Suspicions Arise About WBC Finances

Many have wondered about Mauricio Sulaiman’s organization, but he is willing to send an accounting of its finances.

Sulaiman is the head of the Mexico City-based World Boxing Council, one of the four major sanctioning bodies in boxing, the WBC began in 1963, the man behind it being Sulaiman’s father, José.

Now, the company must defend how they conduct business.

Former two-division titlist and Hall of Famer Andre Ward spoke on the business in an interview with Kate Abdo, the hall of famer shared his dissatisfaction with sanctioning bodies and challenged the business about the fees they charge.

The WBC charges 3% any time one of its champions gets in the ring.

Sulaiman responded to these concerns, saying that the fees help with expenses to humanitarian work, to research, developments in women’s boxing, etc.

“Well that’s how it [fee percentage] was originally structured 60 years ago, so I should ask 60 years ago [the people who came up with it],” Sulaiman said jokingly on The DAZN Boxing Show. “Maybe we should charge 5 or 10 percent.

“What we do everything goes back to boxing. From amateur boxing—we do a lot of things in amateurs. We do a lot of things in professional [boxing] in 175 countries. And we take care of our own. We take care of the elderly fighters that are going through difficult times, they have no more money. They either spent it all or make very little. But anyone in the industry can access the WBC for humanitarian aid.

“As I said we have so many committees. We are funding research for women’s boxing and we are all over the place with everything and that costs money. We have six employees in Mexico City. We have to pay rent, we have to pay administration, and the committees and the research.”

For those who remain suspicious of the WBC, Sulaiman is prepared to send “proof.”

“Anyone that wants to see what we do with the money they are welcome to see and we will send them all the proof,” Sulaiman said. “WBC is the one that brought [fights from] 15 [rounds] to 12 rounds, [implemented] day-before weigh in, the four ropes in the ring, the changes to the gloves, the anti-doping.

“We spend a lot of money on anti-doping in the Clean Boxing Program. We have a weight management program. We have countless amount of social responsibility programs and that’s where the money goes.

“It is done on behalf of every single fighter who ever fought for the WBC. Whenever there is money [involved], an organization is going to be bad, but we just live with it. I can only speak for the WBC.”