Last Friday, along with the World Boxing Association (WBA) KO Drugs Boxing Festival at the Tapachula Holiday Inn Hotel in Chiapas, Mexico, took place the WBA directory second day of meetings led by its President Venezuela’s Gilberto Mendoza and Vice President, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza. 

Present in the work of the second day of the partial directory table, were Panamanians Miguel Prado and Gustavo Padilla (rantings committee), Puerto Rican Luis Pabón (Director), Colombian Francisco Piña (administration and Budget Committee), the Argentine-Canadian George Martínez (NABA Championship and women) and the Panamanian Executive Aurelio Fiengo (Fedelatin), the General Counsel of the WBA, the American Robert Mack, the American Adviser, Matt Podgorski and South African director Stanley Christodolou (Hall of the fame international member). In addition, the director of operations, Julio Thyme, and Gilberto Echeverría, of the strategic staff in Panama.  

Director Aurelio Fiengo presented a detailed report of fedelatin, WBA Latin American wing. He spoke of the Championships held in this period, projections and rankings. 

By NABA, director George Martinez also gave a full report. Martinez updated his colleagues of all the advances in women’s boxing, worldwide.

The regional adviser for the African continent, South African director Stanley Christodolou presented a report on the progress of boxing in Africa, especially in South Africa where it resides.

President Mendoza indicated, this meeting is preliminary to the meeting of the General directory that will take place in April, at a venue to be announced.
WBA Vice President, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, brought a detailed and complete report of the last dispute between WBA and EBA (former European wing of the WBA), won by the WBA by “KO” in the Spanish courts. Mendoza spoke of the legal processes submitted, the nature of the complaint and its weaknesses from the beginning, by the overwhelming lack of evidence.

On Friday night, was held a gala banquet in a popular Argentinean restaurant in town, hosted by Zanfer promotion and the Governments of Chiapas and Tapachula with the participation of all managers and special guests, including the first lady of the WBA, the Mrs Elena Mendoza, President Gilberto Mendoza and the world boxing legend, Panamanian Roberto Duran.

With a warm climate, the city of Tapachula belongs to the State of Chiapas, with a little more than 200,000 inhabitants. Tapachula is the most populous city in the Soconusco and the second in the State after the capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez; has an economy based on cattle rising, agriculture, communications, tourism and finance.

 Among promoters attending  the festival, are Greg Cohen, Gary Shaw and the international matchmaker, Ricardo Rizzo.

 Tapachula is a city rich in culture and history, since it was site of important political events of Chiapas and of Mexico. Also, it has a population that is culturally diverse in races and wisdom. Its people are known as people’s open to visitors.

 Drink a delicious coffee in its crowded restaurants, located in the Miguel Hidalgo Park and Central Square, listen to the classical marimba, are essential to the visitor activities. Also, tour to the Park bicentennial that embellish the municipality of Tapachula with its gardens, games of lights and fountains.

 The Mesoamerican International fair of Tapachula , that takes place during the month of March, with agricultural livestock and commercial exposure, is the most notable cultural event of the year. 

The WBA KO drugs Festival is taking place this week, under the framework of this important regional event.

The WBA KO Drugs Boxing Festival ends on Saturday March  21, with a great boxing card promoted by Zanfer, where Chiapa’s Emanuel “Pollo” Lopez will fight the Colombian Carlos “Batey” Padilla for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Featherweight Interim Championship Zanfer Promotion on March 21 boxing program as part of the successful “WBA KO Drugs” Campaign carried out by the World Boxing Association, in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.

It will be a high voltage boxing night, there will be two WBA title fights and will be broadcast by Azteca 7, La Casa del Boxeo, and in the US by UniMas in the Solo Boxeo Tecate.

Lopez (17-4-1, 6 KO’s) and Padilla (15-1-1, 9 KO’s) will fight for the WBA super featherweight interim vacant title, and it is expected to be a very close fight between two boxers of the same age and boxing experience.

Jalisco’s Joselyn “Princesa Tapatía” Arroyo (17-0, 7 KO’s) will fight ten rounds for the Interim WBA female flyweight title. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, she keeps a perfect record of 17 fights, with 7 before the limit, and will fight against the country capital’s Maribel “Pantera” Ramirez (12-7, 5 KOs).

Former world champion, Sinaloa Mario “Dragoncito” Rodríguez (19-9-4, 12 KOs) and Nicaraguan Carlos “Chocorroncito” Buitrago (27-1-1, 16 KOs) will fight ten rounds of actions in the minimum weight.

Rodriguez, who has already been minimum world champion, has won his last three fights and, in case he beats Buitrago he could get a title shot this year.

In a fight of undefeated, American Roman Morales (19-0, 10 KOs) will fight against Sinaloa Eduardo Ramirez (12-0-2, 6 KOs) for ten rounds in the Super Bantamweight.

In welterweight, Alejandro “Elegido” Barrera (24-2, 17 KOs) fights “Juanito” Juan Montiel (15-1 – 1, 15 KOs) in a fight that must be explosive.