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The Cuban Boxing and its History
The emergence of the Cuban boxing was bound to the North American cultural influence in the island.
It is considered that the Chilean John Budinich was who, in the first months of the 1910, inaugurated the first Havana Academy of Boxing.
In little less than two months its services were hired by the aristocratic VedadoTennis Club.
From that moment on the Chilean combined his private classes with public exhibitions to interest the youths and to enlarge the field of that sport practice.
Budinich counted among its students those that can be considered as the pioneers of the boxing in Cuba: Victor Achan, Tomas Galiana, Mike Febles y Bernardino San Martin. However, in 1912 the Secretary of Government Francisco Lopez Leyva dictated an ordinance in which any type of boxing encounter was suspended.
The Professional Sport Glories in the Cuban Boxing
Little time after the emergence of the Cuban boxing this sport was able to root in certain areas of the country and talents began to arise along the Cuban geography.
Matanzas developed Antolin Fierro, acknowledged as the true champion of the complete weights.
In that time there is also the fly weight Jose Garcia that faced the best ones in his division.
Cienfuegos had in this stage Sparring Caballero, Enrique Ponce of Leon – who ended up being 147 lb champion – and Generoso Pino that conquered the price in the flies pesos. Many are the figures of Sagua La Grande.
At the top of the list is Esteban Gallard – alias “Kid Charol ” an excellent medium weight -and then Ramon Cabrera, Roleaux Sagüero, Kid Molinet, Kid Rios, Juan Tapia y Young Molina.
In a same way it is important Luis Felipe Gutierrez, “Pincho”, who was the trainer of the world champion Kid Chocolate. Remberto Duo, Conguito Camagüey, Tony Dominguez and Joe Legon are important in the Camaguey area.
Among the main oriental boxers there were Bill Scott, John Herrera and Rich Goyito.
The list of the first regulars included names like Victor Achan (118 pounds), Tomas Galiana (126 pounds), Manolo Vivancos (135 pounds), Juan Suarez (147 pounds) and Anastasio Peñalver (more than 175 pounds).
The Cuban Boxing and its Amateurs Glories
Among the more outstanding amateur champions of the Cuban boxing are Adolfo Horta, Angel Herrera and Pablo Romero.
For the Reno World Cup Cuba presented its better boxers of the moment. Felix Savon finished all rivals in 91 kilograms, but the main headlines were for Teofilo Stevenson in one of its last international presentations.
In Reno, for the first time in history, the Cuban team conquered 7 of the 12 divisions and logically dominated the World Cup without problems.
Adolfo Horta will pass to be part of the records books without any doubts like one of the few fighters that conquered in the 54 kilograms in 1978, then passed at the 57 in 1982 and finally he competed in the 60 kilograms in 1986. In Moscow 1989 the Soviets presented a really strong team.
In this competition the referees made even the impossible to prevent Cuba from culminating in the first position and they achieved it when the Soviets won one more title than the Cubans, 5 for 4.
In this it notably influenced the outcome of the final combat in 51 kilograms, when the referees failed in favor of Yuri Arbachakov who thoroughly lost before the Cuban Pedro Orlando Reyes.
Felix Savon returns with its second gold medal to Cuba and Roberto Balado el Gordito debuts in more than 91 kilos who surprised all with this title.
