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Cuban heavyweight boxer Julio Cesar La Cruz celebrates his victory over Colombian boxer Deivis Casseres during a boxing match in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico on May 20,
Two Cuban boxers have become the first based in the communist island nation to be ranked by one of the sport’s professional governing bodies, the Cuban boxing federation said Wednesday.
Two-time Olympic champion Julio Cesar La Cruz and Arlen Lopez have been added to the World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings.
Cuba has long sought to control its best athletes – including many boxers and baseball players – and prevent them from becoming professionals so they can continue to represent the country in amateur sports competitions that bring glory to Cuba.
But things have changed in recent years with the island nation gradually opening up its professionalism in an effort to prevent the endless defection of top sports stars to pursue lucrative professional careers.
Boxing is a source of national pride for Cuba, which has won 41 Olympic titles and 80 world crowns in the amateur version of the sport, now officially known as Olympic-style boxing.
But at the end of April, the communist authorities finally agreed to allow boxers to take part in professional boxing competitions, leading to Cuba taking on Mexico in a professional team match next month – and soundly thrashing the hosts 6-0 with five knockouts.
Cuban Boxing Federation President Alberto Puig said entering the WBC ranks for both fighters was an “important step.”
“This is a recognition of the quality of Cuban boxing,” he added in a quote carried out in an online newspaper for Cuban sports institutions.
Puig said other top amateur talents such as two-time Olympic champion Roniel Iglesias, world champion Yoenlis Hernandez and three-time world champion Lazaro Alvarez could be added to the ranks.
La Cruz, 33, has been placed at 20th in the WBC cruiserweight rankings, with Lopez, 29, at 27th at lightweight.
“Now we have the possibility to compete and win the professional world title from Cuba,” said La Cruz, who won gold medals at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Other Cuban boxers who defected in the past such as Yordenis Ugas, Frank Sanchez and Luis “King Kong” Ortiz have been ranked by the WBC.
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