Report by Pepe Rodriguez/WBC: The great Welterweight Champion from Puerto Rico, Miguel Angel Cotto, visited this afternoon the World Boxing Council (WBC) headquarters in Mexico City.
The fighter was accompanied by his manager and coaching staff, and our leaders, Don Jose and Mauricio Sulaiman, President and Executive Secretary respectively, talked extensively with him.
As everybody know the Champion has a great relationship with this organization and especially its President.
Cotto, 31, has a record of 37 wins including 30 knockouts and only two defeats. The first championship he won, was the International World Boxing Council super lightweight and will always be remembered for his fights against as the Mexicans Cesar Bazan and Antonio Margarito.
45,000 DEMAND FEMALE BOXERS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR DRESS IN THE RING
Campaign on Change.org calls on Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) to drop recommendation that female boxers should wear skirts
LONDON – As female boxing gets ready to debut at the Olympics, nearly 45,000 people have joined a campaign on Change.org demanding that female boxers be given the right to choose whether to wear shorts or skirts in the ring.
Last year, the Amateur International Boxing Association (IABA) suggested to its national federations that wearing skirts would make female athletes look “elegant” and help “distinguish” them from their male counterparts.
Women’s boxing will make its Olympics debut during the London 2012 games. On Wednesday, the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) is meeting to discuss the games and draw up recommendations, including suitable dress requirements.
Elizabeth Plank, a London-based amateur boxer, is leading the campaign on Change.org against the recommendation that women should wear skirts in the ring.
“I love boxing, it invigorates and animates every muscle and fragment of flesh in my body and I want to be judged on my skill, not what sex I am,” said Elizabeth. “This petition is not about a piece of fabric, it’s about athletes. It’s about their credibility.”
“If there’s one lesson I’ve learned through my experience as a boxer is that when someone throws a punch, curling up in the foetal position is not an option. You stand up and you fight. You don’t ask for power, you just take it. I hope lots of women will sign the petition before Wednesday and show the AIBA we’re not willing to throw in the towel before we’ve won the fight!”
Professional boxer Marianne Marston – who runs women’s boxing classes across London – is another supporter of the petition.
“I run women’s boxing classes 6 days a week. Most of these classes are for beginners and for many women, boxing not only increases their fitness and gives them new skills, it also boosts their self-confidence” said Marianne.
“Unfortunately it’s sometimes difficult for women to go into boxing gyms and be taken seriously. As soon as guys see women in make-up and revealing clothes then they begin to pay them unwanted attention. If female boxers are forced to wear feminine apparel then this will create more problems in gyms.”
“Prince Naseem Hamed boxed in skirts in the 90s, if professional male boxers can wear skirts then female boxers should be able to wear shorts. I choose to wear a skirt while boxing and that’s my decision to make. No-one should be forced to wear clothes that make them uncomfortable.”
“As soon as you start objectifying female athletes, then you’re basically reducing it to the level of a strip club. All female athletes should be judged by their sport, not by how much skin they have on show.”
The huge popularity of Elizabeth’s campaign is likely to increase pressure on the AIBA to drop the recommendation.
Brie Rogers Lowery, UK Director of Campaigns at Change.org, said Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to demand action on the issues that matter to them.
“It has been incredible to watch Elizabeth’s campaign take off,” said Brie. “She has recruited women from around the world who share her anger and she’s making the AIBA take notice.”
Live signature totals from Elizabeth’s campaign: http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-aiba-play-fair-dont-ask-female-boxers-to-wear-skirts
Old-time boxing geared for new Ontario boxing fans Vargas-Plaitis headlines Feb. 11 show in Mississauga
TORONTO (January 16, 2012) – Old-time boxing returns Saturday night, February 11 to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario as unbeaten welterweight Samuel Vargas and dangerous Manolis Plaitis headline a competitive, entertaining card presented by United Promotions in association with Hennessy Sports.
The Feb. 11 show kicks-off the third season of boxing at Hershey Centre for United Promotions, which is comprised of three Ontario boxing promoters – Don MacDonald, Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports) and Tyler Buxton (Buxton Promotions).
“We are promoting boxing in Mississauga, only a 10-minute drive from Toronto, as a united team rather than individuals and it’s been a perfect business relationship,” MacDonald explained. “We have more professional boxers and fans than ever before in Ontario. What we’ve accomplished in two years, well, give us two more and Ontario will exceed boxing in Montreal. We’re changing attitudes and building a new fan base. We’re building our product by real promoting. You’ll never see an 8-0 guy fighting somebody 5-10.
“We’re also building an awareness of our fighters and shows in the community. Kids are coming to our shows and leaving saying they want to fight. That’s how Logan Cotton McGuinness got interested. Our last show had 5260 people including 78 tables of corporations, groups and individuals, 10 to a table, who paid anywhere from $2000 to $8000. We’ve been grinding it out and now ticket sales offset our costs. We have four more shows scheduled there this year. The Ontario boxing scene is exploding.”
Vargas (8-0-1, 2 KOs), a native of Colombia living in Mississauga, is coming off of the 2011 Canadian Fight of the Year, in which he battled last October at home with Quebec arch-rival Ahmad Cheikho, who was unable to continue fighting after five of the scheduled 10 rounds. Samuel’s opponent Feb. 11 in the 10-round main event will be Quebec welterweight Manolis Plaitis (17-1-1, 8 KOs), a former Canadian light welterweight champion, extending the Ontario-Quebec provincial boxing rivalry.
“Vargas got our respect in his last fight,” Plaitis’ manager Camille Estephan admitted, “but we’re very confident of spoiling the party. The atmosphere there the last show was incredible and it was a real war. I expect nothing less this time except the Quebec fighter is going to win. Plaitis has a heart of a lion.”
The six-round co-feature will showcase fan favorite Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook (4-0, 2 KOs), a dangerous middleweight from Ajax, Ontario, against upset specialist Chris Aucoin (4-5-1). “This is a step up for Brandon because two years ago Aucoin beat (former IBO Inter-Continental champion) Ian MacKillop (25-11-3),” noted Buxton who co-promotes Cook with Hennessy Sports. “Both of these fighters come forward and it’s going to be an absolute war right in the center of the ring.”
Undefeated Kitchener, Ontario cruiserweight prospect Denton Daley (4-0, 2 KOs) meets former Mexican National Boxing Team invader Benito “El Asesino” Quiroz (6-1, 6 KOs) in a six-round bout. Denton graduated from Sheridan College as a business major. “Daley is a knockout artist with power in both hands,” MacDonald remarked. “He’s very well put together at 198 pounds. He loves to fight and is capable of making devastating knockouts. He regularly spars with world cruiserweight contender Troy Ross. Fighting Quiroz is a huge step up for Denton. Quiroz is no slouch. He’s a tough Mexican fighter whose real record is 13-1 but seven of his fights weren’t officially reported.”
Making his pro debut is 21-year-old Steve Wilcox, a lightweight from Hamilton, Ontario who is the oldest of five fighting Wilcox brothers and the first to turn pro. All of the boys are trained by their father at his gym in Hamilton, Steeltown Boxing Club. Steve will take on an opponent to be determined in a four-rounder.
Also fighting on the undercard in a pair of six-round bouts are Whitby super middleweight Phil “The Assassin” Rose (3-1-1, 3 KOs) vs. Coteau-du-Lac’s cagey Francis Lafreniere (1-2-1, 1 KOs), along with undefeated Toronto prospect Ibrahim “Firearm” Kamal (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Danish lightweight Tommi Schmidt (6-4, 3 KOs).
Tickets, priced at $30.00 and $50.00, are available at the Hersey Centre Box Office, or through Ticketmaster at 855.985.5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
Go on line at www.UnitedPromotions.ca for more information about the Feb. 11 show.