The magnificent Mayan Belt has today been presented by the World Boxing Council to honor and celebrate the WBC middleweight Championship fight between Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Challenger Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs on May 4th in Las Vegas.

Fittingly, as part of the Cinco de Mayo Celebrations reserved for clashes involving elite superstar Mexican champions, the creation of a Mexican artisan masterpiece symbolically depicting eighteen centuries of the Mayan Culture in Year of the Maya, has been brilliantly devised by master craftsman Cesar Menchaca and his team of eight, involving thirty days of round the clock non stop work.  He and WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman presented it against the backdrop of  Mexico City`s Food Market.

The belt of green leather is embossed with gold and inlaid with jade, which is indigenous to the area of origin. It incorporates four elements. Depicted on  the left hand side are warriors, the Jaguar, leaders and fame. To the right is the deity Kukulkan.  The belt is the centerpiece of a series of two Chiapaneco belts and two Huichol belts, which were also on display. The belt was also made to honor the memory of President Adolfo Lopez Mateos, who is the founding Father of the World Boxing Council.

Adding style and flair to the pomp and circumstance ceremony a lineup of all time great Mexican Boxing Champions, namely: Reuben “Puas” Olivares, Lupe Pintor, Pipino Cuevas, Rafael Herrera, Cesar Bazan, Jose Luis Bueno, WBC Chiapas Ambassador and ex World Champion in his own right Victor Rabanales,  Ibeth “Roca” Zamora, Lupita Martinez, Yessica “Kika” Chavez and Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez. The spectacular was also attended by Sports Minister and silver medal Olympian sprinter Ana Gabriela Guevara and Carlos Padilla the President of Mexico`s Olympic Committee

Then and suddenly…a breathtaking descent by a vivid, enormous and toweringly tall orange dragon with yellow deep set glaring eyes, in the Alebrije style, teetering on stilts, down the long flight of steps into the Food Market. And  a woman representing the Quetzal bird alighting on its back!

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman praised and paid tribute to the genius and dedication to the artists and craftsmen who used all of their experience, creativity and brilliance to create a masterpiece transforming a dream and idea into tangible reality, using a diversity of materials which represent the very best of Mexico.  The buckle of the belt is ingeniously designed with a Mayan calendar which encompasses all of Mesoamerica, which the winner will fasten around his iron strong waist.  It is also apt and fitting that this year`s WBC Convention will be held in October in Cancun, in the heart of the Mayan Rivera, but Cancun Boxing Promoter Pepe Gomez stressed that the work to make it a memorable success is already well underway.

Ana Guevara said the creation of the belt is an initiative from all of us and for all of us, a great signal  as a great nation, showing the richness of a beautiful culture.

There were thrilling fight films of Canelo and GGG who already won versions of these belts in the series.  The countdown is now ticking to the next chapter and its prize is this extraordinary belt.

WBC Press Release