Adrien Broner showed rust and earned mixed reactions for his return tonight, getting his first W in four years. But fear not, HBO put out a concise video adequately explaining how scoring works a long time ago. That is why the AIBA gave him the Val Baker Cup and Kindelan became the third Cuban pugilist to receive such award, preceded by Teofilo Stevenson and Roberto Balado. The “Shadow” is presently the most complete Cuban boxer. In 1990, he was included in the International Hall of Fame. 1995 - Defected / Never faced off against top-rated cruiserweight Vassily Jirov. He defeated future New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) World middleweight champion and WBHOFer Ken Overlin. So Griffith returned the favor and gave Rodriguez another rematch, leading to yet another questionable decision but at least one most observers were split on. { He lost to a lot of guys no one ever heard of, too. If he had better luck he could have walked away with victories over all of them, but had to make due with 2 over LaBarba. All in all Napoles was able to rack up 10 straight title defenses before he was dethroned for the final time by John H. Stracey, retiring with a record of 81-7. His training was from the films of legendary boxers from where he learnt skills such as the left jab of ⦠Honorable Mention (alphabetical order): Black Bill, Nino Valdes. When Ramos moved up to lightweight and challenged for division supremacy again he was perhaps even more unlucky to run into the great Carlos Ortiz, who stopped him twice in less combined rounds than it took Saldivar the 1 time. Donaire, a 4 division world champion previously often ranked among the 5 or 10 best fighters in the world, arguably only deserved to win 1 round when he met Rigondeaux on April 13. In his later 30s his activity is obviously going to slow down even more so we're really only looking at another 6 or so fights in those last 4 years. So, Savon had to give up boxing. A retina injury took him into retirement when he was still in great physical shape. While Gavilan didn't invent the "Bolo punch", he did make it famous. As a matter of fact Napoles amassed a record of 59-4 before he ever challenged for a world title, beating 3 of the 4 men who defeated him along the way (the lone exception coming in Napoles' 8th fight against no one of consequence). He retired with a final record of 108-30-5 but went 10-17-1 in his last 28 fights. It comes down to his title defenses with help from a pre-championship victory over Eddie Perkins (recent undisputed light welterweight champion). That said, for as great as Emile was, he could not defy father time and Napoles caught him at the right time. When the bell rang for the seventh round, the coaches threw in the towel and Chocolate conquered the first professional boxing world title. One of the other losses was a split decision to Percy Manning (whom he rematched and stopped in 1 round). If you've never seen it, take a look: 1. Aug. 2004.Fighting "a bit heavy," loses to Cuban Yanqui Diaz in a 1st round KO Ramos beat some mid-level players (former world champion Raul Rojas and future world champion Chango Carmona) but went 1-3-1 in his final 5 fights. He even upset greats Ezzard Charles and Holman Williams. Chocolate won 45 fights until August 7, 1930, when he was defeated by Jack Kid Berg. His record as a professional is made up of 17 wins, no defeat. Cuban Boxers Take Center Stage In Brooklyn Main News 18-Jan-19 Former 154-pound world champion Erislandy Lara seeks to return to the championship ranks when the Cuban boxer challenges undefeated contender Brian Castaño for his WBA Super Welterweight title on Saturday, March 2 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. His name was none other than Sugar Ray Robinson. Cubans are known for boxing the way Brazilians are for soccer -- and the trade in Cuban boxers ⦠And he wouldn't have won that round without the knockdown. But I'll get back to that. And as I mentioned earlier, Tony Canzoneri vs Kid Chocolate I was one of the greatest fights I've ever seen. How does the tiny island of Cuba produce the world's best boxers? Cuban boxer Teofilo Stevenson, the three-time Olympic heavyweight champion with a devastating right hand and a gentlemanly demeanor, has died. And no matter how skilled you are sometimes, if you fight enough times, you're eventually going to run into someone that won't fold. Rodriguez's record going into the first Rondon battle was an impeccable 87-6, with half of the losses coming to Griffith. After the victory at the Australian city, the Cuban pugilist wanted to keep on fighting because he was still strong, but the rules established at the time by the International Association stopped amateur boxers to stay on the ring after they were 32 years old. But while Griffith was the second fighter to become a 6 time world champion, back when this feat was extremely difficult no matter how good the fighter, Gavilan got to fight the original. Zivic made it close by utilizing his massive experience (most notably of the illegal arts) while Gavilan just had to rely on ability. When a champion, for reasons beyond his control such as an illness or injury, is unable to defend his title within the normal mandatory time, the sanctioning bodies may order an interim title bout and award the winner an interim championship. National Playa Girón Games champion, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990. Like Rigondeaux, Kindelan, Hernandez, Vera, Savon, and Stevenson were all at least 2 time Olympic Gold Medalists. The bout is significant because it represents the first time in over 50 years that Cuban authorities will allow their boxers to compete in a pro format since this [â¦] Donaire himself actually thinks he won the fight, HBO put out a concise video adequately explaining how scoring works, Donaire vs Rigondeaux: Live results, fight time, TV schedule, previews, recaps and more, Avanesyan underlines the danger of a pressure fighter in win over Kelly, WATCH: Teofimo Lopez reacts to Valdez’s monster KO of Berchelt, Prograis: Broner is past his prime, doesn’t have it anymore. The current champions in each weight division are listed below. Gavilan first met Robinson in a 10 round non-title bout that sent his fans in an uproar when he was announced the loser. Four years later, he held the Olympic crown in Atlanta. This super heavyweight had a short but intense and successful boxing career. 8. 7. Full & latest Welterweight boxing rankings & champions. But for the hell of it let's say that Rigondeaux lasts all the way to 40. When taking into account this long period and the significant number of figures that have stood out, handpicking the very best turns out to be a complex task; but Panamericanworld has taken the risk to put on the table a list made up of 10 fighters that became legends of Cuban boxing. The World Series of Boxing (WSB) held a press conference ahead of the highly anticipated exhibition match between the Mexico Guerreros and the visiting Cuba Domadores. The ideology is that there's nothing patriotic about competing for money, a self-serving enterprise not for the greater good of the country. Quickly, here's a rundown of all the HOFers Gavilan beat: Ike Williams, Beau Jack, Billy Graham, Chuck Davey (WBHOF), Carmen Basilio, and Gaspar Ortega (WBHOF). This week: Best professional Cuban fighters of all time. In any event Berg gave Chocolate his 1st loss. So clearly he's a future hall of famer in my book too. His list of achievements includes four crowns in world championships, between 2011 and 2017, and the Olympic crown in the 81-kilogram category, obtained in 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Fortunately for you, you might actually learn something. The blood obstructed Mantequilla's vision and he kept getting caught with heavy shots over and over again. It was intense, skillful, and fought at a pace typical of wild brawls. Four years later, he stood out in Atlanta and met the records set by Stevenson and Papp in Sidney Olympic Games, which was his hardest event because his body was not the same at the age of 32. If that's the case then I apologize for what I'm about to tell you: you can't score. He was the obstacle former and future World welterweight champions Virgil Akins and Benny Kid Paret could never get around (went 2-0 against both). The Kid defended his crown in seven fights and couldnât be taken down. Benny Kid Paret: Paret, who debuted in 1954 at the age of 17, became a 2 time world welterweight champion by dethroning Don Jordan and Emile Griffith. Gaspar Ortega, who dropped back to back decisions to Fernandez, was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995. His resume is so deep I'm not even going to try to name all the rated fighters he defeated. Following the Dupas win Fernandez hit hard times against the likes of Emile Griffith, Gene Fullmer (where Fernandez rallied late to narrowly come up short of winning the National Boxing Association [NBA] World middleweight title), Dick Tiger, Joey Giambra, and Rubin Carter (where he was annihilated in 1 round). Maybe you think Donaire won too. 1. HBO - defeated Germany's Sinan Samil Sam in ten rounds. forms: { That is why he was given the “Val Baker” award, as the finest boxer in the Olympic event. Gavilan lost again, this time decisively, but made Robinson fearful of taking chances. However, I will concede that Casamayor should have lost to Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Years later Legra would become WBC champion again by stopping Clemente Sanchez in the 10th round, but unfortunately ran into the great Eder Jofre in his first defense. But then there was a bump in the road, a bump named Billy Backus. Jose Napoles: Like the welterweights listed earlier, "Mantequilla" shares the common trait of having a victory over Emile Griffith. Joel Casamayor: Admittedly, based on his official resume I clearly have "El Cepillo" rated too high here. Florentino Fernandez: "The Ox", recently departed (2013-01-28), is known as the greatest Cuban puncher of all time. His style is quite peculiar, since he keeps a low guard and his fast moves and dodges take rivals out of balance. One judge, several members of the press, and Bob Arum among others only thought Rigondeaux won the fight by 1 point. In the early 1960s Fidel Castro banned professional sports from Cuba in the name of Communism (not to be confused with wonderful economic system known as Socialism). Sugar Ramos: Ramos, aka the 4th greatest Sugar of all time (behind Ray Robinson, Ray Leonard, and Shane Mosley), became the undisputed featherweight champion of the world when he effectively killed WBHOFer Davey Moore. Napoles took a tune up fight before the rematch, but when it happened he returned the favor and stopped Backus on cuts. callback: cb The Kid became famous at the Northern territory because of his many wins. He became a world champion in 2005 and Pan-American champion in Río de Janeiro. Paret would then go on to lose the trilogy in a tragic fight, brilliantly documented in "Ring of Fire". He even fought in front of the Cuban public in Havana, against Billy Graham. Immediately, Hyde flashed back to 2001 in Belfast, to the time he met members of the Cuban national team at a pub following the World Amateur Boxing Championships. Surprisingly Paret was back in the ring with Griffith less than 6 months later and managed to eke out a 15 round split decision. Chocolate got all the way to 55-0-1 before his first loss to fellow hall of famer Jack 'Kid' Berg, and he probably should have won that fight too. } What Gavilan did do is perform the best out of all of Robinson's welterweight foes, along with Fritzie Zivic and Marty Servo. 36-0 / Based in Germany / Competes at heavyweight. Stevenson has been the best Cuban boxer of all time and the most famous amateur heavyweight in history. But hey, that's just an opinion. And that, combined with his resume, is the deciding factor that tells me Gavilan is the greatest Cuban pro fighter of all time. Robinson was the greatest welterweight of all time. But I digress. Griffith knocked Paret out with a pair of left hooks in the 13th round. Just learn about the fighters I named is all I can ask. (function() { Punches flowed seemingly effortlessly. He was starting to get old by then anyways. He really was as smooth as butter. In his amateur boxer stage, Guillermo Rigondeaux was by far the best man in his division (54 kilograms). Ten top Cuban boxers have been sent to Mexico for their first foray into the World Series of Boxing this week. He was 45-1-3 before losing to Saldivar (and the 1 loss was by disqualification to a man he rematched and knocked out). His final record stands at an amazing 133-11-4. })(); © COPYRIGHT 2018 - 2021, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If not for Cokes, Rodriguez is a top 5-10 welterweight along with Griffith. Kindelan won two Olympic crowns, in Sidney 2000, where he defeated Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik, 14-4, and Athens 2004, where the Cuban boxer beat British Amir Khan. They have since shut out the world entirely. So where does Guillermo Rigondeaux fit into all of this? window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { In the end Gavilan went 25 rounds with a prime Sugar Ray Robinson at his best weight and never went down or took a beating. World Champion 1986 ⦠2-time Cuban national champion ⦠junior World Champion 1983 ⦠1987 World Cup ⦠Pan Am gold 1987 ⦠Missed Olympics during prime due to 1984 and 1988 boycotts ⦠Competed in 1992 Olympics and lost in quarterfinals ⦠Boxing pros react to Broner’s rocky return win over Santiago. The Kid successfully defended this crown twice, against Fidel La Barba and British Seamond Watson. This brilliant fighter collected all the titles given by the International Boxing Association in different levels (world junior champion, world senior champion and Olympic champion). The other 2 losses came to Curtis Cokes, the only series of losses that actually hurts his all-time welterweight standing. Anyways, the 2nd time turned out to be the charm for Rodriguez as he became the first man to win the WBA/WBC welterweight titles (Griffith was awarded the titles by default since he was recognized as champion by both the NBA and the NYSAC). Yet again Legra fell victim to a close defeat. All of those guys are considered top 10 pound for pound today (Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, and Tim Bradley)! Moreover, Kindelan won three World Championships: Houston, 1999, Belfast, 2001 and Bangkok, 2003. listeners: [], National Youth Champion, 1983-85. Who else can say that? The order of the list is not so important. The much-anticipated fight took place in Philadelphia, on July 11, 1949. He was 60. "Cuban boxers are genetically predisposed to boxing. He won two Olympic titles: Sidney 2000 and Athens 2004. Ray was already retired and it was the proper time. He never lost the EBU title in the ring. Gerardo Gonzalez, “Kid Gavilan” is another great Cuban pugilist that developed most of his career in the United States. Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez square off in a highly-anticipated world title main event on ESPN and ESPN+. Just as impressively Chocolate also went 4-0 against Lew Feldman, a man that defeated 8 of the 12 world champions / claimants he faced. He even fought in front of the Cuban public in Havana, against Billy Graham. ); Neither was champion back then so they just had a standard 10 rounder (which Griffith won). He also conquered two world championships, in 2001 and 2005. Guillermo Rigondeaux, coming off the greatest professional win any Cuban fighter has had in a long time (arguably since Luis Rodriguez beat Emile Griffith), was already considered one of if not the greatest amateur of all time before hand. After Paret defeated Jordan it was only fair that he made his first defense against Thompson. Or at least, I probably would have scored it for him based on landing the cleaner, more effective punches (just the things boxing is actually supposed to be scored on). Griffith would go on to win the World welterweight championship twice before he met Rodriguez again, who improved his record to 50-2 (amazing considering who he was beating to do it). Baseball is Cuba’s national sport, but boxing has given the country the highest number of gold medals in the Olympic Games (37). Moreover, Vinent won three world championships: Tampere 1993, Berlin 1995 and Budapest 1997. Former world champion Douglas Rodriguez dies Includes mandatory positions. Subsequently all of his official losses after that really don't count. Gavilan didn’t have an impressive physic for a welterweight. It's truly remarkable what Rigondeaux has accomplished inside 12 fights but you have to remember those fights span a 4 year career. He was the itch Emile Griffith could never scratch (dropping 3 controversial split decisions to Griffith and besting him once). This list also includes Cuban exiles who have fought out of other countries. However, the deciding factor for why I rate Napoles as high as 3 is my appreciation for his craft. Ralph Dupas, who lost his only meeting with Fernandez by majority decision, would go on to become the unified WBC/WBA light middleweight champion of the world (back before the IBF or WBO existed). He moved to Mexico in 1962 and continued his professional career. Since then only 1 fighter has defected from Cuba, turned pro, and produced a great career. In fact, some of them were among the greatest fighters of all time. Gavilan had to wait another year. There was no quit in Napoles but the referee simply took pity on him early in round 4 and waved it off. Broner underwhelms in win over Santiago, Easter and Wallin victorious. Olympic boxing two-time gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez abandoned Cuba's national team during a training camp in Mexico, the Cuban Sports Institute said on ⦠Boxing pros react to Valdez upset, stunning knockout over Berchelt. But hey, this is all just speculation and you shouldn't really care about my ratings in the first place. 9. Balado stood out for his great moves on the ring, excellent techniques and powerful punches. Among other things, Cuba is famous for the exquisite aroma of its tobacco, natural beauty of its beaches, and one-of-a-kind taste of the rum made of sugar cane; but this Caribbean archipelago is also internationally renowned for the huge quality of its ball players and boxers, many of which could be included in any top 100 rankings of all time. But I must say that I have my doubts. Following the Ortiz defeats Ramos retired but returned 2 years later for a final run at glory. Backus rocked and cut Napoles in round 3 of their 1970 meeting and his corner was unable to control the bleeding between rounds. Central American Games champion, 1990 As an amateur fight, he had a record of 114 wins and only one defeat. But many of the people he beat were nothing to sneeze at. He amassed a record of 50-16-1, with 43 of his victories coming by way of knockout (16 of which came in succession). Just about any historian considers Ike Williams and Carmen Basiio bonafide all-time greats. And that's all I have to say about that... 4. Better yet, why not lose to nothing but hall of famers? This followed a 2nd round KO by Tony Canzoneri 2 fights before. In the February 2008 issue of The Ring, Gavilan was named the 3rd greatest welterweight of all-time. ... who was a Cuban national champion from 1964 to â67 before his parents whisked him to ⦠These two great titans were about to clash, but the duel was never held. A weekly boxing list compiled by Michael Rosenthal. Across Cuba today there are 494 boxing coaches and 185 facilities. The power of his punch was a legend and his was usually compared to Muhammad Ali. His disappearance there, accompanied by Rigondeaux, was very polemical. His Junior Light Weight Championship in 1931 made him the first Cuban World Champion. Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence (29 March 1952 â 11 June 2012) was a Logically, considering the available talent pool, the cold war between Golden Boy and Top Rank, and the limited amount of fights Rigondeaux has left, there's not a whole lot more he's likely to accomplish. The WBA and WBC may change the status of their inactive champions to Champion in Recess. Kid Chocolate: Eligio Sardinias Montalvo, also known as the Cuban Bon Bon, was the first Cuban to win a world title (back in 1931). Torres would later become the undisputed light heavyweight champion and get inducted into both the IBHOF and the WBHOF. Kid Chocolate (136-10-6, 51 KOs; 1927-38): The first great Cuban champion had it all.. 3. Nonetheless, Rodriguez still rates somewhere between the 10 and 20 best welterweights depending on how many times you think he actually beat Griffith. Each champion's professional boxing record is shown in the following format: winsâlossesâdrawsâno contests (knockout wins).Heavyweight (200+ lb/90.7+ kg)WBAWBCIBFWBOThe RingAnthony JoshuaSuper champion United Kingdom23â1 (21 KO)December 7, 2019Tyson Fury United ⦠It's one of the greatest wins a Cuban has had in the professional ranks in a very long time and puts Rigondeaux in the mix of the greatest Cuban pros of all time. Login to add posts to your read later list, The 10 Best Colombian Athletes of All Time, amateur boxer with the highest number of title in history. On July 2, 1994, the boxer was driving to his usual training session in Wajay, but his car was crashed by a train. Born Eligio Sardinas Montalvo, Kid Chocolate is credited as Cuba's first boxing world champion, having won the junior lightweight title in 1931. ⦠These stoppage defeats were the only ones of Chocolate's career but signaled a steady decline in his ring abilities. } If he retired today I still couldn't rate him in the top 10 but there's time for advancement. After Barcelona, Balado won his third world title, in Tampere 1993. 1990 - Junior World Champion. Guillermo Rigondeaux, 12-0 (8 KOs), is a 32 year old, unified super bantamweight world champion coming off the biggest win of his career after trouncing Nonito Donaire. I would have preferred to have just written undisputed light middleweight champion, but Emile Griffith held claim to a world title of his own. There was no second chance for the champion. Jose Legra: "Pocket Cassius Clay" won 54 straight bouts between a 1965 close loss to future world champion Howard Winstone and a 1969 close loss to Johnny Famechon, who took Legra's WBC featherweight title with him. People say that Cuba’s first boxing gym was opened as far back as 1910, so the country has over a century of history linked to this sport. While all the other Cuban welterweights on this list built their names off fighting Emile Griffith, Gavilan was retiring as Griffith was making his pro debut. But in case you're unfamiliar with Williams, let's just say that Roy Jones Jr might not be the greatest fighter from Pensacola, Florida. Fight #64 saw Napoles dethrone Curtis Cokes, who had become undisputed welterweight champion shortly after stopping Luis Rodriguez in 1966. This prodigious athlete is the amateur boxer with the highest number of title in history. Kid Tunero: Evelio Celestino Mustelier (birth name) retired just 6 shy of 100 wins but never eclipsed a national championship. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read A Cuban Boxer's Journey: Guillermo Rigondeaux, from Castroâs Traitor to American Champion. Savon fought in the 91-kilogram category and his Olympic reign began in Barcelona, 1992. Adrien Broner returns to the ring to face Jovanie Santiago in tonight’s Showtime main event. You can contact him on twitter (@sweetboxing) or through email (rgbivins@gmail.com). Despite the tragedy, Ramos went on to successfully defend his crown 3 times before being stopped by the great Vicente Saldivar. You can find my thoughts below, although I don't put a lot of stock into my order after the top 4. Kid Gavilan: The Cuban Hawk, a human highlight reel that fought the best of the best from welterweight to middleweight, stuck around the sport years after his expiration date and kept fighting murderer's row yet never got stopped and kept pulling out meaningful victories in between the losing streaks. } 1998 - WBC cruiserweight champion. The rematch went in Benny's favor but he lost the title in his next defense to Griffith. On May 18, 1951, in a crowded Madison Square Garden, New York, Gavilan defeated Johnny Bratton in 15 rounds and became world champion in the welterweight category. Most Read Nation & World ⦠In the conversation of greatest amateurs are fellow Cubans Mario Kindelan, Ariel Hernandez, Angel Herrera Vera, Felix Savon, and Teofilo Stevenson. At the Canadian city, the Cuban fighter delivered four KOs. The Cuban athlete got the world welter crown on April 18, 1969, after prevailing over Curtis Cokes in thirteen rounds, in Inglewood. But hey, @#$% happens. Getting back on subject, who are the 10 greatest Cuban pro boxers of all time and where might Rigondeaux fit in one day? But hey, if your first loss is to a hall of famer, who cares? And that's exactly what Chocolate did through his first 100 bouts. Eligio Sardiñas, known as “Kid Chocolate”, can be described as the most complete Cuban boxer in the first half of the 20th century. Unlike Rigondeaux, none of them turned professional. “Mantequilla” Nápoles is described as one of the most technical Cuban boxers of all time. One of his most famous fights was held against Al Singer, at Polo Grounds stadium, on August 29, 1928. The third Olympic title allowed him to reach the record set by Hungarian Lazslo Papp and the list of three-time champions was later joined by another Cuban pugilist: Felix Savon. All in all, he had 247 fights, won 243, and only lost 4. Balado first made headlines back in 1987. Nonetheless, Ramos still managed to retire with an impressive 55 wins, 7 losses and 4 draws. As it turned out the 4th Griffith fight was Rodriguez's last shot at the welterweight crown, so he started to more regularly take fights at middleweight. He retired with a final record of 135 wins, 10 losses, and 6 draws (with at least 1 newspaper decision). And at the very least Beau Jack and Billy Graham aren't people anyone regrets voting into the IBHOF. Related Article: The 10 Best Colombian Athletes of All Time. 6. Teofilo Stevenson has been the best Cuban boxer of all time and the most famous amateur heavyweight in history. His first fight with Canzoneri, the World Lightweight Champion, was one of the greatest battles I've ever seen. It wasn’t just a win, it was domination for Oscar Valdez against Miguel Berchelt. As a professional fighter, “Mantequilla” got 77 wins, 54 of which finished with a KO, and he lost seven fights. Fernandez never won a world title nor has he been inducted into an "international boxing hall of fame", but some of his victims were fortunate enough to garner such honors. So if I had to guess, I'll probably rate him over Florentino Fernandez one day and perhaps Benny Kid Paret. Boxing is a popular sport in Cuba.As of 1992, there were over 16,000 boxers on the island. He simply had intangibles the others did not. The Brazilian authorities sent both fighters back to Cuba. The five Cuban boxers who won the gold medals were light flyweight Joahnys Argilagos, flyweight Yosbany Veitia, light welterweight Andy Cruz, light heavyweight (81kg) Julio Cesar La â¦
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