What could have been: A closer look at the Cuban boxers denied a chance to turn professional.

 

Written By: Cain Bradley

 

Note: Most of the boxers records are reported as different depending on which site you look on so I’ve gone with whatever the majority is.

Cuba has always produced a good boxer. Some of their more famous include Benny Paret, Sugar Ramos, Luis Rodriguez, Jose Napoles, Kid Chocolate and Kid Gavilan. It was 1961, only a couple of years after the Cuban revolution, when Castro banned Professional sports in Cuba. So in order to fight professionally Cubans would have to defect.

 

 

This has robbed the professional game of some of the best amateurs ever. Since the 1964 Olympics only 6 boxers who won either Gold or Silver at the Olympics have turned Professional. Before April 2007 the figure was stuck at one. Joel Casamayor was one of Cuba’s greatest Amateur boxers. Now he ranks as one of their best ever pro boxers. He won the Gold Medal at Barcelona 1992 defeating Wayne McCulloch; It was four years later at the Atlanta Olympics he defected on the eve of the games. Casamayor went on to be a two weight world champion and was The Ring Lightweight Champion for 26 months.

 

 

Since 2007 it seems the floodgates have opened. Five, yes five Olympic gold or silver medallists have turned pro in four years. Between them they have amassed a record of 69-3 and they hold three world title. One of the losses was against Vitali Klitschko while another was a loss only because of a point deduction. Yuriorkis Gamboa and Guilermo Rigondeaux are definitely the stars of the bunch. Even Rigondeaux is a case of what could have been. He is 30 years old and after 8 fights he is world champion. Imagine he turned pro five years earlier, the fights that could have been available to him include Rafael Marquez, Chris John, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, Isreal Vazquez.

 

 

Excluding the 6 who turned professional Cuba have had 14 different boxers win a gold or a silver at an Olympic Games since 1964. This includes the two boycotted Olympics of 1984 and 1988. It’s amazing to consider how different the Professional game would be if the Cubans had joined the party. I’m going to take a look at some of the better Cuban amateur boxers and debate how they would have fared as a professional. Now amateur boxing is completely different and being successful in one type doesn’t guarantee success in the other type.

 

 

 

Mario Kindelan: The Cuban Lightweight is most known in the United Kingdom for beating Khan in the 2004 Olympic Final. What most don’t know is that Kindelan is one of the most impressive amateurs ever. Kindelan amassed a record of 358-22. He was a southpaw who had the ability to adapt his game and could be a slick counter puncher but he could also throw with serious power when needed.

 

 

Wins over Miguel Cotto, Diego Corrales, Andriy Kotelnik, Felix Trinidad and two over Amir Khan are very impressive even in the amateurs. Kindelan’s peak like many others arrived at around 27 in 1999 and lasted till around 2004. The standout fighters in this era at Lightweight were Shane Mosley, Jose Castillo and Floyd Mayweather. However except for these fighters there was some very beatable champions. I believe Mario Kindelan could have beaten Castillo and would have given Mosley and Mayweather a real scare possibly even beaten them.

 

 

If he turned pro: Unified world champion probably a multi weight title holder

 

Teofilo Stevenson: Teofilo Stevenson’s dominance of the amateur heavyweight scene can be measured by statistics. He went from an early record of 6-14 to 310-20. He is one of only three fighters to have won 3 Olympic Gold medals. He missed out on the chance to win his 4th because of the 1984 Olympic boycott.

Teofilo was a big heavyweight, 6’5 but he was fast for his height. He used his long jab to set up opponents for his concussive right hand. Being a professional, Stevenson might have bulked up a bit but was still phenomenally fast. Teofilio won his first gold at 20 and I think if he’d have turned professional he would have been near a title shot in 1976. I think Teofilo would have a chance against an old Ali and when Ali retired he would have dominated the Holmes era.

 

 

If he turned pro: World champion and one of the best heavyweights of all time. Goes 1-1 against Ali.

 

 

Felix Savon: Another Cuban heavyweight, Savon had an impeccable record at major championships. 3 Olympic Golds, 6 World Championship Golds, his only blemish being a silver in 1999 when he lost by default as the Cuban team pulled out. Savon was another big heavyweight at 6’5, with a huge frame.

Savon rolled over some top heavyweights while in the amateurs such as David Tua, Sultan Ibragimov, Ray Mercer and Lamon Brewster. He had a good job, punched in combinations and was quite powerful. In an era where Bowe, Lewis, Tyson and Holyfield ruled Savon would have struggled. Some of the WBO champions were perhaps easier prey. He would not be as well-known as he is staying amateur.

 

 

If he turned pro: WBO champion, loses to some of the big four.

 

Angel Herrera Vera: A latecomer to boxing, only starting aged 16. He quickly become a major force though, winning the Olympics at the age of 18 in the Featherweight division. He’d win a world title in the same division at the 1978 World Championships. Circumstance would dictate he would never win another Worldwide title at Featherweight. Struggling to make the weight and the rise to prominence of Adolfo Horta sent Herrera to the Lightweight division. It’d be at Lightweight he’d win another Olympic title and a world Championship which on the way to he defeated Pernell Whittaker.

 

 

 

Herrera was dominant from the age of 18 to when he retired at 24, but in the professional ranks you have to suspect his time would be the 1980’s. Some of the fights he could have taken included Alexis Arguello, Edwin Rosario, Hector Camacho and Julio Cesar Chavez. Herrera was a good boxer with power in both hands and I think some of the fights available to him would have been amazing if he could turn pro.

 

 

If he turned pro: Two weight world champion possibly unified.

 

 

Ariel Hernandez: Another double Olympic + World Championship gold medallist. He won his first Olympics at Barcelona ’92 defeating future professionals Chris Byrd and Sven Ottke. His two world Championship golds would come in ’93 and ’95. The 1996 Olympics would be his last and he’d deliver with another gold medal. Even though Hernandez fought at Middleweight it was actually at 170lbs so he could drop 2 pounds to super middleweight or put on 5 and join the light heavyweight division.

 

 

Ariel Hernandez is often mentioned as one of the best Cuban talents ever. A southpaw with incredible speed and power. His footwork and defence was also top notch. At either super middleweight or Light heavyweight this man had the potential to be on the best ever. Some of the fights available to him would have been amazing. I think the ultimate fight would have been Hernandez against Roy Jones Jr. Ariel potentially could have beaten him if his skills developed as the could have.

 

If he turned pro: Two weight unified world champion, remembered as possibly an all time great.