Sadly, we start this month on a sorrowful note with the passing of the wife of our Tanzanian WBF Representative Yassin Abdullah. We convey our deep condolences to Yassin and his family and wish them all strength going forward.
It’s been quite a hectic time for the World Boxing Federation as we are about to set another title-bouts-per-year record in 2018. I personally – after a few months of not flying as a result of pneumonia – get back into traveling during a chaotic December.
First up is a trip to Croatia where our undefeated heavyweight champion Erzen Rrustemi makes the second defense of his title. Then we are in Korea for a women’s Intercontinental title defense and then home for a few day before heading for Switzerland for our world welterweight title.
In between all of that, a two day trip in December with my wife to our usual getaway destination Hermanus to energize the soul and to see the whales frolic in the bay.
While I’m away in Switzerland, we have a grudge fight in Tanzania where local heroes Francis Cheka and Abdullah Paziwapazi will go to war, the two pugilists not very fond of each other.
During all of this our representatives around the world are also working during December with fights in Germany, France and Mexico. Unfortunately our fight in Cape Town during December has been moved to January so there will certainly be some boxers not indulging in Christmas pudding during the festive season.
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing Federation
