AGON goes Cuba: In a BOXSPORT interview, promoter Ingo Volckmann talks about signing Cuban elite boxers – and explains the background and goals of the new Cuban connection.
Mr. Volckmann, William Scull will be boxing for the “Undisputed” title against Canelo Alvarez on 3 May. But he is no longer the only Cuban boxing for AGON Sports.
We recently signed Erislandy Alvarez, Arlen Lopez, Julio Cesar La Cruz and Lazaro Alvarez. These are four absolute world-class boxers who have won a total of 22 medals for Cuba at the Olympics or World Championships.
What is your motivation for investing in Cuban boxing?
The motivation to do something in Cuba and support boxing there had been with me for some time. Because I think it’s a bit unfair what’s happening there. There are still sanctions against Cuba, which has even been classified as a terrorist state by the USA, which is simply incomprehensible to me. I work with some Cubans and also know people who live there. They tell me that things are really quite grim in Cuba at the moment. I would like to help a little, work together and maybe open a gym there in the future. We actually wanted to organize the Scull vs. Shishkin world championship fight in Cuba, but unfortunately that didn’t work out at short notice.
“There are many more talents behind the ‘stars'”
What are your hopes for the Cuban boxers?
Quite a lot. First of all, we at AGON Sports are the first and only ones to organize a professional boxing event in Cuba. This will take place on April 11 at the “Melia Internacional” hotel in Varadero. We are delighted that we have been able to reach an agreement with the Cuban authorities for the first professional event in their country for decades. In addition to Cuba’s double Olympic champion Arlen Lopez, super featherweight Moussa Gholam from Morocco, who we were also able to win over, will also be competing on April 11. But we are also thinking about the future, because behind these “stars” there are many other boxing talents in Cuba. I am convinced that this will be a long, exciting and successful journey.
Will AGON Sports also present the boxing heroes Lopez, Alvarez and Co. outside their home country?
We want to hold two events in Cuba this year, then we are planning an event in the USA. We are also considering Mexico in the future. And I can well imagine that we will also have our Cubans boxing in Germany.
“I don’t want to take the boxers away from their home country”
In the past, many other promoters have tried to get Cuban boxers, but failed. How did you manage that?
The whole thing was arranged by Flavio Oleaga Mirabal. He is Cuban and works for us as a matchmaker. Flavio is now responsible for the four new Cuban boxers and for Moussa Gholam, so in principle he’s also a new addition to AGON. We originally had talks about the Scull vs. Shishkin world championships – the whole thing developed from there. The advantage of AGON is that, unlike other promoters, I don’t want to take the boxers away from their home country, I want them to continue living there and boxing at the events. That was the deciding factor in the negotiations in Cuba.
How do you want to organize your barn in the future?
We only focus on quality. The boys should have the potential to qualify for an eliminator, that’s the goal. Ideally, win it and then fight for a world championship. Our focus is international, we want to continue working in the same way as before and produce more world champions. With the Cubans we have been able to sign, we are now even more international and have further increased our World Championship potential.
Interview: Frank Schwantes