WBC, Mexico stage nationwide boxing class with 500,000 people

More than 500,000 people took part in Mexico’s 2026 National Boxing Class on Sunday, August 16, with activities held at 548 venues across all 32 states. The nationwide event was organised with support from the World Boxing Council and the Mexican government.

Called “Fists of Transformation”, the initiative brought participants together at the same time in a drive to promote exercise and wider involvement in sport. It was open to people of different ages and genders, extending boxing activities beyond the professional ring and into communities nationwide.

The programme was backed by CONADE, Mexico’s National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport. Its stated objectives included encouraging peace, sportsmanship and healthier lifestyles, while using boxing to create opportunities for people to meet and take part in organised physical activity.

Boxers and former world champions also featured in the classes. Their involvement linked the mass participation event with Mexico’s established boxing culture, while helping present the sport as a way to support inclusion and community development.

The boxing class forms part of Mexico’s National Mass Sports System. That programme promotes community-based sport and gives young people opportunities to learn boxing and pass on their knowledge by leading sessions in their own localities.

The WBC and the Mexican government have worked together on the nationwide class for five years. The latest edition added to its status as a regular event in Mexico’s sporting calendar, while the scale of participation showed the reach of a programme designed to make physical activity more accessible across the country.