Who's to Blame for the Lack of Progession of Cuban Boxers: Promoters or Fans?

[MalikKnucklez]

Outside of Florida & Jersey, there is no large Cuban community based in the U.S.

And even then, the Cuban community in places like Miami aren't boxing enthusiasts. (something that doesn't get talked about too much) A huge % of the Cuban American population in Miami are descendants of immigrants who left Cuba directly after the revolution. Mostly "white", a large part middle class with different aesthetic & cultural preferences than the generation that remains on the Island and was raised under the revolution (mostly Black from poor/marginalized backgrounds and a huge interest in sports/athletics). The Cubans involved in the Boxing community in the United States are recent immigrants or first generation Cuban-Americans.

The Cuban Revolution & the development of Boxing in Cuba go hand in hand.
That fan base won't change until relations between the U.S. & Cuba change.

[KnockUTheFukOut]

it is just a slow progression, this is the really the first group of MAJOR CUBAN TALENT defecting and coming over to the US to become PROS so it is going to take time to build up that fan base for Cuban fighters...it is not just in the US either though, you have Pablo Hernandez in Germany and Luis Garcia and Mike Perez in Ireland

but you don't try to stick them in no fukin Category, you let them go out and fight, you put them in big matches against Top Fighters and you let them FIGHT FOR A TOP SPOT

fans are so full of **** because first they say "A FIGHTERS STYLE IS WHAT SALE FIGHTS" then next thing you know they are making it about Race/Nationality

Gamboa exciting style in the ring has already built up a pretty decent fan base for him despite limited promotion from Top Rank, the problem is that the Promoters are focusing on promoting and protecting OVERRATED FIGHTERS, so instead of giving Gamboa a match with JuanMa, a fight that could of really elevated either fighter careers big time for who ever would have won, instead Salido destroys JuanMa twice then Top Rank is looking for a new guy to hype up for Gamboa to face, some was hyping up Mikey Garcia a few months ago, now I don't see people saying that anymore...now it is Adrien Broner who I am a fan of as well

but in 2-3 years that could truly be a MEGA FIGHT but it is up to the NETWORKS to chronicle these guys careers and slowly building it up, let them go their separate ways and then meet in a few years

So I think it is the Networks and Promoters who are dropping the ball, they are beting on the Wrong Horses, they are pushing a lot of "OVERRATED/AVERAGE FIGHTERS" and a lot of it has nothing to do with their Skills in the Ring, a lot of these guys are getting hyped up because of their LOOK and RACE, not so much their SKILLS IN THE RING and to me that is a DISGRACE TO BOXING and that is why it should be a Tournament in every Division so we can TRULY FIND OUT WHO THE BEST instead of going by what the Networks are trying to FORCE FEED YOU

But what will eventually happen is that despite all these other fighters getting more and more HYPE and expose, fans will start to say "HEY WAIT A MINUTE I KEEP HEARING THE HARDCORE BOXING FANS AT THESE FIGHT PARTIES TALK ABOUT THIS OTHER FIGHTER...WHY DON"T THEY FIGHT?"

Your actually already seeing it with Rigondeaux and Donaire...because of Donaire DUCKING AND AVOIDING Rigondeaux, it is starting to make other fans curious and they too will start asking for that match up, so those other fighters can have the HYPE and the FAME but eventually they will have to get into the ring with these guys and then we will see who is truly the better fighter(s) in then RING

[Money_May]

All I know is Gamboa is one of my fav fighters and I just want to see him back in action ASAP. Such a talent being wasted!!

[Light_Speed]

How did a guy like Arguello become so famous despite not having a big ethnic following in the US? Simple : he fought mexican fighters in the west coast and puerto ricans in the east coast. Can't build a following? Fight somebody who has one. Lara is fighting Hernandez in cali so it looks like his management finally got it. Rigondeaux fighting Casey in Ireland was also a nice career move, he needs to keep doing stuff like that. Go where the crowd is.

[-PBP-]

How did a guy like Arguello become so famous despite not having a big ethnic following in the US? Simple : he fought mexican fighters in the west coast and puerto ricans in the east coast. Can't build a following? Fight somebody who has one. Lara is fighting Hernandez in cali so it looks like his management finally got it. Rigondeaux fighting Casey in Ireland was also a nice career move, he needs to keep doing stuff like that. Go where the crowd is.

And that comes down to the promoters, right?. Golden Boy is not giving Lara the opportunity to fight Canelo, a mexican superstar on the west coast and Top Rank isn't giving Rigo the chance to fight Donaire in California.

[-PBP-]

The Cubans don't have the legacies that Mexican/PR fighters have in the pro ranks; although Cubans are very good in the amateurs.

Mexican and P.R fighters are all known for something. They have a trademark. I don't think Cuban fighters have that trademark.

IMO, the next nationality in line for earning the trademark for being known for something (toughness) are Argentinians.

I think the boxing community acknowledges Cuban fighters as skilled technicians. Much like black fighters. Although, you could argue black fighters from different parts of the country have different trademarks (A Philly fighter vs. a midwest fighter). But regadless, black boxing fans in general enjoy skill and showmanship.

I guess the question is "How do you market a skilled technician to the public?" It's already been proven it can be done. The biggest draw in the sport of boxing today is a skilled technician. It's just a matter of how much effort and how much risk do promoters want to put into the marketing of these fighters.

[MalikKnucklez]

I guess the question is "How do you market a skilled technician to the public?" It's already been proven it can be done. The biggest draw in the sport of boxing today is a skilled technician.

I agree. but he's also American, has had a 15+ year professional career and is one of the most flamboyant and colorful personalities in all of sports.

i think eventually fighters like Gamboa will have cross-cultural prominence regardless of background or large following, similar to what Sergio Martinez has been able to do. Simply because he's up there as one of the most exciting & explosive guys in the sport now. This will be a little more difficult for guys like Rigo and Lara.

[ИATAS]

because they are legit threats to other bigger stars.

Lara would likely beat Canelo.
Rigondeaux would possibly beat Donaire.
Gamboa would have beat Lopez (his recent inactivity is partially his own fault and I do believe gamboa was promoted fairly well and by far was/is the most popular).

[blak81]

The problem lies with the promoter. That's their job. Promote the fighters. The fans can only support fighters they know. If the fans don't know about them then the promoter isn't doing a good job of promoting them. Especially elite fighter like the three you mentioned.

[Doctor_Tenma]

The promoters and the fighters who choose to avoid the Cuban fighters.