Jose Sulaiman Thinks HBO Stripped Sergio Martinez Of The WBC Title

Read the headline. Remember that Sulaiman is the president of the WBC and he can basically do whatever he wants to do. Now read his quote from BoxingScene.

"Martinez dropped his belt because HBO did not accept the mandatory fight he had to do with Sebastian Zbik. He agreed to step aside, while Chavez fought Zbik, and then [Martinez] returned. But it was HBO who shut him [away from the title]. They told him 'we will not accept the fight with Zbik. It has to be with [Dzinziruk].' HBO appointed the challenger. But [Martinez] had to make a mandatory defense, and the Council could not step aside. We have to respect the order, we must respect the laws [of the WBC]. It was HBO who stole the title," Sulaiman told BoxingScene.com's Carlos Irusta.

The best part of the quote is where he said that ‘we must respect the laws of the WBC.' This concept is absolutely hilarious in the context of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's last fight. First the WBC made Sergio Martinez the mandatory challenger for JCC Jr. According to his own quote, the WBC cannot disobey that order. Except when they do and strip Martinez without even asking him.

Then they accept Marco Antonio Rubio as a mandatory pretty much because Chavez/Top Rank asked them to accept it. Then the WBC lets Chavez keep the title without taking a drug test, even though it is clearly stated in the WBC rulebook that every title fight must have a drug test. To let Chavez keep the title, the WBC had to break two of its own laws that Sulaiman holds in such high regard. The WBC's position is absolutely laughable, and they have continually tried to keep Martinez away from the title. Even though Martinez is currently the WBC mandatory, we all know that the WBC will change that at the whims of Chavez and Top Rank. How many weeks until Martinez is no longer the WBC mandatory?