Round 12: 2026 Kicks Off With Major Battles

By Mauricio Sulaimán / WBC President / Son of José Sulaimán

What a way to start the year, with tremendous world championship fights.

Three electrifying and dramatic duels, all ending by knockout. While the world celebrated Christmas and New Year, these boxers were far from their families in training camps, preparing for their bouts.

Sometimes the sacrifice behind each story is overlooked, but for them, the only thing that matters is seeking victory—for their pride, their family, and a future in this grueling sport.

In 2024, our annual Convention was held in Germany, and one of our primary goals was to return high-level boxing to that great nation. Germany has shone in other eras with legendary champions, from Max Schmeling to the dynasty of brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, who dominated the heavyweights for a decade.

Agit Kabayel returned home and, before a sell-out crowd at the Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen, gave an exhibition of courage, bravery, and potent punching power. His opponent, Poland’s Damian Knyba, came out determined to win the WBC belt; he started by dominating with jabs and opening a cut on Kabayel’s right eyebrow with an uppercut.

Knyba also won the second round, as the crowd’s anxiety grew, until Agit pierced his guard and landed cluster combinations that forced referee Mark Lyson to halt the fight amid the fans’ roar.

A hero has emerged in Germany, and great things are coming, including potential bouts against Usyk, Fury, or other top-tier rivals.

On the same card, the WBC Interim Lightweight title was at stake, as the current champion, Shakur Stevenson, will move divisions to fight Teofimo Lopez on January 31st. The Dubai-based Cuban, Jadier Herrera, faced the experienced Ricardo Nuñez of Panama.

To everyone’s surprise, Nuñez dropped the undefeated favorite in the first round. Then, it was a back-and-forth war. The German authorities respected the WBC Open Scoring rule, announcing the official scores to the corners after the fourth and eighth rounds. At the end of the fourth, Herrera was up 39-36 and 38-37 on two cards. Nuñez rallied, and by the end of the seventh, all three cards read 66-66. A draw! Herrera connected and hurt Nuñez in the eighth, and veteran referee Daniel Van de Wiele accurately stopped the fight.

Later that night, the Barclays Center in New York eclipsed and shone with a great atmosphere for the WBC Super Lightweight world title fight. Champion Subriel Matías and challenger Dalton Smith each had massive support, with hundreds of Puerto Rican and British fans in attendance. This is already a “Fight of the Year” candidate; and it was incredible. The intensity of constant, heavy exchanges and the passion of these two warriors—who never took a step back—culminated in a dramatic fifth-round knockout. For Smith, this fulfilled a long standing dream he’s had since he was six years old: winning the WBC Green and Gold belt.

During our first “Martes de Café” (Coffee Tuesday), we were visited by Jesús Ramos, who is as Mexican as can be, despite living in the U.S., and O’Shaquie Foster. The event took place in Iztapalapa, where Mayor Aleida Alavez announced a Green and Gold amateur tournament for January. Legends Ruben”Púas” Olivares, “Chiquita” González, Pipino Cuevas, and Juan Carlos Salgado attended.

Afterward, we visited a school with the Three Wise Men and the WBC mascots, Luchador and Chicanito. Toys were distributed, creating memorable moments of joy and hope thanks to this WBC Cares activation, led by my wife Christiane, in coordination with Sheyla Giles of Somos Luz.

Last week, I explained the achievement of reducing rounds from 15 to 12. In this column, I want to discuss a great innovation brought by Don José: Open Scoring. Boxing is the only sport where the protagonists do not know the score; they have no idea how the three official judges are scoring.

It is common to hear them say after a fight: “If I had known I was down, I would have pressured and changed my strategy.” Now, both corners receive the scores at the end of the fourth and eighth rounds, and in many countries, they are also shared with the public and TV audience. Without a doubt, this is one of the most important rules today.

DID YOU KNOW…?

In 2025, Dalton Smith visited me in Mexico City. We had a wonderful time together; he shared his dreams, we talked about our relationships with our fathers, and we laughed and cried on what was an unforgettable day alongside my brothers Pepe, Héctor, and Fery, his manager Sean O’Toole, and Tom Dallas of Matchroom. Today, he is the WBC Super Lightweight World Champion.

TODAY’S ANECDOTE

This Saturday, two fighters very dear to me faced off. I’ve shared special moments with Subriel since I gave him a coin years ago and told him he would be champion one day. In Puerto Rico, I handed him his belt and met his wife and daughters. My story with Dalton is already mentioned… My father was always close to fighters, whether it was Muhammad Ali or a young prospect: “My son, boxing is a very hard sport; there is so much behind the life of everyone who steps into the ring. Everything you do must always be for the benefit of the boxer. They trust us and put their lives on the line expecting our protection. Seeing them win is a reason for joy and jubilation, and seeing them lose is a reason for sadness and empathy, but we must always stay close to all of them.”

I welcome your comments at contact@wbcboxing.com

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