RIGONDEAUX LATEST CUBAN TO SHINE IN RING!
Rigondeaux Stuns Donaire
San Juan, PR– A tad more than two months ago, Cuban two-time Olympic champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KOs) gave the performance of his life on HBO and in front of a New York City Radio City Music Hall crowd when he bested ‘pound for pound’ rated Nonito Donaire to add the WBO 122 lb. title to his WBA diadem. Considered one of the top three on the ‘pound for pound’ list, with a record of 31-1, 20 KOs going in, people were shocked to see the Filipino get taught such a boxing lesson by a master technician.
CUBAN BOXING IS CUBAN BRAWLING!
The Cuban style of brawling have been overlooked for a long time. Rigo showed the world something that other greats have been criticized for. Look, people get so got up on the “violence” of boxing that they forget this is an art, not a street fight or bar skirmish, it’s what “The Sweet Science” is all about, “Hit and Don’t Be Hit.” A good comparison is the matador being ever so artful when fighting a bull. If done right, we know what happens to the bull. But if you make a mistake, that’s your ass.
CUBAN BOXERS ASTUTE WITH MARQUESS OF QUEENSBURY TACTICS!
Cuba is a beautiful island wealthy in boxing history. After being banned for over 50 years they have started talks about letting the island fighters turn professional again. While some think is just talk, others do not, regardless if it’s true it will change the fight game. The Cuban method of fighting is more of a design for amateur, defense comes first, offense second, something most fans despise. Yet the fights are exciting if the opponent is aggressive enough as the Cuban’s embody the Marquess of Queensbury rules like a blood transfusion.
DEMPSEY & JOHNSON, BOTH JACKS FOUGHT IN CUBA
Boxing came to the island as a tourist attraction in the beginning of the century and had there first professional bout in 1910 many greats like Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey, but due to the violence it was bringing to the country especially among whites vs. blacks the sport went underground until 1921 and lasted until Fidel Castro came to power in 1961.
STEVENSON SHIRKED WORLD TITLE SHOT AT ALI
From 1961 to the present day Cuban’s have dominated amateur boxing. One boxer who captured the world’s attention was the late heavyweight sensation Teofilo Stevenson who won Olympic Gold in 1972, 1976 & 1980. After the 1976 games in Montreal, Stevenson was offered millions to face Muhammad Ali in the United States. The fight never happened and Teofilo explained, “I can have millions of dollars, or the love of my people.” Another heavyweight rage was Felix Savon who won the Gold in 1992, 1996 and 2000. While both became boxing legends, neither ever left the homeland.
PART II ON THURSDAY
We go back in time and rate the professional fighters who came out of Cuba before and after Fidel Castro came to power.
Manny Caballero