Why Cuba’s Olympic boxers disguised themselves as GIRLS to flee and turn professional until 60-year rule was overturned
CUBA are the kings of amateur boxing – but for six decades they were BANNED from turning professional.
It left some of their great champions of the past left to flee the country, often on speed boats and even disguising themselves to do so.
Turning pro in Cuba was prohibited since 1962 because their late leader Fidel Castro regarded it as corrupt.
So Cubans were convinced to box for country, not cash.
So much so that heavyweight legend Felix Savon – a three-time Olympic gold medalist – turned down the chance to face Mike Tyson.
Legendary but controversial promoter Don King offered Savon numerous multimillion-dollar offers to defect and fight superstar Tyson.
But his response? “Why would I box for a $1m when I can fight for 10 million Cuban people?”
Despite Savon’s loyalty to the amateur code, not all of his countrymen were willing to do so.
Many of Cuba’s 2004 Olympic standouts in Athens took the plunge to leave and chase their world title dreams in America.
Odlanier Solis, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Yan Barthelemy all sold their medals won in Greece for as little as £1,000 to buy food for their families.
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Then, while travelling to a team training camp in Venezuela in December 2006, they made a run for it and headed to Colombia.
From there, they went to Germany and signed professional contracts while awaiting US visas.
It inspired Guillermo Rigondeaux and Erislandy Lara – both future world champs – to do the same until their efforts in 2007 were initially foiled.
The pair disappeared while representing Cuba in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and were sent back home.
According to The Independent, they were dressed up as women to slip through Brazilian security, but were sensationally captured in a BROTHEL.
Both were then banned from ever representing Cuba again which only proved to encourage them to try to escape once more.
And by 2009 they had each successfully defected to America, with Rigondeaux and Lara later going on to win world titles as pros.
With five of their former Olympians tempted over to the paid ranks, Cuba suffered somewhat of a crisis at Beijing in 2008.
For the first time since 1988, they left the Games without a single gold medal in boxing.
But it did not last long, because in London four years later they twice won gold and another two bronzes.
Perhaps what was even more appreciated, no one from the team immediately turned over.
However, by the time the next Olympics finished in Rio, Lenier Pero, Robeisy Ramirez and Joahnys Argilagos all defected.
Cuban authorities then had a fight on their hands to convince their Tokyo 2020 stable to remain put after the Games were delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
And they successfully did so and Cuba topped the medal charts with four golds and one bronze.
Julio Cesar La Cruz, Arlen Lopez, Roniel Iglesias and Andy Cruz took gold while Lazaro Alvarez left with bronze.
Despite Cuba’s years of in-fighting to keep their top names from fleeing to turn pro – everything changed in 2022.
Because Cuba finally ended their 60-year ban on pro boxing and gave the green light for fighters to turn over.
And in turn, some boxers chose to divide their commitments to the amateur and pro codes following a separate controversial ruling.
In 2016, boxers with pro records were welcomed back into the Olympic amateur scene.
From Cuba’s last pack of medalists, only Cruz decided against it as he stands 3-0 and already touted for world titles.
But 2-0 heavyweight La Cruz – who was eliminated in the last 16 in Paris – and 3-0 middleweight Lopez – through to the quarter-finals – returned to the amateurs.
It is a sign Cubans are still committed to the amateur code despite the allure of prizefighting paycheques and world title honours away from home.