June 4, 2012 – Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (29-1-1, 18 KOs) heads out to South Lake Tahoe today for training camp in preparation for his upcoming bout with Selcuk “Mini Tyson” Aydin (23-0, 17 KOs). On the line will be the WBC Interim Welterweight World Title, with the winner being the mandatory challenger to face pound for pound king, Floyd Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs).
On July 28, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will air live for the first time from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., where fans will have the opportunity to watch history in the making. Robert Guerrero will be looking to be the only Mexican-American fighter, other than Oscar De La Hoya, to have won a world championship in four divisions across six weight classes.
“This is my big opportunity to show the world that I belong with the elite fighters in boxing,” Guerrero said. “Everyone says it can’t be done, but I’m going to show the world skipping super lightweight and going straight to welterweight with no tune up to challenge the No. 1 contender and beating Selcuk Aydin can be done!
“I’m here to face the toughest challenges and put myself in a position to get mega-fights. It’s not going to be easy beating a full-fledged welterweight. That’s why my team and I will get the proper training, sparring and diet when I leave to camp. The mountains of Tahoe are set at high elevations which will make for a great training camp.”
“I look forward to making history for the Bay Area and all my fans across the world.”
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m), it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. This will be Robert’s first time training in the Tahoe area and he looks forward to having a tremendous camp. Guerrero will be doing something unprecedented as he will be jumping up two weight classes from lightweight to welterweight and fighting for the championship.
Said manager Bob Santos, “Team Guerrero would like to thank SHOWTIME and Golden Boy for putting this event on at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. When you speak of a fighter who has competed in six different weight classes from 122 to 147 as Guerrero is doing, it’s something special. I believe the only other active fighters that have done it are Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Guerrero is a five-time world champion in three divisions and has all the makings of superstar.”
WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS
June 4, 2012 – Mexico City.
From the office of WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán:
WBC President José Sulaimán has scheduled a meeting of the WBC Board of Governors on June 8 and 9. The main topic to discuss will be the first Boxing World Cup, where the champions of the 10 Continental Federations will fight.
The international champions of all confederations will take part in the different weight divisions: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight.
This meeting will be attended by the presidents of the following Continental Federations:
AFRICAN BOXING UNION (ABU)
ASIAN BOXING COUNCIL (ABCO)
BRITISH BOXING BOARD OF CONTROL (BBB of C)
CARIBBEAN BOXING FEDERATION (CABOFE)
CENTRAL AMERICAN BOXING FEDERATION (FECARBOX)
CIS & SLOVENIAN BOXING BUREAU (CISBB)
EUROPEAN BOXING UNION (EBU)
NORTH AMERICAN BOXING FEDERATION (NABF)
ORIENTAL & PACIFIC BOXING FEDERATION (OPBF)
SOUTH AMERICAN BOXING FEDERATION (FESUBOX)
The organization of the Boxing World Cup is one of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the World Boxing Council, which was founded in Mexico City with the support of former and late Mexican president Adolfo Lopez Mateos.
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The following is one of the weekly “Hook to the Liver” columns by WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán that are published in El Universal every Sunday. From June 3, translated from Spanish:
HOOK TO THE LIVER
By José Sulaimán
Julio César Chavez the Great and his son.
While flying up to the sky on my return to México, my mind was also flying into matters of my life. I turned on my Nano to listen to my music to reduce the noise of the plane and feel better to dream and think with nostalgia of my past. Many nice – and not so nice – mementos came to live again of those 67 years that I have been in the sport of boxing.
I was an “appetizer” boxer at 12-13 years of age, used in Mexico as the opening of professional shows. I was also an amateur boxer, retiring at 16 years old after cheek and nose fractures. I have been a trainer, a referee for many years, and many other positions of activity in boxing, including a bucket man in the corners of boxers. I became the secretary of the boxing Commission in Ciudad Valles at 18 years old, while I really was the office boy. I was also a promoter while very young, always with charity shows for my social service clubs, The 20-30 International and The Rotaries, as well as for the State Benevolent Commission presided over by the wife of the Governor of Tamaulipas, Dr. Norberto Treviño Zapata, for charities of orphans and the very poor children. Governor Treviño, my beloved father, and life itself have been my mentors during all of my years on our beautiful earth.
I always had a dream in those days, when boxing was for me like the only matter in life – to be at one time the manager of a great superstar champion, traveling the world with my cigar in my hand, as I had seen in pictures of the immortal Jack Kearns and other great personalities of the time. But it was not to be, and I don’t even smoke. I have always been a boxing commissioner stepping over every single rung of the ladder, without Godfathers or supporters, and only based in my dedication, perseverance, and commitment for the sport of my love. I have always done it in good faith, without exception, with respect for everyone, and my only commitment to be of service, especially for the most needy. Still, I receive many slaps in my face.
In 1975 I went to Tunis to retire from boxing and the WBC due to the extreme need to absolutely dedicate myself to my businesses, which needed my total presence and dedication. Instead, after a very controversial convention, I was picked as the ham in the sandwich and returned to Mexico as the president of the WBC. I could never, ever, imagine that it would lead me to meet the most important personalities of my time, like John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, and Ronald Reagan, to mention only three; that I would not only know, but be a part of the lives of Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Ray Leonard, to mention only three.
Back to 1984 – almost 30 years ago – the super featherweight title was declared vacant and the WBC had to pick the challengers. The No. 1 was Azabache Martínez. We picked No. 7-rated, an unknown Julio César Chávez, based on the right that the WBC has, as all the five boxers below Martínez and over Chávez had been losers in title fights, while Chávez was undefeated with more than 30 victories, most by K.O. The Mexican press came heavily after the WBC. How could we have Chávez meet the devastating Martínez? J.C. Chávez had an impressive demonstration of going forward at all times with devastating power to defeat his rival by K.O. and became the new champion of the world, silencing all the press. That night at the historical Olympic Auditorium of Los Angeles, a star was born – a star that became through a long career the greatest Mexican fighter of all time.
Chavez became the star of my youthful dreams. His career was of 37 world title fights – the second was Joe Louis with 27. Julio César lasted 14 years as professional without ever losing a fight and always fighting the very best at their peak. Believe it or not, he lasted almost 10 years as a champion of the world, undefeated. That is one of the greatest champions in the whole history of boxing. I remained close to him in his career, but never, ever, giving him any advantage. I was seated with Dr. Jim Nave at the apron during that night with Randall when I told him, “If Julio does not knock out Randall in the 12t , he is the loser. Any other decision would be a theft.
Like many stars, Julio César was drawn into the bottom of life. He fell into the vices of modern life. There were several unsuccessful intentions for his rehabilitation. Many thought that it was impossible and that he was lost. But that precious sense of profound love for the blood of his blood, his sons Julio César Junior and Omar, came into action. Julio rose like the eagle over the ashes to become a new man and a real example for the youth of the world, as well as for all Mexicans. Julio César Chávez, the Great, came back to life just for his sons, to be close to him and see them reach the heights, his son Julio Cesar became the middleweight champion of the world with already two defenses, with one more coming in a week. His father could overcome what many can’t, just to live to see him conquer glory. The Junior has been heavily attacked by Sergio Martínez, the WBC Diamond champion. He has called him a coward. The Junior has the stone chin, the fists and the power of his father, and is an unbelievably strong man, and if he understands the miracle of the rehabilitation of his father, done only for his sons and especially for him, Sergio Martínez will see that he is no coward and that he will be fighting a real champion. Indeed, a pay-pervview fight.
Thank you very much for reading my thoughts.