Any boxing fan who considers themselves more than a casual observer knows how dominant the Cuban national team has been in Olympic competition. The relatively small island with around 11 million residents has 29 men who have earned a combined 42 Olympic gold medals in boxing. Despite that impressive number, only four of those gold medalists have gone on to win world titles in the professional ranks.

This weekend, Andy Cruz – the 28th Cuban to win Olympic gold – will attempt to become the island’s fifth world titleholder. He will challenge Raymond Muratalla for the IBF lightweight belt on January 24 in the main event at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which will stream on DAZN.

The path from Olympic gold medalist to professional world titlist is well-traveled, but Cuban athletes have faced significant challenges in turning pro since 1962, when Fidel Castro imposed a ban on professional boxing.

There were plenty of accomplished Cuban professional fighters prior to the ban, including Kid Chocolate, Kid Gavilan and Jose Napoles, among others. The ban all but erased Cuba’s subsequent impact on professional boxing. The vast majority of those who turned professional did so after defecting to a neighboring country, with no guarantees they would be able to return to their homeland.

Although there have been plenty of defectors over the years, below we will focus on the 14 Cuban Olympic gold medalists who have ventured into the professional ranks since 1962, and try to determine where Cruz would fit based on the result of his showdown with Muratalla.

The one-and-dones

Juan Bautista Hernandez (1980 at bantamweight), Juan Carlos Lemus (1992 at light middleweight) and Jorge Gutiérrez (2000 at middleweight) all captured Olympic gold and turned professional for a single professional bout – and all came many years after their Olympic triumphs.

Hernandez was forced to retire early from the amateur ranks due to a recurring hand injury; he turned pro much later and won a single bout in 1994 against an opponent with a 4-3 record, and then decided to hang up his gloves for good. 

Lemus married a Spanish woman in 1999 and moved to her home country. He had his only professional fight at the age of 34 in 2000, 19lbs heavier than when he won his gold medal. Lemus won on points against a 2-12 opponent. 

Gutiérrez fought his only professional bout in 2010, winning against an opponent with a 1-3 record at a weight 34lbs heavier than when he won his gold medal. 

Boxing fans will never truly know if these amateur standouts could have accomplished more in the paid ranks had they turned professional closer to their physical prime and fighting weight.

The loyalists

The Cuban government made a surprising announcement in April 2022 that Cuban boxers would be allowed to fight professionally while continuing to compete for the island’s amateur program, reversing a 60-year ban on pro boxing. 

Julio César la Cruz (2016 at light heavyweight, 2021 at heavyweight), Arlen López (2016 at middleweight, 2021 at light heavyweight), and Roniel Iglesias (2012 at lightweight, 2021 at welterweight) were the first group of Olympic gold medalists still fighting for the national team to make their professional debut in May 2022 on a card in Mexico. Erislandy Alvarez made his professional debut in early 2023 and later captured a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics to become the 42nd and most recent entrant into the Cuban Olympic gold medalists club. At the time this article was written, la Cruz, López, Iglesias and Alvarez were a cumulative 20-0 (11 KOs), all having cruised against overmatched opposition in those fights.

It is unclear if the plan is to step up the level of opposition for this group with the hopes of eventually landing each a world title shot, or if these fights are simply for the sake of giving a wider audience a chance to see these four in action. This group very much remains in a wait-and-see pattern.

Unfulfilled expectations: Yan Barthelemy (2007-2015)

2004 Olympic gold medalist Yan Barthelemy (light flyweight) made his professional debut in 2007, not long after turning 27 years old. After winning six bouts against low-level competition, he was upset via unanimous decision by 6-4 journeyman Ernie Marquez.

He rebounded with two wins, including a victory over an opponent with an 8-0 record, before suffering a knockout defeat against undefeated Jorge Diaz. Barthelemy once more tried to right the ship, winning four consecutive fights, including a win against another undefeated opponent, but ultimately suffered his third loss in 15 fights against unbeaten Sakhib Usarov. After the loss to Usarov, he took a nearly three-year hiatus from the ring before winning one last bout in 2016 against an opponent with a losing record.

There is not an obvious reason why Barthelemy’s sparkling amateur credentials did not translate to the professional ranks. Barthelemy’s career serves as a reminder that no one is guaranteed success in professional boxing, regardless of amateur pedigree.

The unsuccessful title challenger: Odlanier ‘La Sombra’ Solís (2007-2016)

Odlanier Solís won Olympic gold in Athens at heavyweight looking cut and in good shape in his 200-pound frame. He looked anything but in his professional debut, tipping the scales at 258lbs. 

Despite carrying the extra weight, Solís used his quickness, accuracy and technique to build a 17-0 record, with wins over former world title challengers Monte Barrett, Carl Davis Drummond and Ray Austin. This netted Solís a shot at Vitali Klitschko for his first world title challenge.

Klitschko and Solís provided an interesting first round, with Vitali pawing with his jab and shooting right hands to dictate distance, and Solís landing several flush counters. However, nearing the end of the first round, Klitschko landed a glancing blow near Solís’ temple, causing him to awkwardly stumble back and collapse under his own weight. He was quickly counted out and lost the bout via first-round knockout.

The injury turned out to be serious, as Solís tore his ACL and external meniscus. He required multiple surgeries and was kept out of the ring for over a year. Once he was medically able to fight again, Solís won three comeback fights before losing a pair of bouts to contender Tony Thompson. After the losses to Thompson, Solís took an 18-month sabbatical and then returned to the ring. He picked up two easy wins against opponents with losing records and has not been seen in a professional bout since.

The champions

Robeisy “El Tren” Ramírez (2019-present)

Robeisy Ramírez picked up gold medals in both the 2012 London (flyweight) and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics (bantamweight). He seemed like a safe bet to capture a third gold medal in 2020, given he would only be 26 years old when those games kicked off and had previously declared his intention to fight for Cuba in Tokyo. However, he surprisingly defected in 2018 during a Cuban national team training camp in Mexico.

Ramírez made his professional debut in August 2019 against Adan Gonzales. What was expected to be an easy fight turned disastrous almost instantly. Twenty seconds into the fight, Ramírez blocked a right hand and pulled straight back, leaving himself wide open for a left hand that put him on the floor. Ramírez never regained his footing, as the knockdown seemed to leave him rattled and unable to alter his strategy, resulting in a split decision loss in his professional debut.

After a serious discussion with promoter Top Rank, Ramírez rededicated himself to his training and preparation going forward. He put together 11 consecutive wins, defeating three undefeated fighters and avenging his loss to Gonzales, setting up a match against Isaac Dogboe for a vacant featherweight world title.

Ramírez was able to use his height and reach advantage to win rounds early. Dogboe never stopped trying to close distance to get back in the fight but was unable to consistently land his punches. Ramírez closed the show emphatically by scoring a knockdown in the 12th round on his way to winning a wide unanimous decision.

After making one defense of his new title, Ramírez put his belt on the line against a (then) relatively unknown fighter out of Mexico named Rafael Espinoza. Espinoza is listed at 6’ 1”, a full seven inches taller than Ramírez. In a back-and-forth fight that was listed in the Runners-Up section of The Ring’s 2023 Fight of the Year article, Espinoza bested Ramírez by split decision.

Ramírez won a comeback fight before taking on Espinoza again in December 2024. The rematch produced a more convincing result than the first, as Ramírez was defeated via TKO in the sixth round after suffering a broken orbital bone. He has since been out of the ring for over a year, and the rumor mill has been rather quiet about his future.

Yuriorkis “El Ciclón de Guantánamo” Gamboa (2007-2022)

Yuriorkis Gamboa won a gold medal in Athens during the 2004 Olympics in the flyweight division, then decided to defect and pursue a professional boxing career. After escaping to Europe, Gamboa won his first six bouts in Germany and Turkey before landing in Florida and becoming a regular on ESPN’s Wednesday and Friday Night Fights cards. Gamboa continued to increase the level of opposition with each match and continued to win handily, though he did see the canvas a little more frequently than expected given his blue-chip pedigree.

Gamboa picked up a “regular” world title, which eventually led to a showdown between Gamboa and Orlando Salido, who held a legitimate world featherweight title. Gamboa won a tough unanimous decision against Salido to remove any doubt whether he could truly call himself a professional world titlist.

Gamboa fought twice more at 126lbs, but his career stalled as he seemed to switch his focus to pursuing big money fights, causing significant promotional issues. Nearly four years after his win over Salido, Gamboa squared off against Terence Crawford for a lightweight title, coming up short in a thriller.

Gamboa continued to fight, going 7-1 over the next five years, although he seemed to have lost the explosiveness that allowed him to rise to the top of the featherweight division. He then became an opponent to the upper echelon of the lightweight ranks, losing consecutive fights to Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Isaac Cruz. He has not stepped into a professional ring since 2022.

Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (2009-present)

At the conclusion of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Guillermo Rigondeaux’s credentials included a 108-4 record with two Olympic gold medals to his name, both at bantamweight, making him one of the most accomplished amateurs of all time. Rigondeaux’s initial attempt to defect in 2007 was unsuccessful. He successfully defected to Mexico City in 2009 and made his way to Miami to begin his professional career.

Rigondeaux was moved quickly as a professional and challenged Rico Ramos for his 122lb world title in his eighth professional bout. Rigondeaux limited Ramos to 15 landed punches in six rounds, and Rigondeaux ended the fight on a thunderous body shot.

After a couple of successful title defenses against younger fighters stepping up in class for the first time, Rigondeaux signed to fight pound-for-pound-ranked Nonito Donaire on HBO. Although Donaire was favored, it was Rigondeaux who controlled most of the fight with sharp counterpunching. Donaire scored a knockdown late in the fight, but Rigondeaux held on to win a unanimous decision, unifying two world titles in the process.

Unfortunately for Rigondeaux, HBO stopped airing his fights after his widely panned victory over Joseph Agbeko. Rigondeaux continued to defend his junior featherweight titles in relative obscurity after the fallout with HBO, before agreeing to move up two weight divisions to challenge fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasiliy Lomachenko.

While there was concern the difference in size could be the difference in this pairing, it turned out to be Lomachenko’s superior skill and quickness that won the fight for him. Rigondeaux was down on all three scorecards when he retired in his corner at the conclusion of Round 6.

Rigondeaux fought twice more at 122lbs before making a surprising decision at 39 years of age to move down in weight to bantamweight to fight Liborio Solis. Rigondeaux won a split decision against Solis to set himself up for a title shot against bantamweight titleholder John Riel Casimero. The fight ended with Rigondeaux losing a split decision. 

Rigondeaux followed up his loss to Casimero with another upset loss to a nondescript opponent before rebounding with three wins. It has been over a year since he has fought professionally, and at the age of 45, it is possible we have seen the last of El Chacal in the ring.

Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor (1996-2011)

Joel Casamayor captured gold in the 1992 Olympics at bantamweight but has said since that he did not feel valued by the Cuban government for his efforts. Wanting the opportunity to translate his talents in the ring to the monetary compensation necessary to provide a better life for himself and his family, Casamayor made the decision to defect to the United States with the intent of turning professional. 

Casamayor had qualified for the 1996 Olympics and was considered a favorite to win a second gold medal, but he left the Cuban national team’s training camp in Mexico two weeks before the Atlanta Games started. Not long after, he crossed the border to the United States to begin his pro career.

Over the next four years, Casamayor gained experience and a 20-0 record. He was given his first opportunity to win a world title against Jong Kwon Baek, which Casamayor won via TKO. He defended his junior lightweight title four times over the next couple of years (including a TKO win over former titlist Roberto Garcia) before facing off against Acelino Freitas in his first unification fight.

Freitas edged Casamayor via close unanimous decision, although there has been plenty of criticism regarding the referee’s handling of the bout as well as the scorecards the judges turned in. Casamayor would rebound by winning a few fights, including handing Nate Campbell his first defeat, before finding himself across the ring from Diego Corrales, which began a memorable trilogy.

Casamayor and Corrales seemed to present a classic boxer vs. puncher matchup, although no one gave that memo to either fighter. Casamayor, who was supposed to play the role of the boxer, won the first fight via TKO due to cuts. Corrales, supposedly the puncher, outboxed Casamayor in the rematch, winning a split decision.

The next few years were marked with mixed results, including an unsuccessful lightweight title challenge against Jose Luis Castillo and a draw against a young, undefeated Kid Diamond. Casamayor was at times criticized for fighting down to the level of his opposition during this era.

However, fortune smiled on Casamayor when he landed an opportunity to fight for the lineal lightweight championship against old foe Corrales, who had just won a unification bout against Jose Luis Castillo. Casamayor won the rubber match and the lineal championship via split decision.

After a year of inactivity, Casamayor was scheduled to make a routine title defense against little known Jose Armando Santa Cruz on the Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley PPV undercard. Casamayor looked like a fighter with very little left and seemed to be the clear loser (Harold Lederman’s HBO unofficial scorecard had Santa Cruz winning 118-109), but he was nonetheless awarded a split decision victory.

Casamayor understandably found himself as the underdog in his next bout against undefeated, hard-punching Michael Katsidis. However, Casamayor prevailed when a thunderous left hand clipped an overaggressive Katsidis, who left himself wide open for a counter while throwing vicious power punches.

Pound-for-pound-ranked Juan Manuel Marquez was Casamayor’s next fight. Casamayor turned back the clock and fought a spirited fight against Marquez before eventually being stopped in the 11th round. At the time of the stoppage, Casamayor was even with Marquez on two judges’ scorecards.

Casamayor only fought four more times after the Marquez bout. He had two easy victories against nondescript opposition and two one-sided losses against name opponents, with Robert Guerrero winning a wide unanimous decision against him and Tim Bradley stopping him with body shots.

Andy Cruz: The next champion? (2023-present)

As mentioned previously, Andy Cruz won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) and seemed ready to win another in 2024 given his dominant performance. He was selected to make his professional debut on the same 2022 card as fellow Olympic champions Julio César la Cruz, Arlen López, and Roniel Iglesias.

However, just days before the card was set to take place, Cruz was barred from traveling with the team to Mexico. The Cuban government cited poor performance and attitude in the gym, although there were whispers that the government was concerned about a potential defection attempt. When the relationship between fighter and national team seemingly severed, Cruz decided to leave the island to start his professional career.

Since turning professional, Cruz has amassed a 6-0 record against opposition typically reserved for more seasoned professionals. The combined record of those opponents was 132-22-6. Thus far, he has passed the eye test, with little concern regarding his style translating to the professional ranks.

Given the storied history of the Cuban amateur program and the very limited opportunities for its fighters to achieve professional glory, the January 24 fight between Cruz and Raymond Muratalla, 23-0 (17 KOs), is very interesting. Although Cruz’s professional career began in 2023, he is already 30 years old, so his title challenge against Muratalla may be his best shot to win a professional title.

If Cruz comes up short against Muratalla, he may end up in the unsuccessful title challenger tier with Odlanier Solís. However, a win will put him in the same conversation as Robeisy Ramírez and Yuriorkis Gamboa, with a chance to ascend to the levels of Guillermo Rigondeaux and Joel Casamayor and open up plenty of possibilities for him going forward. He could stay at lightweight and attempt to unify the remainder of the world titles. He could also move up to 140lbs to challenge amateur rival Keyshawn Davis or other big money fights.