The scheduled fight for Saturday, 10th December, at the ESPRIT arena in Düsseldorf between IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitschko and his French opponent Jean-Marc Mormeck had to be cancelled due to a kidney colic of Klitschko.
Last Saturday Wladimir Klitschko underwent an operation removing a kidney stone. After initial recovery, he had to cancel his participation at a RTL TV show last night due to recurring pain.
Prof. Dr. Peter Albers (head of the urology department of the University Hospital Düsseldorf): ”In his current state it would not be reasonable to compete in a world championship.
After two surgeries within 24 hours, everyone needs time to recover”, so the doctor.
The plans for rescheduling the fight see March 3 as a possible date. “Purchased tickets remain their validity”, says Bernd Bönte (Managing Director, Klitschko Management Group).
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JOSE SULAIMAN – 36 YEARS AS WBC PRESIDENT
WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS
December 5, 2011 – Mexico City.
From the office of WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JOSE SULAIMAN – 36 YEARS AS WBC PRESIDENT
On December 5, 1975, Jose Sulaiman was elected WBC President during the annual WBC convention in Tunisia, North Africa, which was attended by 30 delegates representing the 23 countries affiliated with the WBC at that time. This coming Monday, December 12, the WBC will open its 49th annual convention in Las Vegas with some 1200 delegates representing the 164 countries currently affiliated with the WBC.
Jose Sulaiman’s reign as president has been a journey which has changed the sport of boxing, and implemented many rules and procedures to make boxing safer for the boxers.
36 years as President – equivalent to 432 months, or 1,872 weeks, or 13,140 days, or 315,360 hours – with every single moment of his life has devoted to make our sport as best it could be.
1,633 WBC world championship fights have been sanctioned in this period of time. 371 champions have won the WBC title in this period.
The champions who held the WBC world championships on December 5, 1975, were:
Muhammad Ali – heavyweight
John Conteh – light heavyweight
Rodrigo Valdez – middleweight
Elisha Obed – super welterweight
Jose “Mantequilla” Napoles – welterweight
Sansaek Muangsurin – super lightweight
Ishimatsu Suzuki – lightweight
Alfredo Escalera – super featherweight
Ruben Olivares – featherweight
Rodolfo Martinez – bantamweight
Miguel Canto – flyweight
Franco Udella – light flyweight
John H. Stracey was the first boxer to win a WBC world title under Jose Sulaiman’s presidency, capturing the WBC welterweight title on December 6, 1975, with a sixth-round knockout win against Jose Napoles in Mexico City.
The 36 greatest moments for Jose Sulaiman as president are:
· Relentless fight against apartheid for almost 20 years supporting the leadership of Nelson Mandela.
· Reduction from 15 to 12 rounds in 1983.
· Implementation of the official weigh-in ceremony 24 to 36 hours before the fight .
· Implementation of mandatory 30 and 7 day weigh-ins prior to the fight.
· Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Greg Haugen at Azteca Stadium, the largest paid attendance in the history of boxing with over 136,000 fans present.
· Implementation of the mandatory antidoping tests after the fights, the first sport to do so.
· Implementation of the exemplary “Telmex” lifetime pension awarded to 27 former champions.
· Initial funding of the brain injury research program at UCLA.
· Opening of the “Big Egg” – the Tokyo Dome – with Mike Tyson fighting back in 1990.
· The abolition of 6-ounce gloves in boxing.
· The Muhammad Ali homage in Los Angeles in 1983.
· Receiving the award from Guinness World Records as the longest serving president of a world organisation.
· Implementing the fourth rope in boxing rings to reduce head injuries.
· Receiving his first Humanis Causa doctorate by Newport University.
· Establishment of the Friendly Hand Program to provide help to thousands of boxers, trainers, managers, and boxing people in general .
· Creation of the WBC Cares program to bring hope to the children of the world.
· Introducing instant replay into boxing.
· Introducing partial open-scoring – announcing the official scores after the 4th and 8th rounds.
· Implementing the mandatory life insurance and medical expenses policies in all WBC fights.
· The mandatory yearly medical examination of all boxers.
· Promoting the first ever Medical World Congress in Aruba in 1986.
· The thumb-attached glove .
· Introducing Thailand to the boxing world, and the creation of organized boxing there.
· Introducing the WBC Muaythai program .
· Introducing the mandatory challengers for champions once a year.
· Creation of the purse bid procedure.
· Creation of the ring officials guidelines and training programs.
· The naming of the Jose Sulaiman Avenue in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, his hometown.
· Being part of the Muhamad Ali era.
· Being part of the Ray Leonard-Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns-Roberto Duran era
· Bringing back open television network weekly programs to Mexico (today 4 different networks show live boxing every week).
· WBC branding around the globe, which includes on the internet and social networks.
· Creation of the World Youth Championship.
· Prohibition of smelling salts.
· Receiving from Pope John Paul II the blessing statement for the boxing community of the world.
· His wife, their six children and their spouses, and 14 grandchildren.
Faragon Headlines Boxing at Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island
Tickets for “Championship Boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn” are available online at www.gcpboxing.com and www.NicotrasBallroom.com or by calling 888.612.4191. They are priced at General Admission $50, Ringside $150 and VIP Ringside $250, which includes pre-fight open bar and hot buffet.
On January 19, 2012 at Nicotra’s Ballroom in the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island, New York, Greg Cohen Promotions, in association with Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum, will proudly present “Championship Boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn” a night of world-class professional boxing that will be broadcast nationally on a tape-delayed basis on MSG network in the New York area and on FOX Sports Net affiliates nationwide.
Featured in the eight-round main event will be undefeated future lightweight champion Michael “Baby Faced Beast” Faragon (16-0, 7 KOs) of Guilderland, New York, against an opponent that is TBA.
24-year-old Faragon’s career has caught fire since signing with promoter Greg Cohen. He was last seen impressively stopping 24-5 veteran Ira Terry in two rounds at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California, and live on ESPN Friday Night Fights in August.
As an amateur, Faragon won the state Golden Glove Championships twice, the Western Olympic trials and a junior national championship. He was also the number-one-ranked light welterweight in the United States in 2007.
As a professional, he has steadily upped his game to match his improving opposition to the point he is being hailed as “the most promising young fighter to come out of the Capital Region in a long time.”
In the night’s eight-round co-featured event will be New Brunswick New Jersey’s once-beaten super bantamweight contender Jorge “King” Diaz (16-1, 10 KOs) against an opponent that is also TBA.
Like Faragon, Diaz was also a highly decorated amateur. He won a gold medal at the 2006 Under 19 Championships, as well as silver medals at the 2004 US National Junior Olympics and 2005 US Under 19 Championships and bronze medals at the 2006 National Police Athletic League Championships and the 2005 and 2006 National Golden Gloves.
Scheduled for battle on the undercard against opponents that are TBA are Staten Island lightweight Nicky “Lil Nicky” DeMarco (3-2, 2 KOs), as well as Staten Island super middleweight Tim O’Neill (9-2-3, 5 KOs).
DeMarco is the owner of the popular DeMarco’s Boxing Gym in Staten Island.
Tickets for “Championship Boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn” are available online at www.gcpboxing.com and www.NicotrasBallroom.com or by calling 888.612.4191. They are priced at General Admission $50, Ringside $150 and VIP Ringside $250, which includes pre-fight open bar and hot buffet.
Doors open at 6:30 pm for VIP Ringside ticket holders and at 7:00 pm for the general public. Action starts at 7:30 pm.
All bouts subject to change.
ATTENTION LADIES: On January 5, 2012, in the lobby lounge at the Hilton Garden Inn at 8pm, Greg Cohen Promotions will be hosting a ring card girl contest (Open to Public with cash bar, DJ). Contestants must apply online at www.gcpboxing.com. Four Lucky Winners will receive Prizes/Cash.
The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 1100 South Avenue in Staten Island.