The WBC has once again affirmed it’s commitment to ensuring boxer’s safety in going into a fight by making sure boxers make weight before mounting the ring, and has furthered it’s interest by introducing new weight management program with emphasis on boxer’s health.
On Tuesday January 8, Mauricio Sulaiman, the President of WBC announced a series of initiatives instituted by the sanctioning body.
WBO has been in the fore front of drug testing and boxer safety in the past, and has introduced in addition 30 and 7 days weight check before a bout.
Sulaiman commenced the announcement by celebrating the platform to which Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) has developed with FOX to open television nationwide in the United States, DAZN unbelievable opportunity to watch by millions, ESPN and Showtime’s continuous expansion of broadcasting the sport and many and many other platforms which has endeared the sport to many people.
He sent condolences to the family of Alberto Reyes (the manufacturers of boxing gloves).
“The best news has been the great recovery of our dear champion Adonis Stevenson. We continue to pray for his continuous recovery, so many people from around the world have expressed their solidarity care and concern during these difficult times but Adonis is a warrior who is fighting the best fight of his life”. Sulaiman added.
Adonis Stevenson suffered brain injury after he lost his WBC light heavyweight title which he has held for five years to oleksadr Gvozdyk in an 11th round KO.
In announcing the program, Sulaiman said “One of the top priorities of the WBC for 2019 will be the introduction of the new Weight Management Program, which is intended to protect the health of the fighters above everything. We will need the collaboration from promoters, matchmakers, managers, trainers, boxing commissions, boxing federations, press and of course the fighters themselves”.
The weight management program is as follows:
- Mandatory disclosure of both fighters weight at the time of agreement for a fight.
The promoter must require each boxer and their management to submit to the WBC the precise weight that he/she has at the time of signing a bout. -
Safety weigh-in 30-14-7.
The WBC will continue with the 30 and 7-day weigh-in but we also instituted a 14-day weight check and the percentages have been modified as follows:
30-day weigh-in 10%, meaning a boxer cannot be 10% more than division’s weight 30 days before the fight.
14-day weigh-in 5% ie the boxer must not be more than 5% of the division’s weight 14 days to the bout.
7-day weigh-in, 3%, not more than 3% of the division’s weight 7 days to the bout.
- Promoter must arrange with the local boxing commission and WBC supervisor to have a scale ready at the site of the bout in order to have both boxers weigh upon arrival the day of the fight.
Boxers must not exceed 10% weight on their official weighing.
The WBC reserves the right to impose any of the following penalties for non-compliance:
- Warning
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Fines up to $5,000 dollars for numbers 1 and 2
3.Withdrawal of sanctioning of a bout
- Up to 30% penalty on the purse on number 3.
“The WBC will have continuous communications with the promoter in every single event to support the administration of this Weight Management Program” Sulaiman concluded.
This has come at a time when managers and boxers are using all sort of unnatural, untraditional and villainous means to outsmart their opponents to make weight for a fight.
By: Mustapha Nettey