Sporting Chance

MERIDA - World Boxing Council (WBC) President Jose Sulaiman has assured Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Dominador Cepeda he will facilitate the title bids of Filipino contenders like superbantamweight Manny Pacquiao and superflyweight Gerry Peñalosa.

Sulaiman invited Cepeda, GAB Commissioner Hermogenes Arayata, and former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Philip Ella Juico to lunch at a Chinese restaurant here last week. The lunch was paid for by Top Rank, the promotions outfit that won the purse bid for the recent WBC featherweight championship fight between Luisito Espinosa and Guty Espadas Jr.

Sulaiman, 68, told Cepeda a series of eliminations involving the top six superbantamweight contenders will take place within two months to name Erik Morales' successor. Morales relinquished the 122-pound crown to invade the featherweight division.

Unfortunately, Pacquiao isn't among the top six contenders. Ex-featherweight king Cesar Soto has gone down in weight and will participate in the eliminations.

Sulaiman said the three survivors of the first round of eliminations will advance to another faceoff. He didn't explain the format but it's possible the matchups will be No. 1 versus No. 6, No. 2 versus No. 5, and No. 3 versus No. 4. Then the winners of 2 versus 5 and 3 versus 4 will slug it out for the right to face the winner of 1 versus 6. Sulaiman said the ultimate survivor will stake the crown against Pacquiao, assuming of course, the Filipino keeps on winning.

"As far as I know, Pacquiao is doing well so he's in the race," said Sulaiman, referring to the General Santos City slugger's back-to-back knockouts over Reynante Jamili and Arnel Barotillo.

Sulaiman also said he's aware that Peñalosa will shoot for the vacant WBC International superflyweight title against Pone Saengmorakot of Thailand in Manila on May 13. A Peñalosa win could pave the way for another shot at the WBC crown.

"The WBC International title is quite prestigious and it will become even more prestigious in the future," noted Sulaiman. "Previous International champions went on to become great champions, like Ricardo Lopez."

A fighter whom Sulaiman said he considers a traitor is Naseem Hamed. Sulaiman said Hamed betrayed the WBC by relinquishing recognition to keep the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title. Hamed did it to avoid defending against Luisito Espinosa, then the No. 1 contender.

Sulaiman said he is considering retirement when his sixth 4-year term ends in October. But he's not ruling out going for a seventh term in the next convention in Mexico City.

"I must find a suitable replacement to make sure the gains we've made in the past are preserved and we continue to progress," he said. "I might run for a last term so I can prepare a successor. But I must think of my family business which employs over 200 workers. My son Mauricio helps me in the WBC and is also in charge of our businesses in microfilms, precision instruments, and construction."

Sulaiman said boxing today is infested by mercenaries and carpetbaggers.

"The WBC stands for dignity and justice," he stressed. "If something goes wrong in our process, we repair it in an orderly manner."

Sulaiman said he knows Peñalosa's second loss to In Joo Cho for the WBC 115-pound title in Seoul early this year was controversial. "The Korean fans don't like Cho," he said, "He's not macho, he's unexciting. Maybe, Peñalosa will get another chance to fight him. As for Pacquiao, I've heard he's an exciting fighter. He'll get his turn to fight for another title, for sure."

Sulaiman said he has the highest respect for Filipino fighters. "I consider Flash Elorde the greatest Filipino fighter ever and Luisito the second greatest," he said. "As for Mexican fighters, the best was Julio Cesar Chavez although I think he should retire already. The second best, I think, was Ruben Olivares.

Who are Sulaiman's choices as the greatest fighters ever?

"Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis - in that order," said Don Jose.