Battle of the Undefeated- Mexico v. Cuba

[CubanGuyNYC]

Cuba ain't got a lot of dogs in the game, but the ones they do have are pretty good.

True statement. That's because all the better Cubans, like the ones you mentioned, were highly successful amateurs. Gamboa won an Olympic gold medal; Rigo won two. Lara was an amateur world champion. These aren't run-of-the-mill fighters. While it's true that a great amateur career is no guarantee of pro success, it's a pretty good indicator of professional potential.

For the record, my picks are: Lara, Rios (hopefully I'm wrong about this one) and Rigondeaux.

[CubanGuyNYC]

That'll change as more Cuban Olympic & National Champs defect at younger ages, which is becoming easier and easier to do. I think Gamboa's success opened the floodgates on that one.

then u have cats like IBF, WBA & Ring Cruiserweight champ Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1) who are hell bent on fighting overseas, specifically in Germany.

I think you're right. Over the years, there have been occasional defectors. Very few, really. The most notable success was Joel Casamayor. (No surprise, he was an Olympic gold medallist.) But the number of Cuban athletes in general defecting from the island has increased dramatically as of late. It seems that there's no end in sight. As more of these athletes leave the island, more Cubans are inspired to do the same. My guess is that we'll not only see many more defectors turning pro in the near future, but more Cuban-Americans being inspired to try their luck in professional boxing.

Victor Hugo once said, "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come." For Cubans, at least as far as pro sports are concerned, our time may be at hand....

[Fistic]

That'll change as more Cuban Olympic & National Champs defect at younger ages, which is becoming easier and easier to do. I think Gamboa's success opened the floodgates on that one.

then u have cats like IBF, WBA & Ring Cruiserweight champ Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1) who are hell bent on fighting overseas, specifically in Germany.

Hope to see more of that talent.

[Fistic]

I think you're right. Over the years, there have been occasional defectors. Very few, really. The most notable success was Joel Casamayor. (No surprise, he was an Olympic gold medallist.) But the number of Cuban athletes in general defecting from the island has increased dramatically as of late. It seems that there's no end in sight. As more of these athletes leave the island, more Cubans are inspired to do the same. My guess is that we'll not only see many more defectors turning pro in the near future, but more Cuban-Americans being inspired to try their luck in professional boxing.

Victor Hugo once said, "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come." For Cubans, at least as far as pro sports are concerned, our time may be at hand....

Nice.......

[Fistic]

Thanks to all the contributors to the thread.

Hopefully the Gamboa v. Rios match still gets made.