This past week has been like a roller-coaster to me. I spent a few days in Boston with my wife, Christiane, and our oldest son, Jose, as we prepared to drop him off at the high school which will show him the road to follow to be successful, which will see him grow as young man and nest his dreams until the time where destiny with meet reality and shape his future as a grown man.
I took a red-eye flight back to Mexico City Thursday at midnight, as I was honored by Telmex-Telcel Foundation to serve as host and perform Q&A with one of my heroes, Rocky! Yes, Sylvester Stallone was an invited guest at the yearly event which gathers the 15,000 beneficiaries who receive education scholarships throughout Mexico by Mr. Carlos Slim’s Telmex-Telcel Foundation.
It was a wonderful 50 minutes in which I was able to ask Rocky so many questions. I can honestly say this is one of the most important days of my life, as I learned so many things from this man who is, after the greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali, the second most influential figure in the history of boxing. Rocky has been an influence to millions around the world. Rocky has motivated so many fighters to become world champions, to win medals, to get up and run at 5 a.m. to chase chickens, to walk around bouncing a ball. Rocky is real life. Rocky is boxing´s champ.
I asked Sly who would be the best son-in-law between Rocky, Rambo, and Cobra, as he has three daughters, and his response was, “I’d crush them all.” He confessed how difficult it was to be homeless and yet had the honor to stand by his principles and dreams and not sell his Rocky script to three studios who made huge offers, but rejected him as the actor to play the role. How difficult it was to sell his loyal partner, Batkus, his dog, in order to survive until the movie was signed. How life has given him a second chance, as his dedication and work pressures made him lose his family, but today is leaving with his lovely wife and three daughters and has them as his priority over any commitment.
To see Sylvester Stallone call Carlos Slim to the stage, and see them embrace and hold each others’ arms as champions while 15,000 students chant “Rocky,” is a moment that will be with me for the rest of my life.
When the presentation was over, I suddenly woke up and realized I had just a few minutes to get to the airport to fly back to Boston and join my wife and kid to go, the next day early in the morning, to drop him off. Through the good deeds of many and the blessing of God, I was on the plane back to meet my family. I won’t mention what happened that day when we finally said goodbye. I’m sure anyone who has been through such experience will understand.
So I’m back to reality. I’m flying to London to be present at the Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook fight at O2 Arena – champion versus champion, both undefeated. This will be the first time ever I have attended a fight in the U.K. I am as exited as could be – the home of boxing, the rich boxing history that Britain has, and the so many memories that I have from my father’s stories about this great boxing country. Arguably the best fans in the world, and at a time which has boxing blooming as in the good old days.
September 2016 will be a month to remember. GGG vs Brook in the U.K and Chocolatito Gonzalez versus Carlos Cuadras in Los Angeles, both on September 10. Cuadras vs Gonzalez is a tremendous fight. Gonzalez is the WBC flyweight champion, undefeated in 45 fights, and is looking to capture his fourth world title, a feat only few boxers have ever accomplished. Cuadras is the WBC super flyweight champion, undefeated in 35 fights, making his seventh title defence and looking to capture glory and world recognition. HBO will broadcast both fights, which also be also seen in over 100 countries.
Also, on that same day two WBC female champions will fight each other in Sweden, Mikaela Lauren and Klara Svensson, with the winner becoming the mandatory contender to pound-for-pound champion Cecilia Braekus.
On September 16, a tremendous WBC doubleheader will take place in Osaka, Japan. Hozumi Hazegawa, the former WBC bantamweight champion who made 10 successful title defences, will try to capture the WBC super bantamweight title against newly-crowned Hugo Ruiz of Mexico. In the main event, the current longest-reigning world champion, Shinzuke Yamanaka, is fighting former world champion Anselmo Moreno of Panama in a highly-anticipated rematch for the WBC bantamweight championship.
September 17 will see boxing back at the greatest stadium in the world – The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium – with Canelo Alvarez fighting Liam Smith.
On September 24 a dream match will also take place in the U.K. as WBC lightweight champion Jorge Linares fights WBA champion Anthony Crolla in a fight between champions which will also have the special trophy for the winner, which is the WBC Diamond Belt.
There are exiting times ahead to our great sport!
Thank you and I welcome any comments , ideas or suggestions at contact@wbcboxing.com.