Boxing remembers Martha Saldívar Sulaimán, the WBC’s matriarch

The World Boxing Council has remembered Martha Saldívar Sulaimán as the central figure of the family behind the organisation’s green-and-gold identity. The tribute marks another anniversary of her death and celebrates a woman whose influence reached far beyond her immediate family.

Martha shared 42 years of marriage with José Sulaimán, the determined boxing leader who worked to change the sport. While his responsibilities took him around the world, she held the family together and raised their six children: Pepe, Fernando, Héctor, Mauricio, Lucy and Claudia.

Her role also extended to the boxers and other members of the international boxing community who visited the Sulaimán home. Fighters arriving from different parts of the world to meet the WBC president found a welcoming household, where Martha offered food, advice and encouragement.

That hospitality became part of what the WBC describes as the meaning of its green-and-gold family. Champions and aspiring boxers were treated as guests who could feel at home, while Martha’s patience, generosity and warmth gave the organisation a personal character beyond its official work.

Martha is now buried beside José, but her influence remains within the family through her children and grandchildren. Her memory also continues through the boxing community that experienced her care and the welcome she extended to people who entered her home.

The WBC’s tribute presents her legacy as one built on affection, hospitality and devotion. Without seeking public attention, Martha became one of the most beloved figures connected to the sport and an enduring symbol of the family life surrounding the organisation.