Arlen López and Julio César La Cruz New World Champions

August 28, 2024

Sport gives a second chance. Arlen López and Julio César La Cruz did not achieve, three weeks ago, their dreams of being triple Olympic champions. Both took a knee, and focused their gaze on the future. Today they are world champions in professional boxing, after winning yesterday the golden belts of the International Boxing Association (IBA) at the Champions Night, held at the City Sports coliseum.

The event was perfect for Cuba's Tamers. They prevailed in all six scheduled fights against boxers from several nations, as part of the celebrations for International Boxing Day, which the IBA granted to our nation.

López (80 kg) was immense against Dominican José Luis Tejeda, whom he dealt a technical knockout in the third round. From close range he sought with forceful blows to leave no doubt about his quality. The "beating" began in the first round, and already in the second it was just a matter of time to stop the fight.

"I prepared myself to fight a ten-round bout. I studied Tejeda's characteristics, and the result came faster than expected. If I won here, after falling in the semifinals at the Olympic Games, it is because of all the support my family gave me. This is my first professional belt and I hope to keep growing my career."

Fifty years after the 1st World Boxing Championship was held, the coliseum dressed in its finest attire once again, to witness another success for Julio César against Uzbek Madiyar Saydrakhimov.

The fight, in the 92-kilogram division, was more strategic than intense, one of study, feints and calculated blows, qualities in which the Camagüeyan is a master. La Cruz forged his victory at medium and close range with his jab against an opponent who could not overcome the Aragon native.

"I have won my first professional world champion title, fighting the way I wanted to. What happened in Paris is behind us. Now it's time to enjoy this success," said Julio César.

Saidel Horta (57) opened the path to triumph as the unanimous winner over Russian Ruslan Belousov. The Cienfuegos boxer showed intelligent boxing with rapid combinations at medium and long range, despite falling into several unnecessary clinches.

Entertaining was the fight between Lázaro Álvarez (63.5 kg) and Uzbek Mujibillo Tursonov, in which the judges gave the verdict (3-0) to the Cuban. The Pinar del Río native showed the effectiveness of his left hand and connected successfully in the first four rounds, while in the remaining two Tursonov managed to recover and achieved good exchanges.

Impeccable was the start of the current Olympic champion Erislandy Álvarez (63.5), author of a devastating victory against Colombian José Ignacio Muñoz.

"I came out to punch and punch so the public would enjoy my boxing, but I ran out of steam in the last two rounds, so I switched to landing counter-punches and moving a bit to provoke my opponent and catch him with his guard down," Erislandy said.

A man with a thousand battles under his belt almost always finds a way to come out victorious, Roniel Iglesias (67) is not the same as before, but he has enough resources and can pull that extra something that few have.

Yesterday, the Vuelta Abajo fighter won by split decision against Armenian Gurgen Madoyan, in a fight that had its moments of intensity for each. Roniel, to triumph, worked his attack timing very well and closed better on defense, causing several of Madoyan's blows to land on his arms.

The Champions Night put the golden finish to a day that began in the morning at Parque Central, a venue that proved too small for the number of people who came to watch the weigh-ins of the 12 fighters.

Before the weigh-in segment, several coaches from the National Boxing Team conducted a clinic in front of 300 children and adolescents, in order to encourage boxing practice and bring them closer to the main Cuban figures of the moment, with whom they shared photos, anecdotes and autographs.

Coach Víctor Sánchez told Granma that the six fighters arrived in peak condition. "We gave them two days off when we returned from Paris, and then we focused on doing a basic general preparation."

At Parque Central, former world champion and legend of this sport, Panamanian Roberto "Hands of Stone" Durán, urged the youngest to obey their parents, stay away from drugs and false friends.