From Don Mario’s Viewpoint

Posted on | August 6, 2008 | No Comments

World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman travelled to Puerto Rico last week to render tribute to Boxing Commissioner Jose “Toto” Peñagaricano, as well as to render tribute to former island greats, whose claim to greatness were garnered under the sponsorship of WBC recognition.

Multiple Cruiserweight champion, Carlos “Sugar” De Leon, welter king Wilfredo Benitez, and most certainly Wilfredo Gomez, during his record breaking tenure of 17 knockout defenses as 122 pound champion, were part of that glorious WBC period.

We must also acknowledge Jose’s innovative qualities in pioneering major improvements in the sport, like reducing the number of championship rounds from fifteen to twelve, certainly be attributed to him.

But on this Puerto Rican adventure he did have a couple of major faux-pas to contend with. To begin with he extolled the honesty of former fight manager, Yamil Chade, when in reality Yamil was a product of a period in boxing where honesty was not the best policy, if you wanted to get along in the business end of this sport.

Big time boxing began with street-smart Manhattan people like Mike Jacobs, Marciano manager Al Weill, underworld king-pins Blinkey Palermo, and Frankie Carbo who controlled fights, fighters, managers, promoters and even boxing commissions, and of course quite a bit and in the minor leagues, islanders Chade and Pepe Cordero. Now, how in heavens name can Sulaiman classify Yamil for his honesty? His boxing astuteness is being insulted by such statements.

Jose’s second faux-pas was declaring Toto’s son, Gabriel as his “immediate heir” to the WBC throne. Can you visualize Sulaiman moving out of his plum position? No way Jose! Even less so when Sulaiman has always mentioned his son Mauricio as the heir to his throne!

I may be wrong, but Gabriel, as a member of the WBC board may have overstepped his bounds by acting as legal aid to a boxing champion of a competitive entity.