WBC president Sulaimán to travel to Riyadh for Canelo vs Mbilli despite security fears
Mauricio Sulaimán plans to fly to Riyadh at the end of October, saying it would be “irresponsible” to leave Mexican boxers and officials there alone. The fight remains on.
Archive image · Photo: Oleksandr Chemykos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaimán will attend Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs Christian Mbilli on October 31 in Riyadh. At the WBC’s weekly “Martes de café” press conference he said, according to Infobae: “Most likely I will be travelling to Riyadh at the end of the month.”
It is “a very complicated issue”, Sulaimán said, “what is being said is that the fight goes ahead”. He called it “totally irresponsible” for Mexican boxers, judges, referees and representatives to be there while he stayed away. “God willing, everything will be resolved,” he said, referring to the attacks on Riyadh airport.
According to Turki Alalshikh, adviser to the Saudi royal court and organiser of the event, Canelo has assured him he will fight in Riyadh “no matter what”. Infobae notes there has been no statement from Canelo’s official channels so far. Mbilli’s WBC super middleweight title is on the line.