Juneteenth commemorates June 19th, 1865, the day enslaved people in Texas finally learned of their freedom, marking the end of slavery in the United States. The WBC created the Juneteenth Belt and named it “Freedom.”. It was presented on June 19th, 2021 in Houston and was awarded to then-middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo as he won his fight vs. Juan Macias Montiel. That same week U.S. President Joe Biden announced the confirmation of Juneteenth becoming a National Holiday Day. The WBC created the 2022 version of the belt which was scheduled for the fight to be held on such holiday. It was Jermall Charlo vs. Maciej Sulecki but that was cancelled due to a back injury. In 2023 there was no appropriate fight scheduled in June. The 2024 edition has been presented to the Russell boxing family as a way to honor the memory and efforts of Mr. Gary Russell Sr. who passed away on May 2022. With his love and care, he guided his sons and Gary Jr. became a featherweight champion. He was also a pillar of boxing for his community. May his memory be eternal!