WBC President Jose Sulaiman’s Last Boxing Words – Breaking News
The following is the last of the weekly “Hook to the Liver” columns that were published in El Universal every Sunday for the last five years and written by WBC President Jose Sulaiman.
This column was written by his children – Pepe, Lucy, Hector, Fernando, Mauricio, and Claudia. From January 19, translated from Spanish:
HOOK TO THE LIVER
The Last Hook
Today we thank God for giving us the opportunity to enjoy the possibility to say goodbye to our father after these two months when he had a great improvement since, against all odds, managing to survive 23 days in a coma in critical condition in the month of October.
Our mommy, six children and 14 grandchildren talked, laughed, played, dreamed and remembered while we accompanied him during his difficult time in the hospital. He returned to say goodbye and give us 60 days of his life.
Also, his dearest and closest friends and beloved Champions managed to sit down and talk with him for one last round. He was visited by: Muhamad Ali, Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar de la Hoya, Vitali Klitschko, Erik Morales, Jeff Fenech, Abner Mares, Leo Santa Cruz, Gabriel Ruelas, Jorge Arce, Mia St. John, Ruben Castillo, Adrian Hernandez, Carlos Cuadras, his dear friend Don King and other promoters, including Akihiko Honda, Salvador Briman, Al Haymon, Richard Schaeffer, Eric Gomez, Gary Shaw, Dan Goossen, Don Majeski, Sampson Lewkowicz, Pepe Gomez, Vlad Wharton, Tom Loeffler, and many, many, many other friends of the boxing world.
Don Carlos Slim spent a wonderful afternoon visiting his friend, and both invited each other to keep dreaming and keep looking to change the world for the better.
We were able to live magical moments where the admiration towards our father attained an unreachable summit. He conquered the hearts and great admiration of all the doctors, nurses and therapists at the Intensive Care Unit. He always had a smile for everyone. Even though he suffered a lot with various treatments, he always ended by saying “thank you” and gave them a smile. From the first day, before the surgery, he told everyone, “Do everything you have to do, don’t even ask, go ahead.” He was a patient who made his mark, a case that caused surprise, admiration and finally such sadness to all and sundry in the unit’s hospital in UCLA.
It was a great pleasure to live and experience the multiple calls, messages, letters and actions by countless people who filled our hearts with love and friendship and the mind with such faith and hope. Each and every one gave us such strength to fight relentlessly next to our dear father … OUR MAGNIFICENT HERO. To all of them we give our deepest gratitude forever. Hopefully one day we can reciprocate your kind attention.
Christmas was always the happiest day of the year in the life of Jose Sulaiman. Thanks to God and his valiant effort, he could go down to a room the hospital let us use and there he told us the story of the three wise men, a lifelong family tradition, and certainly this was the most moving moment that will remain stored and cherished in our hearts. That night, he returned to his hospital room and four days later, entered the state from which he never awoke, leaving a life full of joy, understanding, love, example, education, values, and all one can say about the best father, husband, son, brother, grandfather, friend that has ever existed.
Daddy, thanks for giving us life, thank you for giving your life. Life will never, ever be the same without you but we vow, you will always be present in every throb of our hearts. May God keep you in his glory.
Today this column ends. This is the last Hook to Liver. Thanks to the readers who shared this with our Father, who never failed to write his column wherever he was in the world. Thanks to his friend Francisco Ealy Ortiz for inviting him to write his beloved “Hook to the Liver.”
The final bell rang; JOSE SULAIMAN, winner by unanimous decision! 1931-2014.
*****
By James Blears:
They came from every corner of the world to attend Don Jose Sulaiman’s funeral service at the Panteon Frances in Mexico City.
As soon as they learned of Don Jose’s death, they dropped whatever they were doing wherever they were – in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia – grabbed a flight and hastened to Mexico City to join a huge congregation to thank God for the life of a great man who’ll forever be remembered as long as there’s sport, kindness, and friendship.
Wreaths, many of snow white flowers, festooned the cavernous building from floor to ceiling, adorning wall after wall and every spare centimetre of space. The scent they emitted was so fragrant and divine. There was only standing room and due to so many attending, even that was at a premium.
Before the service, everyone stood shoulder to shoulder in a perfect, yet comfortable and contemplative silence. Only the occasional chirp of a celphone and the soft shutter click of cameras punctuated the reverence of this collective calmness.
The entire Sulaiman family greeted the mourners with a dignity and warmth, which was touching and memorable.
The service drew to a close with Holy Communion, rounds of rippling applause for a strong life well-lived, as well as Mexico’s national anthem emotionally sung.
Afterwards, outside the funeral home salons in the general area, so many people gathered with so many wonderful stories of how Don Jose had helped them in a myriad of ways, so reminiscent of the John Bunyan quote: “You have not lived today until you have done something for somehone who can never repay you.”
And the condensed conclusion of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is just as apt: “My marks and my scars I carry with me to be a witness for me that I have fought His battles, who now will be my rewarder. So he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side!”