Tijuana Boxing Commission, Promoters & Box Rec impasse
November 28, 2017: Quick rundown of the latest news from Tijuana, San Diego, and Imperial Counties, plus information from the newsmakers – the athletes.
Ongoing dispute between the Tijuana Boxing Promoters and Box Rec
The original question for the owners of Box Rec: “Why would you jeopardize all your years of hard work of becoming recognized worldwide as an encyclopedia for the sport of boxing with your current approach of doing battle with the nine Boxing Promoters of Tijuana and the current Tijuana Boxing Commission which is the sanctioning body for more boxing shows per year than any other city in the world? Is this dispute there was also a mention of the one-sided matches on the fight cards of the Tijuana promoters, from yourself and the President of the World Boxing Council. You do realize that a great many of the former world champions and now Hall of Famers, for instance, Julio Cesar Chavez (107-6-2, 86 KOs) and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) didn’t fight anyone with a winning record until their 13th professional fight? At the outset, both of these champions fought the easiest opponents available. It’s called getting your feet wet.
Examples of some of the many mismatches on the Box Rec website:
Box Rec’s position: “Even though we strongly disagree with this practice of building up a boxer’s record by having them fight much, much easier opponents, that has never been our intent to get involved in who should fight whom. Our central goal is and will always be the factual recording of a boxer’s performance in the ring, their date of birth, residence, southpaw or orthodox, height, reach, any factual information that can assist the sport, fan, boxer, fellow boxers plus the boxing commissions in their attempt to match skill levels. We realize how essential the correct information is for any athlete, manager, trainer, and gym owner. For us to make an example of Tijuana would be unfair and even hypocritical, since, as you point out, the United Kingdom is where you see many crazy mismatches as in Argentina, the Philippines, Japan, Germany, etc, etc.”
After discovering the results of their fights were not being posted, nine Tijuana Boxing Promoters joined forces to fight what they considered were the discriminatory practices of Box Rec. Box Rec had made it known they would no longer post any results from the Tijuana Boxing Commission until they filled out the proper paperwork, used the boxers’ “Global ID”, make a video of their fights, plus have photos taken of each bout’s beginning and end showing the arm of the winner being raised.”
The Tijuana Boxing Promoters were angered by all of these new demands. Demands that were for them and not universally employed. One comment on Facebook from the well-respected TV sportscaster Fernando Paramo from LATV summed up their reaction: “With the correct use of Fight Fax, this problem should be solved. Then, it is up to the Commission to complete the paperwork and for the promoters to reinforce the position that this company, Fight Fax, is now being used to keep the appropriate records.”
There were also newspaper articles and a Podcast from La Voz del Boxeo which had the new President of the Tijuana Boxing Commission Alberto Martinez giving his personal view on the matter: https://www.facebook.com/lavozdelboxeotijuana/videos/vb.821859071244466/1530920213671678/?type=2&theater
The URL for the newspaper article: http://www.el-mexicano.com.mx/informacion/noticias/1/5/deportes/2017/11/10/1043201/no-habra-mas-box-en-tijuana which initially exposed the problem on November 10, 2017, and then the various newspapers did follow-ups talking about this exclusionary policy on November 16 and 17, 2017. They included an explanation from the new president of the Tijuana Boxing Commission, Mr. Martinez. The article appeared in the well-respected El Mexicano: La Fronteria newspaper on Friday, November 16, 2017. To summarize the angst of the nine boxing promoters and the new President of the Tijuana Boxing Commission: “from henceforth, we will only support the record keeping of Fightfax until which time BoxRec resolves their differences with the Tijuana Boxing Commission and once again posts the results from our more than 80 shows per year. We now calculate there will be multiple lawsuits coming in 2018, especially from the more than 20 shows that were already ignored. These matters are now being discussed with our team of counselors. It is an agreement of solidarity between the promoters and the president of the honorable Tijuana Boxing Commission.”
With such a secure and well-respected foothold in the sport, why would Box Rec jeopardize this position? Is it worth it for them to get involved in such a messy dispute? It has been suggested by some that you, Box Rec, should accept the good counsel of the well-intentioned Fight Fax and end this dispute.
Coincidence or what? Just prior to this clashing of heads between the Tijuana Boxing Promoters, the Tijuana Boxing Commision with Box Rec came this well-timed, online article from Mauricio Sulaimon, the President of the WBC:
WBC post of Nov. 3, 2017
“In the World Boxing Council, there is a deep concern about inhumane, unequal fights in a cruel practice called “Boxing Tourism” based mainly in Tijuana, Veracruz, Torreon and less frequently in the State of Mexico (which just so happens to be the headquarters of the World Boxing Council).
The WBC will energetically combat this with rigor and vigor, denouncing those who are responsible, who are recklessly and willfully exposing a fighter to an unequal bout in order to improve a record. This is a cruel and barbaric act where the very life of a human being is put at a terrible risk.
Some complaints have led the WBC to discover that it is increasingly happening in Baja California, bringing young people from the United States to fight in Mexico.
Unfortunately, this fiasco has been allowed by some Commissions, managers, coaches, promoters and all are accomplices in allowing these dangerous mismatches to happen.
At the recent WBC Convention, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, this was one of the priority topics that Dean Lohuis, President of the Committee Against Mismatches, created two years ago, addressed. He explained that they now work with BoxRec, an organization that gathers meticulous details about fighters to make sure they are bouts which fairly match the same level experience and comparable skills.
Unfortunately, the WBC cannot stop an unequal fight, since the only ones that have the right to do so are the commissions and promoters. However, the WBC will be reporting these awful anomalies hoping to prevent misfortune leading to tragedy.”
Our follow-up: The Borizteca Boxing Management Group held their final show of 2017 on Friday, November 17, 2017, at the Salon Mezzanine Hall in Tijuana. On their fight card, they had 13 bouts and of the 13, you could say there were four mismatches. In an attempt to placate or make peace with Box Rec, the CEO of Borizteca Boxing Promotions, Saul Rios, made certain the Tijuana Boxing Commission had completed their paperwork for his show (by Wednesday, November 22nd. (Molasses moves faster.) In addition, Rios made certain Box Rec received our online article about the fights from SportofBoxing.com, and also made certain both the video of the show and photos from the fights were received.
After the paperwork from the Tijuana Boxing Commission was finally received on Wednesday, November 22nd (it took them five days), it was discovered they had made seven errors. As a result, BoxRec then said they would await a corrected copy.
Point #1: On November 28th, 11 days after the Borizteca Boxing Promotions’ show, there is still not one of the 13 matches posted on BoxRec. Who is holding things up?
Mauricio Sulaimon must be blowing smoke: As far as Sulaimon’s promise “to report these awful anomalies, dangerous mismatches and hoping to prevent misfortune leading to tragedy,” the WBC President has yet to find or report even one uneven match.
Point #2: With the professional boxers being lightning quick with their punches, why is it the Tijuana Boxing Commission moves more like a tortoise? No sign of any follow-up to Box Rec’s request to recheck the misinformation they originally sent.
