08.06.05 – From WBC President Jose Sulaiman: “The WBC has organized a great event, the ‘Night of Champions,’ that will be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2005, in Mexico City. Many of the greatest champions in WBC history will be invited, and will receive awards for their accomplishments. The WBC has voted unanimously to bestow upon Muhammad Ali the award of ‘Champion of Champions’ of boxing, as well..
“The WBC expects all of the present WBC champions of the world to be in attendance at this great world ceremony, and all of the living Mexican former champions of the world will be invited.
“Other great champions who will be invited to receive special awards include George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Ray Sugar Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar de la Hoya, Azumah Nelson, Alexis Arguello, Tommy Hearns, Emile Griffith, Chartchai Chionoi, Jeff Fenech, Wilfredo Gomez, Ismael Laguna, and many others.
“In addition to the champions, we expect that this event will be attended by most of the promoters and managers from around the world, as well as other members of the world boxing community, who will get together to celebrate unity and solid plans for the future of the sport, while showing at the same time the strong participation of the WBC members to continue leading the world of boxing, while putting the recent crisis of the WBC behind us.
“This coming Saturday, June 11, in Washington, D.C., history could be written in boxing. If Laila Ali wins the WBC Women’s super middleweight world championship in her fight against Erin Toughill, it will be the first time in history that a father and a daughter have won professional boxing championships. And not only that, but both Muhammad Ali and Laila Ali have both been considered the best ever in boxing as a man and a woman. It is interesting to note that Laila defeated Joe Frazier’s daughter, Jacqui Frazier, in a fight in which the daughters used the same style as their fathers – Frazier moved forward like a bull, and Laila used her excellent skills.”