Intro:

Relatives, friends and fellow boxers attended the funeral of long-time president of the World Boxing Council Jose Sulaiman on Friday in Mexico City.

The funeral of Jose Sulaiman, the long-time head of the World Boxing Council who introduced rules to protect boxers, was attended by friends, relatives and luminaries from the boxing community. He died on Thursday at the age of 82.

Sulaiman's son, Mauricio Sulaiman, said his father died at a hospital in Los Angeles. He had been hospitalised at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Centre for months for a heart condition.

Sulaiman boxed as an amateur and became a manager, trainer, and referee.

At 16, he joined a Mexican boxing commission and moved to the WBC in 1968, won a unanimous vote to become president in 1975, and remained in charge ever since.

At his induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007, Sulaiman was recognised for leading the WBC when it introduced many new rules to improve boxers' safety and welfare.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (Spanish).

"Boxing has lost the greatest champion that it ever had - Don Jose. He did many things for boxing. It's going to be very difficult that someone can ever fill his position. The truth is I think it's going to be impossible that someone else can make as many good things for boxing as Jose did."

SUPER CAPTION: Jhonny Gonzalez, boxer

SOUNDBITE (Spanish).

"We are going to miss him very much and I'm really sad. Believe me when I say that after my father's death very few people have made me cry when they passed away, but Don Jose did it"

SUPER CAPTION: El Santo's son

SOUNDBITE (Spanish).

"This is a great loss for boxing, he was the president of our World Boxing Council, but we need to have the strength in our hearts to overcome that he passed to a better life, and we have to think about something else"

SUPER CAPTION: Ruben Olivares, boxer