“We Are Just Starting To Warm Up!” – Sergio Sotelo

Communicating with Alan Santana, WBF North America Coordinator, and Sergio Sotelo, WBF Latin America Coordinator, regarding the immediate past, present and future of the World Boxing Federation is like asking a parent to highlight one thing about their newborn child. The enthusiasm that these two exuded was contagious and it is easy to see why the WBF is fast becoming a major player in the world boxing arena.

What fights were the highlights of the WBF this past year?

Alan: Dan, I think that one of the biggest highlights for the WBF this past 2011 was a fight card that was staged in South Africa where we had a total of six, count them, six WBF championship fights. Botha took on Michael Grant for our world heavyweight championship on that card, Grant won in the 12^th round via KO with seconds to go in the fight. I would also have to say that travelling to Campbell, Ohio, where Miguel Gonzales fought and won our International light welter title was very exciting. Such a great kid, he has good looks and can really fight.

ergio: For me, being able to “open the doors” in a very tight market that previously was only available to the four main sanctioning bodies. This was possible because of the high ethics, professionalism and honesty that my team has shown. The WBF has been the main event in four out of the last six shows that we have been a part of and these shows have been broadcasted by Televisa, the largest Latin American network. In each of those shows we have sanctioned world title fights and we have been given the privilege to be the main event over the four still bigger organizations on four different occasions. This year we already have a very serious contender for “Fight of the Year”, between two great warriors, Juan Jose Montes and Oscar Ibarra. We are just starting to warm up.

Who are the outstanding champions of the WBF?

Alan: We currently have Ali Funeka, Malcolm Klassen, Patrick Hyland and Juan “Goofy” Montes. I feel that these guys can fight against any of the champions from the other governing bodies and give them one hell of a battle!

Sergio: Another good example is female world flyweight champion, Irma “La Guerita” Sanchez, who is also ranked # 4 on boxrec. Irma has defended her title twice since winning the championship in May 2011. Irma is a warrior that is going to be very hard to beat. Also I would like to mention light flyweight world champion Felipe Salguero. Felipe is a world class fighter and moving up fast in the boxrec evaluations. Felipe is a young fighter who gave us the “Fight of the Year”, according to the Tijuana Boxing Commission, when he won the WBF world title by split decision back in December 2010.

Means you believe the WBF champions are competitive with those of the other organizations?

Alan: Yes, I feel that our champions could compete with the best in the world, they are the same calibre or higher. 

Sergio: Of course! In fact, the Mexican champions Irma Sanchez and “Goofy” Montes, in particular, could beat anyone of the other organizations’ champions. There is no doubt in my mind. That’s the reason we are working so hard in Mexico to only bring the best fighters we can to fight for our titles, and we are making it happen. What good would it do just to focus on charging sanctioning fees and having clubfighters fight for our titles? The answer is none. We would be gone in a very short time.

What are your goals with the WBF for this year?

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