In a packed Ciudad Deportiva, the Cubans swept the six bouts held today during the International Boxing Association's (IBA) Night of Champions, the first to be held in this capital.
Two-time Olympic champions Arlen Lopez (80 kilograms) and Julio Cesar La Cruz (92) fought for the IBA title in their respective weights, against Dominican Jose Luis Tejeda and Uzbekistan's Madiyar Saydrakhimov, respectively.
Lopez won by technical knockout in the third round after leaving his opponent bleeding profusely, and La Cruz exhibited his usual mastery in punching without being hit to score a comfortable knockout.
It was the first event of its kind in the history of boxing in Cuba in more than 60 years, with prizes of 120,000 and 100,000 dollars for the winner and loser, respectively, of the two stellar 10-round fights.
Meanwhile, Erislandy Alvarez, summer gold medalist in Paris 2024 in 63.5, and the also double champion under the five rings Roniel Iglesias (67) were too much for the Colombian Jose Ignacio Muñoz and the Armenian Gurgen Mamoyan, whom they beat in an unobjectionable way, although in the latter case the vote was divided.
In the other fights, also six rounds like the two previous ones, Saidel Horta (57) defeated unanimously the Russian Ruslan Belousov, as well as Lázaro Alvarez (63.5) against the Uzbek Mujibillo Tursonov.
Thus closed the celebrations for World Boxing Day, which began the day before with the celebration of the IBA Executive Committee meeting and the Forum of American Federations.