The International Boxing Association (IBA) launches a world championship event for the first time under the name “Night of the Champions”. A ring sextet from the Caribbean state of Cuba triumphed.
It hasn’t happened for a long time, not for decades: professional boxing in Cuba. On Tuesday evening (local time), another professional fight night took place. In the Ciudad Deportiva (sports city) of Havana, in the Colosseum. The “Night of the Champions” event was organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA); for the first time as the association’s own world championship – and in keeping with “International Boxing Day” on 27 August.
The IBA fight card featured six fights between top Cuban athletes and opponents from Russia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Colombia and Venezuela. Among them: heavyweight Julio César La Cruz (92 kg). The two-time Olympic champion climbed into the ring against Uzbekistan’s Madiyar Saydrakhimov, who came third in the World Championships in Belgrade (2021). Successful. La Cruz dominated the tactical 10-round fight, winning unanimously on points. At the Olympic boxing tournament in Paris, the Cuban had narrowly failed in the round of 16 against Alfonso Dominguez, competing for Azerbaijan, by split decision.
The second main act of the evening in front of around 10,000 spectators in the Colosseum, which opened in 1958: Arlen López against José Luis Tejeda in the light heavyweight limit (80 kg). The Cuban bronze medal winner from Paris won by technical knockout, the Dominican was knocked out in round three. The other Cubans also won: Saidel Horta (57 kg), Lázaro Álvarez (63.5 kg), Erislandy Álvarez (63.5 kg) and Roniel Iglesias (67 kg). All in all, a triumphant performance by the Cuban sextet. One that could never have happened before. Because: the leadership of the socialist island state under Fidel Castro had banned professional pugilism in 1961. Two years after the revolution and the fall of the dictatorial ruler Fulgencio Batista. But since 2022, boxers have been able to take part in professional competitions again in the Caribbean one-party state, even abroad. Furthermore, women are once again allowed to clinch in Cuba.
IBA wants to make positive headlines
What is striking is that the IBA under its Russian president Umar Kremlev is trying to get out of the defensive and produce positive headlines. As is well known, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) first suspended the world federation (2019) and later excluded it (2023). The accusations are also well known: For example, a lack of transparency in financial flows, corruption of officials – and not least the proximity to the Russian state-owned company Gazprom and Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
A new chapter has now been opened with the “IBA Champions’ Night” in Havana. “Our sport is able to unite people from all over the world without discrimination,” Kremlev was quoted as saying in an IBA statement on Tuesday. Regardless of whether rich or poor, boxing is for everyone. The IBA demonstrated this not only in the Colosseum, but also in the park not far from the Cuban capital’s neoclassical Capitol. Hundreds of children and young people diligently practiced shadow boxing with gloves sponsored by the IBA.
Apart from this publicity campaign. Havana was deliberately chosen as the venue by the IBA. After all, the inaugural amateur world championships were also held there 50 years ago in August 1974. Incidentally, the first world championship gold medal in the heavyweight division was won by Cuban boxing legend Teófilo Stevenson.
Text by Oliver Rast