wow, cotto's trainer left his family?

[Mr. Fantastic]

You can see dude is very dedicated to his work. Pretty sure he would be dedicated to his family as well if he had them.

[SonOfCuba]

I'm from cuba, there family is the most important thing in life.

I've had to leave my family, for a better life, many years of suffering but in the end we are all better off.

I truly understand what he is doing because I have gone through it.

Would you rather stay with your family in a place which has no future, or leave by yourself and provide for them to live comfortably even if you have to suffer the burden of not being with them every day.

Its a hard choice but one that a man has to make.

[Khalid X]

im not sure if i agree with his comments about "boxing being his family". . . Maybe your second family, but you got a kid! and a wife, yo! they must be disgraced in cuba because of the attitudes towards leaving for america. .

i don't see how he could send them money, either - you know they would tax and take it. . .

im just not sure if his priorities are right. . . for cotto, yes, it is a good thing because the guy seems to be IN LOVE with boxing. . .

but as a grown ass man, you got grown ass man responsibilities. . . i don't know. . nobody can cast judgment on another, but i just don't know if i agree.

I'm sure he will eventually have his family in the U.S.

Cuba is a terrible place to live due to the way their govermnent is setup, so it's better to make a short-term sacrifice for a better life in the long run (for him and his family).

[Phil Ivey]

It's 2011 and its still sad to see the state of some countries.

[Khalid X]

Actually I think he purposely acted as if it didnt bother him in case the higher ups in Cuba seen the interview. Why should he show them that he's desperate to get his family to America? You think they're happy that he left Cuba and the Cuban Olympic team to come to America? Maybe he figures if he acts like he dont care about his family then they wont have no problem letting them come to America. Thats my take on it but who knows?

That's what I thought as well.

When you leave Cuba your considered a traitor and not allowed back.

Do you honestly think the guy is gonna get on TV and say "Yeah when I get enough money I'm sending for my family as they are the most important thing to me?"

The best thing is to act like he doesn't give a ****.....get the money etc together and sneak them over to the US in a few years.

[UglyPug]

He'll find a way to bring his family over.

These are hardships people go through. Nobody should be judging them because they've never been in that position.

I do disagree with some of the stuff he said, but if that was the only way I could take my family out of a bad place and bring myself foward.

I'll do it.

good point. . . maybe he does plan to get his family over eventually. . . but the way he was talking about it, it's like he didn't miss them, or didn't even have a second thought about leaving them behind. . . i know a lot of times the man will first leave, and then when he gets a stable setup in a country, he will send for his family. . . but with the way it is in cuba, it seems like it wouldn't be that easy for him to send for them - they would be at a huge risk of being caught. . . i guess he left them in good hands - maybe they were in good shape financially, and other family is there to take care of them.

and like i emphasized, im definitely not judging him. . .

[UglyPug]

I'm sure he will eventually have his family in the U.S.

Cuba is a terrible place to live due to the way their govermnent is setup, so it's better to make a short-term sacrifice for a better life in the long run (for him and his family).

very good point. . .

[UglyPug]

I'm from cuba, there family is the most important thing in life.

I've had to leave my family, for a better life, many years of suffering but in the end we are all better off.

I truly understand what he is doing because I have gone through it.

Would you rather stay with your family in a place which has no future, or leave by yourself and provide for them to live comfortably even if you have to suffer the burden of not being with them every day.

Its a hard choice but one that a man has to make.

you definitely have the most input on a situation like this, being from cuba.

can you tell me exactly how bad it is if you are caught trying to defect? do they just bring you back? or is there punishment like jail, fines, etc?

do most of the citizens there understand and sympathize with people who want to leave? or do they buy into the propaganda that they are traitors?

[UglyPug]

You can see dude is very dedicated to his work. Pretty sure he would be dedicated to his family as well if he had them.

he does. . . he is going to be the future prototype for top trainers. . . there will be a shift from the old school mentality of trainers to this new school of trainers who not only have experience boxing, but are also college educated, and know how to approach the sport from a scientific angle. . .

you definitely need to keep some of the old school training methods; they will always be crucial - the heavy, double-end, and speed bags. . . skipping rope. . . road work, etc. . . but if you want to be competitive, and stay ahead of, or evolve with the curve, you GOT to be able to take new approaches with exercises and what not. . .

this guy is like alex ariza (or a top conditioning coach), a nutritionist, AND a boxing guru like roach or steward packed into one. . .

Cuba has THE BEST amateur system in the world. . . They are ahead of the curve. . .

[SonOfCuba]

you definitely have the most input on a situation like this, being from cuba.

can you tell me exactly how bad it is if you are caught trying to defect? do they just bring you back? or is there punishment like jail, fines, etc?

do most of the citizens there understand and sympathize with people who want to leave? or do they buy into the propaganda that they are traitors?

just think about this, my brother is 43, went to premier school in cuba, was top of his class, has been an engineer since he was 24 in the capitol of Havana, and one of the top ones at that... he makes $18/month.

there is no future for anybody there. Gamboa for example had to sell his gold medal just so he can give his daughter a 1st year birthday party, and he was a top athlete in cuba.

In regards to leaving, everybody wants to... but only few have the balls to do, if you leave and get caught all that happens is that pretty much you start back from zero, you loose your job etc, but no punishment like jail etc, thats all made up stories. And people look at you as a brave soul not a traitor.