Cuba Opens it’s Doors to Professional Boxing Once More!
For the first time since 1962, Cubans can earn a professional wage boxing in their own native country. This is because the ban that former Prime Minister Fidel Castro put in place all those years ago has just been lifted. This is major news for the athletes that love the sport so very much. For the last six decades, Cubans raised in their internationally respected amateur program were forced to defect in order to delve into the professional ranks.
This was no easy endeavor though. Defecting required far more than simply packing one’s bag and strutting to the next town. It required a harrowing journey by boat that could very well prove to be fatal. If caught in the process, defectors had jail time to look forward to. Also, even if the escape was successful, this often meant leaving your whole family behind with no promise of ever seeing them again.
A BRAND NEW DAY
On April 16, Cuban Super WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas will take on Errol Spence Jr in a high-profile unification bout. Yet, to be there for this dustup, Ugas was caught and jailed attempting to defect on six separate occasions and only made it out on his seventh try. Even then, Ugas had to brave two consecutive days at sea traveling on rocky waters below and calamitous thunderstorms above.
Fellow Cubans, to highlight a few, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Joel Casamayor, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Luis Ortiz and Erislandy Lara all have their own personal tales of escape and later success in the US to tell. Ideally, this late breaking news will close the chapter of this brand of daring adventures for “financial freedom.” Moving forward, fighters such as 2020 Olympian’s Roniel Iglesias, Andy Cruz and Arlen Lopez can relish in the spoils of professional glory without ever having to leave their homeland to do so.
Now, Andy Cruz can attempt to cash in on his gold medal that he won in the 2020 Tokyo games. He may even go on to face Keyshawn Davis, who he beat three times during the Olympic Games, in the professional ranks. Really, the sky is the limit. It will be interesting to also see if, with this ruling, more tourism is in the plans. If so, Cuba may seek to become a go-to locale for meaningful prizefights. Only time will tell, but this sounds like good news for Cuba and the greater boxing world at large.
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By: Bakari Simpson
