# Julio César la Cruz Peraza **Date of birth:** August 11, 1989 **Categories:** Sports, boxing Julio César La Cruz Peraza. Cuban athlete specializing in Boxing, in the 81 kg division; gold medalist of the Playa Girón Tournament, 2010, gold medalist in the World Boxing Championship, in Bakú, Azerbaijan, 2011. He obtained a gold medal at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games, Mexico. Glory of Cuban sports. He was selected as the best boxer in America for the year 2011, an award given by the American Boxing Confederation. He was born in Camagüey. From the age of six he was drawn to sports, being trained by Yuri Triana and Renaldo Toledo. At 18 years old he was already fighting for a spot in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Champion on two occasions of the Playa Girón Boxing Tournament and the Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament at just 23 years old, merits that have allowed him to establish himself as one of the main boxers of the Cuban national boxing team, serving as its captain. Winner of the Independence Cup held in the Dominican Republic where he obtained a 9-6 victory against the experienced Brazilian, Washington Silva, with Olympic and world competition participations. He participates in the IV International Boxing Tournament Gong de Oro, which takes place at the Boris Trajkovski sports complex in Skopje, capital of Macedonia. At this event he won by RSC in the second round against Polish boxer Marek Matyja. This was his second victory of the tournament before the nine regulation minutes. In October 2011 he obtained a gold medal in the World Boxing Championship held in Bakú, Azerbaijan with a result of 17 - 13 over Kazakh Adilbek Niyazmbetov, fundamentally supported by a better second round (8-4), as both the first (4-4) and third (5-5) ended in a tie. In that same year he obtained a gold medal at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games, Mexico, after defeating Brazilian Yamaguchi Florentino 22-12, in the 81 kg division. Following this victory he declared to the press: "This medal is especially for the people of Camagüey. It has been a year of great effort, but here is the prize. We all came out to confirm that the Cuban people are brave in any place, and we will always seek victory. In 2011 he held the leadership in the world ranking of his division with 1,800 points, ahead of Australian Damien Hooper (1,550), who was his opponent in the quarterfinals of the Bakú world championship. In that same 2011 he was selected as Athlete of the Year in Cuba[2] He was elected as the best boxer in America for the year 2011, an award given by the American Boxing Confederation, following the meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In 2012 he appeared in the Universiada hall in the Bulgarian capital to participate in the Strandzha Boxing Tournament where he obtained a gold medal, there he generated applause, especially for the closing with which he breaks the existing tie, with a verdict of 15-10 against Russian Alexander Khotyantsev. He obtained a gold medal at the Grand Prix held in the city of Ustí nad Labem, Czech Republic, defeating Lithuanian Daugirdas Simjotas 20-8. At the President's Cup held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he obtained a silver medal as he lost (16-10) to local Adilbek Niyazimbetov who took revenge in the world championship final. He attended the London 2012 Olympic Games where he did not obtain medals after being defeated in the quarterfinals by the Brazilian[3] He obtained a gold medal in the LI National Boxing Championship Playa Girón, held in Sancti Spíritus, defeating Yaikel Kindelán (SCU) with a wide score of (26-8). In August 2013 he participated in the Boxing Match against Warriors of Mexico, where the world's middleweight defeated Isaac Muñoz 3-0 in a clash outside the official program, because the host failed to make weight and officially went into the records as a loser for non-presentation, so he almost ceded double. In September he participated in the Golden Belt Boxing Tournament organized in Constanza, Romania, where he achieved victory against Dutch Peter Mullenbergen in his first fight[4]. In the final fight on September 8 he obtained the title at this event by defeating Egyptian Abdelrahamn Abdelgawab)[5]. In this same month after the International Boxing Association rankings were updated, he occupied third place in the 81 kilogram division in the world boxing ranking, with a total of 1,700 points[6]. In October 2013 he participated in the World Boxing Championship held in the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan where in his first fight he defeated German Serge Michel`[7]. In the final fight he obtained victory against Kazakh Adilbek Niyazymbetov, 2-1 (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) in a fight that should have left him the unanimous verdict of the officials, securing the gold medal[8] Following the update of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) ranking he occupies second place with one thousand 700 points after Kazakh Adilbek Niyazymbetov (2,300)[9] Selected in 2013 among the ten best athletes. On December 13 he obtained victory in the World Series of Boxing Tamers again in the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan, against Croatian Hrvoje Sep. In this way he led group B to the top with 12 points equally forged with previous sweeps against Warriors of Mexico, Hussars Poland and Russia. On December 22 he obtained the gold medal in the Playa Girón Boxing Tournament, held in Santi Spíritus, defeating Guantanamo native Irosvani Duverger. In January 2014 he was injured by firearm in the left hip. La Cruz, at 81 kg, is one of the stars of the Tamer Cubs, leaders of group B in the IV World Series of Boxing, in which he has accumulated victories against Mexican Isaac Muñoz (Warriors of Mexico) and Croatian Hrvoje Sep (Bakú Fires of Kazakhstan). Nicknamed the "Ace of the Counterattack," La Cruz stands out for his technique, excellent mobility and defense in the ring, and his record highlights the titles in the last two world championships, Bakú-2011 and Almaty-2013, and in the Pan American Games of Guadalajara-2011. His best year was 2011, in which he was selected Athlete of the Year in Cuba, the best boxer in America, according to the American Boxing Confederation, and led the world ranking of his division. He also won the title in the Pan American Games of Guadalajara. After disappointing in London-2012, by being off the podium eliminated by Brazilian Yamaguchi Falcao, La Cruz resumed the victorious path in his career and remained undefeated in 2013 in 25 fights. Sports Results Year Championship City Country Result 2008 Independence Cup Santiago de los Caballeros Flag of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic 1st 2010 National Boxing Championship Playa Girón Santiago de Cuba Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2010 Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament Guantánamo Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2010 V Olympiad of Cuban Sports Camagüey Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2010 IV International Boxing Tournament Gong de Oro Skopje Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Republic of Macedonia 1st 2011 XLI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament Havana Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2011 World Boxing Championship Bakú Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan 1st 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games Guadalajara Flag of the United Mexican States Mexico 1st 2011 National Boxing Championship Playa Girón Pinar del Río Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2012 Strandzha Boxing Tournament Sofia Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 1st 2012 Grand Prix Ustí nad Labem Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 1st 2012 President's Cup Almaty Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 2nd 2012 XLII International Boxing Tournament Giraldo Córdova Cardín Havana Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2012 London 2012 Olympic Games London Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom Eliminated in quarterfinals 2012 National Boxing Championship Playa Girón Santi Spíritus Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st 2013 Boxing Match Tamers against Warriors Flag of the United Mexican States Mexico 2013 Golden Belt Boxing Tournament Constanza Flag of Romania Romania 1st 2013 World Boxing Championship Kazakhstan Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 1st 2013 National Playa Girón Boxing Tournament Santi Spíritus Flag of Cuba Cuba 1st