June 2004 the WBC announced it was filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the United States.

Women’s boxing and new belts

Mexico’s Jackie Nava became the first WBC female world champion on 30 May 2005, at super bantamweight; on 11 June that year Laila Ali won the super middleweight title. The Diamond Championship was created in September 2009, and its first belt went to Manny Pacquiao on 14 November 2009 after he stopped Miguel Cotto in the twelfth round in Las Vegas. The Silver Championship followed in 2010, first won by Justin Savi against Cyril Thomas on 16 April. At the December 2012 convention Muhammad Ali received an honorary Diamond belt, and on 14 September 2013 Floyd Mayweather Jr. was given a commemorative 24-karat gold belt.

Mauricio Sulaimán and bridgerweight

On 11 February 2014 Mauricio Sulaimán, José’s son, was elected president by a 26-0 vote of the federations and the board of governors. On 12 December 2016 the WBC recognised Vitali Klitschko as Eternal Champion, and in 2019 it introduced the Franchise Championship, first held by Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez. On 9 November 2020 it announced a new division between cruiserweight and heavyweight, named bridgerweight after Bridger Walker, a young boy who had shielded his sister from a dog attack. Oscar Rivas became its first champion by beating Ryan Rozicki in Montreal in October 2021, and Poland’s Łukasz Różański won the vacant title in April 2023.