Cuban boxers

[stu]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the reason why Cuban boxers do not turn professional?

Also, if they had have done, how succesful do you think the likes of Savon, Stevenson and Kindelan would have been?

[AJ53]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the reason why Cuban boxers do not turn professional?

Also, if they had have done, how succesful do you think the likes of Savon, Stevenson and Kindelan would have been?

they dont turn pro because prize fighting is banned in cuba.
thats why there amatuers are so good.
if you wanna turn pro they have to defect ala casamayor.
i personally think think this is a robbery to the sport

[stu]

I have got to agree. Just watching the last Olympics I was impressed with the grace and style of the vast majority of the Cubans and was thinking to myself how good it would be to see them turn professional.

[triggerhappy]

they smoke to many cuban cigars

[whdempsey]

Because Cuba is a Communist country, and the party line is that sports' rewards is enjoyment, not money.

Historically, Cubans have been very good fighters, butover the past ten or so years the best has been Joel Casamayor. There are a few possible reasons that a country of such good repute has put forth so few champions in the recent past. One idea is that living the American life is too easy and they lose discipline. Ramon Garbey is a good example of this.

Another possibility is that Cuba's amateur program does not translate into good pros because it's a different game. Ever since the eighties the most important thing in the amateur game has been to land quick punches one at a time(too make sure each is counted) for just eight minutes. The ideal boxer for such a system would be fundamentally at odds with the pro sport. I think that Savon and Stevenson, and especially Stevenson, would have made good pros. Stevenson predated the current scoring system, and heavyweights will always transition more easily into the pro ranks than other fighters. The extreme emphasis on power in the heavyweight class makes this true. Kindelan would not have done so well.

[Deejay]

Cuba is a communist country where prize fighting is banned. I believe cuba would have a host of world champions if they were allowed to turn pro. I say this because I think boxing is almost a tradition in that country almost like soccer is to Brazil. Watching Kindelan dismantle everyone at the Olympics was great to watch in terms of pure boxing skill. Savon could also have dominated the heavyweight devision easily. Don King offered him $10 million to sign with him and Savon just replied "What is $10 million compared with the love of 10 million cubans" which I thought was a great quote. It is such a pity that the only time we really get to see them is at the olympics.

[THRILLAinmanila]

If Cubans were allowed to turn pro, I'd say they'll have at least 3 world champions in different divisions right now. But if you've seen how their fighters fared in the past Olympics, man they are deep in a LOT of divisions.

[Carlos Semanat]

they dont turn pro because prize fighting is banned in cuba.
thats why there amatuers are so good.
if you wanna turn pro they have to defect ala casamayor.
i personally think think this is a robbery to the sport

Unfortunetly for you I'am Cuban and I participated in the cuban boxing. Pro Boxing or prize fighting like most would call it is turned down by most if not all cubans do to the reason that we considere it Violent. It's not true to the sport, the Object of the game per say is to anialate your oponent. In cuban boxing or "Amateur Boxing" the objective is to beat your oponent by tactics,the trhill of the competition, love of the sport. When I watch pro boxing, it seems to me that they dont care about the sport just about the money.If they KILL the oponent "Oh Well" Amateur boxers are so good because they love the sport, no body is getting paid to box.
I read a thread that said that it is a robbery to the sport, in the contrary, as a matter of fact it keeps boxers learn to respect the game.
In cuba if a boxer is disrespectful off and/or on the ring he can not compete.
How many times have you seen this pro boxers act like idiots, but guess what , THERE PRIZE GOES UP!!!!
Its hard to answer the Question if cuban boxers would have been good at the pro level, Why? Because all the great ones would not have done it.
In 1976 $5 million was offered to Stevenson 81k Cuban Boxer to fight pro. HE said: "no gracias, mi deporte es el amateo"

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

[MISTA_SANDMAN]

Good feedback----- I just learned something new---- But they would be a force to reckon with-- Cubans and Puertoricans are almost identicle and look how many superior Puertorican boxers there have been-------

Unfortunetly for you I'am Cuban and I participated in the cuban boxing. Pro Boxing or prize fighting like most would call it is turned down by most if not all cubans do to the reason that we considere it Violent. It's not true to the sport, the Object of the game per say is to anialate your oponent. In cuban boxing or "Amateur Boxing" the objective is to beat your oponent by tactics,the trhill of the competition, love of the sport. When I watch pro boxing, it seems to me that they dont care about the sport just about the money.If they KILL the oponent "Oh Well" Amateur boxers are so good because they love the sport, no body is getting paid to box.
I read a thread that said that it is a robbery to the sport, in the contrary, as a matter of fact it keeps boxers learn to respect the game.
In cuba if a boxer is disrespectful off and/or on the ring he can not compete.
How many times have you seen this pro boxers act like idiots, but guess what , THERE PRIZE GOES UP!!!!
Its hard to answer the Question if cuban boxers would have been good at the pro level, Why? Because all the great ones would not have done it.
In 1976 $5 million was offered to Stevenson 81k Cuban Boxer to fight pro. HE said: "no gracias, mi deporte es el amateo"

FOOD FOR THOUGHT