Rigondeaux, Lara, Gamboa...

[ggg_kz]

I liked the way Perez was boxing for the first 4 rounds against Jennings, but afterwards blah... Gamboa did well as well. Hell, eve Lara was outboxing Canelo in the first half. I would say cubans look very good in the first half of the fight.
I think it has something to do with the stamina as they are adjusted for 3 rounds for a long amateur career. And if I add something like lack of discipline after getting to the big stage since escaping Cuba - that would be a total guess, and you'd better ask Cuban posters in here to comment.

[Art-illery]

It only confirms the Cuban School's success that people jump on examples like Gamboa losing to Crawford. A fight which he certainly got beat up in but equally certainly had much success in and hurt Crawford in the final round. In my opinion Crawford is a damn good fighter, and although Gamboa's choice was to fight in that division he was way out of his element and rusty as hell.
Look at Gamboa's pro career to that point, a good few titles, at different weights, an unbeaten record, builled a better Salido than who bullied Lomachenko etc etc. Gamboa ain't no joke.

As for being 3 round fighters, well to an extent that's true. They've fought approximately 300-400 times each over that distance and been taught the appropriate tactical knowledge. Is Usain Bolt a crap runner because he can't do a world beating 800m? If he'd been trained up that way maybe he would.
Hasn't anybody noticed that the Domadores have adapted perfectly to the 5 round format of the WSB? Why? Because they've adapted the school to meet these new demands. Trust me I have been studying it and have a whole load of documents about what they're doing differently now. They've also made adaptations to accommodate the high frequency peaking required for the WSB.
Gamboa et al came from an earlier version of the system and were not sculpted for pro boxing.
The Cubans were excited when the amateur format was changing back from 4x 2' to 3x 3' because it enables more of a tactical emphasis. Likewise with the more recent changes and the opportunity to compete (or should that be dominate?) in the WSB.

Regardless, I think the current crop of Cuban pros are doing themselves proud.
Gamboa, Lara, Rigondeaux, Hernandez, Abril, Barthélemy, all at top level, and that's not even mentioning all the other well ranked fighters out there.
Solís was a massive disappointment but even he, in crap shape and lazy as hell, got to a world title shot. Even the worst of these Cuban pros at getting somewhere based on the high skill levels.

Hate all you want but there's no denying that the Cuban system, designed purely to have its athletes excel at olympic style boxing, still turns out guys who can smash it in the pros.

Those new crop of kids are something else... I've paid attention to the Cuba Domadores of the WSB, and those kids got some heart! The crazy part about them is that they won the 4th season of the WSB in their debut season after the Cuban government lifted its ban on professional sports after damn near half a century. And they fought against a country known for its shady dealings in amateur boxing (Azerbaijan) in their own backyard in Baku. Those final fights were exciting as hell, and both teams put up one hell of a show! Some of those fighters like Robeisy Ramirez-Carranza (who was just put back in the national team after being suspended) and Roniel Iglesias-Sotolongo fight in an "Un-Cuban" like manner too. The newly defected former members of the Domadores like Marcos Forestal and Ramon Luis Nicolas are going to be interesting in showing us what the Cubans are now learning:



I always thought of amateur boxing was theoretically "purer" than pro-boxing, because of its high emphasis on technique rather than cheap bullying. These kids don't re-hydrate three to four weight divisions on the days of their fights, and cheap tricks won't cut it in those tournaments. The computerized scoring system wasn't the best in the world, and it did rob some of boxing finest athletes like Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. But how long can countries like the United States blame that computerized scoring system for not medaling in the Olympics? If anybody knows their boxing history, Cuba has had a boxing history that went past fighters like Guillermo Rigondeaux and Yuriorkis Gamboa. Kid Gavilan and Kid Chocolate fought with brass balls back in the day, and they were BIG waaaay before Castro took over Cuba from U.S. imperialism. So that computerized scoring system possibly could have affected other countries besides the U.S. There are other countries besides the U.S. and Mexico with exceptional boxing talents that could do very well in the pros. But they are under-represented in terms of financial support, because they don't have the ethnic and overwhelming nationalistic support like Mexico and Puerto Rico in the Americas.

Even if Cubans like Rigo and Lara were designed for that computerized system, you gotta think why they were taught in such a manner. The Cuban govt. probably thought to themselves that "these boxers were never going to box professionally, so why teach them the rough house tactics that the pros use?" As much as they know, they're still learning. For a country to be under-represented and not supported, I think Cuban boxers are doing pretty well representing themselves. Considering their circumstances surrounding political dealings in pro boxing in the Americas.


In London, it took a teenage young woman (Claressa Shields) to do a man's job (get a gold medal)... Rio 2016 is gonna be interesting going back to the 10 point system with no headgear. The U.S. Boxing team and Mexico don't have ANY EXCUSES not to medal... Since these countries produce the so-called "best boxers in the world."

[M Bison]

I'd much rather watch Mike Perez fight than Rigo or Lara, Gamboa is fine in my books though the other two I couldn't care less for.

[.:: JSFD26 ::.]

two?! Rigo and?

Revert to TS' s avatar.

Anytime a Cuban prospect defects I'm not surprised when they become successful in the sport. It's just become natural for Cuban's to succeed because the amateur system prepares them so well. There's been a few I can remember that have totally flamed out:

Yordanis Despaigne comes to mind, Yan Barthelemy, Odlanier Solis. But a lot take the sport seriously and it pays off for them.

Refer to the fighter below, Ramon Luis.

Good find. I was there for that fight and my dumbass forgot to record it. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to go.

[M Bison]

Oh yeah Yoan Pablo Hernandez is good to watch aswell forgot all about him probably because the yank boxing shows like HBO and Showtime don't pay much attention to that division.
Germans have the best of the CWs though.

[techliam]

Oh yeah Yoan Pablo Hernandez is good to watch aswell forgot all about him probably because the yank boxing shows like HBO and Showtime don't pay much attention to that division.
Germans have the best of the CWs though.

Hernandez only has a half recognised lineage, its highly debatable

[Bardock]

Who wouldve thought Cuba would have 2 lineal champs. How many current lineal champs does Mexico have?

LOL why bring up mexico? then you Cubans get all butthurt when we wreck your asssssss

[Bardock]

Revert to TS' s avatar.

Refer to the fighter below, Ramon Luis.

Good find. I was there for that fight and my dumbass forgot to record it. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to go.

All I see is another one-dimensional track runner throwing 1 2's against a bum, YAWN

[BoxingLaw]

Who'd knew they'd make it this far.

They're all great success stories. I'm proud of all of them.

[BendOver]

I'd much rather watch Mike Perez fight than Rigo or Lara, Gamboa is fine in my books though the other two I couldn't care less for.

And yet you have one of the K brothers as your avatar...