A Visionary Mind That Changed the WBA and Boxing Forever

Gilberto Mendoza lived for boxing and devoted every step of his life to improving the sport. Every initiative he promoted was designed with one goal in mind: to strengthen boxing and protect its most important figure—the fighter. The boxer was always his priority, and he consistently sought new measures to safeguard athletes’ health and safety while ensuring they remained the true protagonists of the sport.

Mendoza understood the ring from the inside. At a young age he competed as an amateur boxer and built a solid record of 17 victories and only one defeat before shifting his focus to leadership within the sport.

Humanity was perhaps his greatest virtue. That quality allowed him to build close relationships with fighters around the world, many of whom saw in him not just a boxing executive, but a friend and a protector. Meticulous in every aspect of the sport, Mendoza constantly searched for reforms that would elevate boxing to a higher standard. Below is a list of some of the key measures implemented by the President Emeritus throughout his career.