By Mauricio Sulaimán / Son of José Sulaimán / WBC President
This was a rock-and-roll weekend in Mexico City.
The Vive Latino festival took place at the GNP Stadium in which legendary rock band Scorpions blew the crowd out with yet a sensational performance, while the sensational band Tool performed on the esplanade of the Azteca Stadium with one of the greatest shows ever seen in Mexico.
I had a couple of great interviews in the past two weeks, one with Toño Esquinca y la Muchedumbre on his show Queremos Rock, and one with Jessie Cervantes on his show Contenido Extra. On both shows, I was able to talk about my passion for music.
On Friday, I met up with the band Scorpions, with whom I’ve been friends for many years. It was a memorable meal where we discussed their long-standing connection with boxing. Scorpions played in boxing shows organized by Klaus Peter Kohl’s Universum when former light heavyweight champion Dariusz Michalczewski fought. Their close friendship with the Klitschko brothers, and that great night when the WBC awarded them the Peace Belt for their humanitarian efforts during the Gala Dinner at our recent Convention in Hamburg.
Scorpions is celebrating its 60th anniversary and will be on a world tour throughout 2025, returning to Mexico in May, where we will organize a tribute.
Japan gave us a tremendous bout, that’s already a candidate for Fight of the Year; our champion Kenshiro Teraji, who was down on the Judges’ scorecards in the final round, mustered the heart of a true Samurai, to knock out the former WBA champion in the final round, thus unifying the flyweight championships.
That fight took us back to the battle between Pitbull Cruz and Ángel Fierro, on February 1st in Las Vegas, where the Aztec Warrior belt was contested, in honor of Israel Vázquez.
Fights between Japanese fighters are similar to fights between Mexican fighters, and this is how history is written, giving fans around the world unforgettable memories that highlight the greatness of our sport.
Mexico City welcomed the stars of the event to be held in Times Square, New York, at the so-called Fatal Fury Extravaganza. They all arrived to film the now traditional promotion of Riyadh Season fights, The Ring, and its leader, Turki Alalshikh. Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero, Teófimo López, Arnold Barbosa, Devin Haney, and José Carlos Ramírez recorded the promotional material for this historic event on May 2nd, in the studios of Mexico City.
Our great champion Saúl Canelo Álvarez will have his first fight outside the American continent, facing William Scully on May 3rd in Saudi Arabia. This event will feature other important bouts, such as Jaime Munguía’s rematch against Frenchman Bruno Surace, who surprised him with a dramatic knockout in Tijuana, and also WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack, who will face his official challenger Ryan Rozicki.
Finally, Japanese Naoya “Monster” Inoue will defend his undisputed championship against Ramón Cárdenas on May 4th in Las Vegas. Perhaps the most important weekend in boxing history, with New York, Riyadh, and Las Vegas, all within the framework of the traditional Mexican festival of May 5th Cinco de Mayo, and the Battle of Puebla.
Incidentally, we are about to unveil the Adolfo López Mateos commemorative belt, which since 2017 celebrates one of Mexico’s many cultures.
