Julio César la Cruz fourth gold and Arlen Rodríguez third gold in Pan American boxing

October 28, 2023

All of Cuba eagerly awaited the final day of 92 kg boxing. The expectation was to see Julio César 'dance' in the ring to achieve his fourth consecutive Pan American title.

To the gymnasium of the Olympic Training Center in Santiago de Chile, good vibes were arriving and the public wished victory for the double Olympic champion.

"Cuba, Cuba... Julio, Julio," chanted a large part of the fans during the electrifying fight between the Camagüey native and Brazilian Keno Machado.

Acebal and Mena were advising him. Julio was growing on the canvas. He worked very carefully, looked from time to time toward the stands, increased the pace. The 4-1 decision in favor of his rival in the second round did not intimidate him. He went to win the third, without a shadow of doubt, to end the fight.

Everyone on their feet, nerves on edge and waiting for the verdict. And he did it.

He made the sign of the cross again for everyone; his mother, friends from his San Juan de Dios neighborhood, the Cuban boxing school. Thus he achieved the first gold of the flagship in Santiago 2023.

"It was a very close fight. Very high level. I based myself fundamentally on trying to counter because he is a very technical boxer, taller than me. This title is for all the Cuban people. Especially for my mother, as I always say.

"I think I've already made history, because I am the only Cuban boxer to have achieved four Pan American crowns," he said emotionally in the mixed zone.

The flag bearer of the Cuban delegation at these Pan American Games has already delivered. It's gold and for the fourth time at a continental games.

For his part, when Arlen López focuses and gets in the ring with a winning mentality, willpower and confident in his quality, he becomes invincible.

That's when he becomes his own rival and the struggle is to continue dominating. This Friday, the Guantanamo native knew he would have a quality opponent, Brazilian Wanderley de Souza, world runner-up.

For that reason he prepared. He studied him beforehand, always aware that he is the Olympic champion.

Once the fight began, Arlen worked him with great tact, blow by blow and round by round, with the third being the most difficult for him.

"It was a great fight, demanding, technical, and in which I resorted to my physical preparation. I knew it would be difficult, because he is a young opponent, on the rise, who recently changed division, from 75 to 80 kg.

"As I always say: 'The best won.' I want to dedicate this victory to my family, to the people who tonight were in Cuba watching on television. To everyone who has supported me and believed in me, the same in the best and worst moments of my sports career," he said in the mixed zone.

Arlen is tonight a happy man at the Olympic Training Center in Santiago de Chile. He has several reasons. He won the third gold of his career in Pan American Games, the second and last of the discipline in Santiago 2023, and obtained Olympic qualification. He is already concentrating on delivering precise blows in Paris 2024.