If Cubans were allowed to turn pro, would Puerto Rico still be a powerhouse?

[CubanGuyNYC]

Yan Bartelemi (2004 Olympic Gold Medalist)
Olandier Solis (2004 Olympic Gold Medalist)
Yudel Johnson (2004 Olympic Silver Medalist)
Yordenis Ugas (2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist)

None of their amateur success translated to the pro ranks. It's pretty dumb to say guys that dominate in the amateurs would have the same success in the pros. Guys like Angelo Santana, Luis Franco, and Yordanis Despaigne haven't done too well either.

I don't think Cuba would be better than Puerto Rico. The cream would still rise to the top. There would probably just be a lot more Cuban busts, with the occasional Guillermo Rigondeaux, Yuriorkis Gamboa, or Yoan Pablo Hernandez rising to the top.

There's a lot of truth in your post, but not the way you intended. Sure, there will always be busts. But it stands to reason that a greater number of fighters will equal a greater number of champions. As small as Puerto Rico is, she still has hundreds more professional boxers than Cuba. Yet, how many champions does P.R. currently have? Cuba has only a few dozen pros worldwide, yet she has several more champions than Puerto Rico. Send over a few hundred more Cuban professionals and there's certain to be a few more champs. Hell, Mexico has thousands more pros than Cuba, yet she only outnumbers our champions by two or three. It's the law of averages, but some people want to portray it as a game of genetic superiority.

[Túpac Amaru III]

There's a lot of truth in your post, but not the way you intended. Sure, there will always be busts. But it stands to reason that a greater number of fighters will equal a greater number of champions. As small as Puerto Rico is, she still has hundreds more professional boxers than Cuba. Yet, how many champions does P.R. currently have? Cuba has only a few dozen pros worldwide, yet she has several more champions than Puerto Rico. Send over a few hundred more Cuban professionals and there's certain to be a few more champs. Hell, Mexico has thousands more pros than Cuba, yet she only outnumbers our champions by two or three. It's the law of averages, but some people want to portray it as a game of genetic superiority.

Cuba has a boxing school that funnels out those that don't belong, Puerto Rico and Mexico don't. Every Cuban boxer is the best of the best from their country. Puerto Rico and Mexico are full of a ton of tomato cans just making extra money on the side, so that law of averages is not necessarily correct. I just think things would be pretty much the same as it is now if there were more Cuban boxers.

[PRchamp]

I know one thing for sure, I'm watching a title fight in Havana,Cuba when communism is dead.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Cuba has a boxing school that funnels out those that don't belong, Puerto Rico and Mexico don't. Every Cuban boxer is the best of the best from their country. Puerto Rico and Mexico are full of a ton of tomato cans just making extra money on the side, so that law of averages is not necessarily correct. I just think things would be pretty much the same as it is now if there were more Cuban boxers.

Highly unlikely.

The process is much more complicated than you paint it. Yes, there are poor fighters trying to make a buck; but, because there are so many, you often get unheralded successes. In fact, that's usually the case, because neither Mexico nor Puerto Rico ever produce Olympic boxing champions. Of course, you would say that's because those countries don't concentrate on amateur boxing. You would have a point. But what if Cuba had the same conditions as Mexico and P.R.? When she did, she produced champions on at least the same order. Cuba had a professional world champion before either Mexico or Puerto Rico.

As for the current crop of Cubans being the best from their country, I don't completely agree. There are all kinds of athletes in Cuba that are steered to other sports for various reasons. Not to mention the fact that, as you yourself pointed out, amateur success is no guarantee of professional ability. There are probably a few Cuban boxers that couldn't cut the mustard on the Cuban amateur squad, but would make great pros. Mike Tyson, for instance, couldn't make the U.S. Olympic team. It was mainly because he was reared to fight as a pro from the beginning. The same can be said for Mexican and P.R. boxers. The same would be said about future Cuban pro boxers.

[The Gambler1981]

Yea if things just changed tomorrow and every thing was normal, the total number of Cubans starting out to box wouldn't really change but if they had a normal avenue to the pro less would go for as long as amateurs even if they were great thus giving more opportunity that way. Plus there would be a wider array of talent because it would be casting a wider net, a lot of talent would travel to the US, Mexico or Puerto Rico if their talent didn't suit the Cuban system so guys who can't get that second chance would now have other avenues.

There would be a lot more athletic talent overall coming out of Cuba period, for a long time because for a lot that would be the best way to make it.

It would effect the lighter classes most I reckon, because the bigger guys with real hand eye coordination would choose baseball.

[humanpunchingbg]

Wow are you guys really having a civilized discussion on PR, Mex and Cuba on BoxingScene?

[Túpac Amaru III]

Highly unlikely.

The process is much more complicated than you paint it. Yes, there are poor fighters trying to make a buck; but, because there are so many, you often get unheralded successes. In fact, that's usually the case, because neither Mexico nor Puerto Rico ever produce Olympic boxing champions. Of course, you would say that's because those countries don't concentrate on amateur boxing. You would have a point. But what if Cuba had the same conditions as Mexico and P.R.? When she did, she produced champions on at least the same order. Cuba had a professional world champion before either Mexico or Puerto Rico.

As for the current crop of Cubans being the best from their country, I don't completely agree. There are all kinds of athletes in Cuba that are steered to other sports for various reasons. Not to mention the fact that, as you yourself pointed out, amateur success is no guarantee of professional ability. There are probably a few Cuban boxers that couldn't cut the mustard on the Cuban amateur squad, but would make great pros. Mike Tyson, for instance, couldn't make the U.S. Olympic team. It was mainly because he was reared to fight as a pro from the beginning. The same can be said for Mexican and P.R. boxers. The same would be said about future Cuban pro boxers.

Complicated topic, lol. All I know is that more Cubans would be good for the sport as a whole, whether fans think they're entertaining or not. Puerto Rico vs. Cuba and Mexico vs. Cuba rivalries would be great for the sport. I think it'll be a while before Cuban fighters are accepted in the United States though. Boxing in the U.S. keeps a tight knit circle that makes it hard for other countries to get in. And given Cuba's situation it'll be even harder.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Complicated topic, lol. All I know is that more Cubans would be good for the sport as a whole, whether fans think they're entertaining or not. Puerto Rico vs. Cuba and Mexico vs. Cuba rivalries would be great for the sport. I think it'll be a while before Cuban fighters are accepted in the United States though. Boxing in the U.S. keeps a tight knit circle that makes it hard for other countries to get in. And given Cuba's situation it'll be even harder.

Yes, it's complicated. And, yes, more competition would be good for the sport. What's interesting -- and maddening to some of us Cuban boxing fans -- is that the Cubans who defected in recent years were greeted with much more fanfare than boxers from other nations. They were expected to take pro boxing by storm; and, of course, there was the mystique of the unknown. Soon thereafter, many of those same fighters, guys like Rigo and Lara, were dismissed as being "boring" and the fervor died down. I don't know if that window will ever open again the way it once was, but there was definitely a unique opportunity to impress.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Wow are you guys really having a civilized discussion on PR, Mex and Cuba on BoxingScene?

Yeah...give it time.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Yea if things just changed tomorrow and every thing was normal, the total number of Cubans starting out to box wouldn't really change but if they had a normal avenue to the pro less would go for as long as amateurs even if they were great thus giving more opportunity that way. Plus there would be a wider array of talent because it would be casting a wider net, a lot of talent would travel to the US, Mexico or Puerto Rico if their talent didn't suit the Cuban system so guys who can't get that second chance would now have other avenues.

There would be a lot more athletic talent overall coming out of Cuba period, for a long time because for a lot that would be the best way to make it.

It would effect the lighter classes most I reckon, because the bigger guys with real hand eye coordination would choose baseball.

Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban Cincinnati Reds closer, wanted to be a boxer. I don't know exactly why that didn't come to pass, but what would've happened if he'd been chosen to box? We would never have seen one of the premier closers in baseball. We would never have seen that 105 mph fastball, the fastest recorded pitch of all-time. I believe the same can be said about Cubans in other sports. What potentially great boxers were selected to compete in other disciplines? We'll never know, but I'm convinced they're out there.