“What are eight million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans?” That was the response of Cuba’s late, great, Olympic champion Teofilo Stevenson each time he was asked why a fight with Muhammad Ali never materialised in the 1970s.
In 1962, Cuban boxers were banned from cashing in on prize fights. Not long after taking power, Fidel Castro banished professional sports, focusing the nation’s athletes on Olympic and amateur contests.
Pugilists were left with an impossible choice - stay home and box for a humble communist wage or leave their beloved homeland and families in pursuit of mainstream glory.
But on May 20, in the city of Aguascalientes in Mexico, Golden Ring Promotions hosted a show in conjunction with the Cuban Boxing Federation (CFB) allowing its boxers to compete professionally for the first time in six decades.
“For many years we have studied the possibility of entering the professional rankings,” Golden Ring president Gerry Saldivar told the BBC. “There must be an organic, progressive and smooth transition. It’s an exciting moment for Cuban boxing and world boxing in general.”
‘My greatest fear was being forgotten’
Six elite Cuban boxers impressed at the inaugural event, five with stoppage wins. Among them were Olympic champions Julio Cesar la Cruz, Roniel Iglesias and Arlen Lopez, who beat Ben Whittaker at the Tokyo Olympics.
Yet pockets of scepticism still surround the deal.
Why has the CFB now changed its stance - and why is a relatively unknown Mexican organisation involved with the deal?
Having served as a consultant to Cuban Boxing since 2013, Saldivar feels his company is the perfect partner to revolutionise the sport.
Purse percentages were split 80/15/5 between fighter, trainer and medical staff - a wage share agreed for all the shows. While Saldivar’s vision sounds promising, it’s hard to predict if the deal will spawn more champions. (BBC)