Carolina – Once a recess was declared in the electoral process of the World Boxing Organization (WBO)in which Gustavo Olivieri was unanimously elected as the new president, those present at the presidential table – among them former presidents Luis Batista Salas and Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel – approached the newly elected director to hug him and congratulate him. Also other people who were in the room, where the vote took place.
The photos were immediate. They all wanted to let the now former legal advisor of the boxing organization know that they were happy with their election and that they could count on them.
Visibly moved, Olivieri responded to each congratulation with a smile and a “thank you.”
Once he fulfilled his “first presidential commitment,” he approached the members of the press who were waiting for them. When asked about his experiences with Batista Salas and Valcárcel and about his preparation for the position he will hold for the next four years, he acknowledged that everything happened “organically” and gradually.
“Everything has been organic and progressive. Paco, ultimately sagacious, and Batista Salas – who are two teachers – have gradually exposed me to different scenarios. On some occasions they shed a little light on me as a basis for having an idea of how to resolve the issue. In others, they have informed me of the way, the course to follow, and that has been the case in the past almost 10 years, to the level that it is now since I have direct contact with the presidents of the organizations and with the main promoters,” said the lawyer. 40-year-old from Mayagüez, who understands that he has earned the respect of players in the boxing industry.
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Olivieri recalled that his arrival at the OMB occurred “already as a lawyer, with my private practice, having success as a criminal lawyer in Mayagüez” and that he arrived as part of an internship at Georgetown University.
“I started doing the simplest things, filing, answering the phone, sending email, dealing with boxes, coordinating the production of conventions. I come from a working class family, my mother is a nurse, my father has a business selling tickets, so everything I have achieved in my life has been with a lot of discipline, a lot of effort and a lot of dedication, which is what that this organization requires,” he said.
Olivieri’s election took place within the framework of the WBO convention, held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, in Isla Verde. The now manager challenged Valcárcel, who before the votes opened announced that he was resigning from the candidacy and endorsed Olivieri as his successor.
Top Rank co-founder Bob Arum (left) greets Gustavo Olivieri (right). (Ramon “Tonito” Zayas)
In addition to the president, John Duggan, Erno Labega, Genaro Rodríguez and Rolando Marcos Hermoso were chosen as vice presidents; Michael Permick as international commissioner, Adolfo Flores as treasurer and John Handelaar, Tsuyochi Yasukochi, Rafael López Santos and Markus Aslani as members.
Valcárcel was appointed as a senior consultant to the OMB, after a motion to that effect was approved.
It was announced that a total of 63 countries exercised their vote.
The lawyer explained that his candidacy arose because Valcárcel – who had led the organization for 30 years – was considering retiring.
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“Paco was looking for a person who could take the reins, who was a lawyer, Puerto Rican, prepared, with discipline, drive, commitment, dedication and honesty. So when I come in, they begin, as I had mentioned, to give me a series of opportunities to direct the day-to-day operation of the organization,” he expressed.
“The candidacy, which occurs this year towards me, is because Paco, with the vote and support of the other members, saw in me a suitable candidate, and well, I feel honored, ‘humble’ with which they have considered me,” Olivieri added.
Regarding his plans as head of the WBO, he said that he would like to implement mechanisms that directly help boxers, such as a retirement plan or aid for fighters to enter the labor market once their sports careers end.
Likewise, he bet on the undefeated Puerto Rican fighter Xander Zayas as one of its first champions.
“I would like it to be him, a Puerto Rican. But we have countless candidates for world champion. There is Xander Zayas at 154 pounds, there is Moses Itauma, a British fighter who is barely 19 years old, who has Frank Warren and who is here and is going to be recognized as prospect of the year,” said the lawyer, who also recognized the Puerto Rican Jan Paul. Rivera-Pizarro.
Pride of Mayagüez and Ponce
Olivieri was moved when he remembered his roots from Mayaguez and Ponce.
“I was born in Ponce at the Damas Hospital, but my upbringing and all my youth and adulthood was in Mayagüez. “I am from Ponce by birth and from Mayagüez at heart,” he articulated.
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“I haven’t been down to Mayagüez for months because I’ve been immersed in this. I hope to share an intimate moment with my family in the coming days because it has been many years of sacrifice and commitment,” he added before stopping to hold back tears. “One stops being one’s own to serve the organization and the members and the family,” he pointed out.
When asked what things he likes to do when he is not working, he identified himself as a “salsero de la mata” and percussionist.
“I love music, I am a salsa singer. I play percussion, conga, bongo and timpani. I love the piano too, I speak a little Italian, I love Italian food, I love cinema, drama, the arts, the fine arts. I was a musician before being a lawyer, I studied at the conservatory, but my dad told me, quit music, quit music, and after eating a stew I fell asleep and that was the crucial point for studying Law,” he said with amusement.
He added that he is very family-oriented and has two brothers, Gabriel and Guillermo, and several male nephews.
“I am a jibaro from Mayagüez who had the joy and luck of being at the right time, at the right time,” he said.
