IBHOF host Graham Houston examines the latest generation of Cuban boxers hoping for a stormy pro-fight including 154-pound boxer Yoelvis Gomez and WBA super-middleweight titleholder David Morrell, as well as other athletes. former amateur boxers Arlen Lopez, Lazaro Alvarez, Roniel Iglesias, Julio Cesar la Cruz and Yoenlis Feliciano Hernandez.
There’s a new wave coming – if it’s not already here – of Cuban boxers ready to replace former champions Guillermo Rigondeaux and Yuriorkis Gamboa who have severely faded and aged despite still skillful Erislandy Lara .
At the weekend we saw 154lbs lead Yoelvis Gomez extended his undefeated record to 6-0 in a sublimation fight with Mexican veteran Jorge Cota.
And something that seemed to have come into the spotlight last weekend was the professional debut of six members of the Cuban national team in the same show in Mexico.
But the standout talent of all of Cuban professional boxing is undoubtedly David Morrell (6-0.5 KOs), who holds the regular 168lbs WBA title.
The arrival of talented Cubans can only be a good thing for professional boxing. And regarding his professional debut in Mexico, it was as if Cuban boxing was on the right track. As we all know, Cuban leader Fidel Castro banned professional sports in 1961, after a communist regime was established on the island. The top boxers were forced to defect to continue their careers.
Now, Cuban authorities are allowing the nation’s top actors to pursue professional careers. As I understand it, the government will allow boxers to keep 80% of their wallets. It’s probably not a perfect arrangement for boxers but it’s a lot better than it is. At least those fighting can now support their families and loved ones back home.
The great Cubans of the 1960s included Jose Napoles, Sugar Ramos and Luis Rodriguez. There’s the ill-fated Benny “Kid” Paret, middleweight boxer Florentino Fernandez and Jose Legra, who lives in Spain.
What is the new wave?
Although Yoelvis Gomez was dropped for the first time last weekend, there is no doubt about his potential. And it wasn’t a bad show to have won every round against Cota, a seasoned pro who used his greater experience to survive. But Gomez almost got the goal, when the referee took Mexico’s corner after the round of 16 to tell them he would stop the fight unless Cota performed better.
Gomez, 24, is based in Las Vegas, where he trains under the hands-on guidance of his Cuban colleague Ismael Salas. He’s a training partner with featherweight boxer Robeisy Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, who has been in fine form after a disappointing professional debut.
When we think of “Cuban school,” we think of slick boxers who hit and don’t get hit, but Gomez is an aggressive guy who wants to hurt his opponent in the first place.
Prior to the Cota competition, Gomez knocked out 4 opponents in round 1 and 1 in round 3. This included knocking out Clay Collard in one round, who was already well known in both boxing and MMA circles as a player. was a tough son of a gun. Cota, however, can cover up and keep moving, and he’s very clever at rolling around with punches when he’s supported on the rope. It was a good learning battle for Gomez and the vantage point was that he maintained a steady pace from the first half to the 10th.
Meanwhile, David Morrell (pictured below, left) is a boxer who seems to have it all. Like Gomez, he is a male idol. Morrell can box, move and punch, he’s quick and smart. He is the Cuban national champion and World Youth Champion. Morrell moved to the state of Minnesota in the midwestern United States. He played the full 12 rounds in just his third game when he overcame left-handed teammate Lennox Allen – undefeated in the match – to become the interim WBA champion with a 168-pound finish. Now he’s the “regular” WBA champion. One has the feeling that we won’t see Morrell for long until he’s up against one of the top boxers in his weight class.
For the Cubans who won in Aguascalientes, Mexico, over the weekend, Arlen Lopez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, gave the most spectacular performance. Lopez, the lightweight boxer, knocked out superior opponent Fernando Galvan with a left hook to win in 94 seconds. It was one of those head-to-head kills and Galvan needed medical attention before he could leave the ring. Lopez is 29 years old.
Southpaw Stylist Lazaro Alvarez, a three-time world amateur champion and three-time Olympic bronze medalist, went through six rounds with ready opponent Francisco Mercado, who had a record of 6-1 and was heading into the match after beating Fabian Maidana, younger brother of Marcos Maidana. . But Alvarez prevailed, when hand boxing in the fourth round, it seemed easy. He turned pro late at 31. But he’s a new Alvarez 31. The box is at 130lbs.
Roniel Iglesias was another Southpaw, and another late entry into professional boxing. At 33, he didn’t have much time left. Olympic weightlifter gold medalist in Tokyo (and before that at the 2012 London Olympics) took on 24-year-old Brandon Perez on a seven-round run. If Mexican fans had hoped to see Iglesias in action, they were disappointed. Iglesias won easily, performing a left-body kick from his Southpaw stance to knock Perez out in the second round.
Julio Cesar la Cruz, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world championship gold medalist, was fruited by a guy from Colombia named Delvis Casseres during a mismatched cruiser race. Predictably, it all ended in two innings, with Colombia going through easily.
Yoenlis Feliciano Hernandezmiddleweight gold medal at the world championships, and at the age of 24, one of the young Cubans turning professional in Mexico, scored a fourth round KO against his opponent with a 3-0 record.
And 26 years old Osvell Caballeroan athlete who won the Pan American Games gold medal; had a professional start winning with a KO in the fourth round.against an opponent who has won three of the last four.
Obviously, elite Cubans can be followed as quickly as professionals. Some of them can be compared with competitors in the top 15 in the world right now.
This Cuban rise could include undefeated heavyweights Frank Sanchez and Jose Larduet of Germany and the unbeaten 168-pound Osley Iglesias (runner-up behind Arlen Lopez in the national championship and former boxing champion). brother in Germany and Poland).
There are potential champions here, possibly potential stars. But who would make it all the way? It will be interesting to find out.
Main image: Yoelvis Gomez (right) earned a comfortable point in her win over the tested Jorge Cota last weekend. Photo: Esther Lin / Showtime.
