For decades professional boxing has been illegal in Cuba courtesy of Fidel Castro since the 1960s. This meant a much greater focus on the amateur ranks for Cuban boxers. This resulted in Cuba becoming one of the most dominant countries when it comes to amateurs. It also meant that any Cuban boxer who aspired to become a professional had to defect and flee the country. However, the Cuban government lifted the ban in 2022 meaning amateurs can now turn over to the pros without needing to defect. What this has also meant is professional boxing matches and cards can now be held in Cuba once more. And last Friday that is exactly what happened.
Cuban Boxing Night
The card was held in Varadero, Cuba at the Hotel Melia. The card was promoted by Agon Sports Events and was available to watch on DAZN. It was modest in it’s size only consisting of 6 bouts however unsurprisingly the talent in those bouts was top-tier Cuban amateur talent. What is suprising is the WBA’s involvement with most of the bouts having some form of WBA belt on the line.
to kick of the evening was a womens fight at 147lbs was debuting Cuban Yakelin Estornell vs Lina Tejada a 13-5-1. Estornell won on points in a scrappy affair by tko in round 2. Next was the only fight not involving any Cubans Moussa Gholam (22-1) vs Misael Vasquez (17-4-1). This bout was for the vacant WBA Continental America’s gold lightweight title. Gholam got a 3rd round tko stumbling Vasquez with a left hook and following up.
High Level Amateurs
Next up was Arlen Lopez(4-0) vs Martin Bulacio(14-8) for the WBA Continental Americas light heavyweight title. Lopez is a highly decorated Cuban amateur being a 2 time Olympic medallist amongst other achievements. He won a wide unanimous decision. Lopez is already 32 and will need to progress quickly if he wishes to reach the top of the division while near his prime.
Following this was Lazaro Alvarez(6-0) vs Miguel Queliz Santos(10-0-1) for the WBA Continental Americas lightweight title. Alvarez again a very highly decorated Cuban amateur. Alvarez got a tko in round 7 with Santos’ corner pulling him out after round 7. He is also older being 34 which can be more harmful for lighter fighters so will need to speed up especially in a stacked division such as lightweight.
The following fight was by far the most interesting being Erislandy Alvarez(3-0) vs Brayner Vasquez(20-5-1) for the WBA Latin America super lightweight title. Alvarez, also highly decorated despite having fewer amateur fights, is an Olympic gold medallist. Alvarez smoked his opponent in 30 seconds very exciting. He was very much the stand out of this card and at 24 has the best chance at making an impact in his division.
The Main event was Julio Cesar La Cruz(3-0) vs Dilan Prasovic(18-5) in a WBA bridgerweight title eliminator bought. Cruz is a 2 time Olympic gold medallist and extremely impressive Cuban amateur. The fight was a slugfest with Cruz getting knocked down in round 2 and then knocking Prasovic down. Cruz demolished Prasovic in round 3, knocking him down thrice and finishing him with body shots. Cruz is 35 however being at a higher weight class this is less of a problem. He is now mandatory for WBA bridgerweight champion Muslim Gadzhimagomedov(6-0) and great amateur in his own right.
What’s Next For Cuban Boxing
There is no doubt that this card will be the start of a trend for more professional cards in Cuba. There is a huge gap in the market and no doubt some promoters will look to fill the void. DAZN already seem to be capitalising on this by broadcasting the card on their platform collaborating with Agon Sports Events. So hopefully we will have more Cuban cards showcasing Cuban talent and hosting some big fights.
This also could potentially spark a greater focus in Cuban fighters to turn professional sooner and not to spend their prime years in the amateurs. This has already been seen in high-level fighters such as Andy Cruz, Jadier Herrera, Erislandy Alvarez, Dairier Pero. These top amateurs turning professional in their 20s rather than 30s is great in helping them to achieve better in the pros.
There is no doubt that there will still be a big focus on the amateur scene in Cuba. However, with the change in law there may be less emphasis in remaining an amateur for longer. With that we may see more Cubans in the professionals that may have a big impact and potential champions. This card is hopefully the first of many and it will be interesting to see it’s impact.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
