December 9, WBC Convention Diary #1: The 62nd “WBC Convention” opened in Hamburg with a big star line-up.
The 62nd Convention of the World Boxing Council – WBC for short – is open! For the first time, the meeting (December 8-14) of the traditional world federation based in Mexico City is taking place in Germany. TV presenter Holger Speckhahn hosted the atmospheric dinner evening at the Grand Elysée Hotel in Hamburg.
Numerous boxing greats on site
To kick off the event on December 9, 650 invited guests gathered for dinner, the so-called “Gala Legends Night”. The red carpet was reserved for big names from boxing, politics and business. Turki Al-Sheikh stands for the latter. The top Saudi sports official is responsible for boxing blockbusters such as Usyk vs. Fury II, which regularly take place in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and attract worldwide attention.
But boxing greats such as Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Henry Maske and Axel Schulz were also guests at the glittering evening in Hamburg. In his opening speech, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman thanked Turki Al-Sheikh and his efforts to take boxing to a new level.
Turki Al-Sheikh criticizes
“His Excellency” Al-Sheikh returned the thanks and surprised the boxing world with the following news: In 2025, the “WBC Boxing Grand Prix” will be held in Riyadh, which is aimed exclusively at young boxers under the age of 26 and comprises a total of five events. This is apparently a sign that the organizers of the “Riyadh Season” are also keen to invest in the future of prizefighting.
In contrast, Turki Al-Sheikh criticized – without naming names – show fights a la Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul. The “boxing sheikh” spoke derisively of “father-son duels”. He also condemned the fact that no medical check was carried out beforehand. Al-Sheikh was then presented with the “Tree of Life” award by the WBC for his extraordinary commitment.
Wegner and Lewis honored
Further awards were presented at the opening gala of the WBC Convention. The first was presented to Ulli Wegner. The “world champion maker” received a WBC award for the countless successes he has achieved in his eventful coaching career. Afterwards, Janina Özen-Otto, wife of Universum promoter Ismail Özen-Otto, was honored for her social commitment. And then one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time was called up: Lennox Lewis! The last undisputed champion of the top division until recently received an award for his magnificent career.
The big gala ended at around 10 p.m. and with it the handshakes of the evening. The action continues today. Training sessions for “Referees & Judges” and some workshops are on the program of the 62nd WBC Convention. Let’s see what else happens …
