The Havana Challengers Match and the Night of Champions in Russia are among the most upcoming events for Cuban boxing in 2025, according to their organisers, who offered details including the participants, with Julio César La Cruz standing out for the former.
La Cruz, two-time Olympic champion in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020 in the 92 kilogram (kg), is one of the three confirmed for the tournament scheduled to take place on the 21st and 22nd at the Combinado Deportivo José Martí in this capital.
Two other two other athletes confirmed by the National Federation who stand out are Fernando Arzola (+92 kg), runner-up of the orb, and Alejandro Claro (51 kg), bronze medallist of the planet, who will climb the ring on the closing day.
Erislandy Álvarez (63.5 kg) will be the big absentee, as he is recovering from a health condition.
But it is not only the men who will be in action, as there will also be bouts with the main stars of the women’s team.
Below is the programme for the 21st, starting at two o’clock in the afternoon.
-50 kg: Yailena Palomo vs. Dianybi de las Nieves.
-57 kg: Melani Girado vs. Meliza Millares.
-75 kg: Yaquelín Stornell vs. Dayira Mesa.
-80 kg: Yoana Rodríguez vs. Naybel Morado.
-60 kg: Julio Galloso vs. Ernesto Coma
-67 kg: David Espinosa vs. Jairo Munive
-67 kg: Leyán Tejera vs. Adrián Licea
-71 kg: Dairon Girado vs. Jorge Cuellar
-75 kg: Maruan Roque vs. Fernando Cabrejas
-80 kg: Jorge M. Soto vs. Xavier Fernández
-80 kg: Keylor Garcia vs. Leonis Thomas
-86 kg: Nelson Williams vs. Carlos Aguilera
-86 kg: Ramon de la Torres vs. Yose Maikel Denis
On March 7, the Night of Champions is scheduled to take place in Moscow, with the presence of Cuban Ronniel Iglesias (71 kg), who will face Russian Yury Osipov, in a six-round bout.
As will be recalled, the event was initially scheduled to take place on 31 January in the Cuban capital, Havana, at the Ciudad Deportiva coliseum.
The truth is that the International Boxing Association (IBA) unexpectedly decided to change the venue.
For the professional boxing event in Havana, the captain of the Domadores of the largest of the Antilles, La Cruz and Álvarez, accompanied by Claro and Saidel Horta (57 kg), fifth and ninth places in the Parisian fight, in that order, and Nelson Williams (86 kg), were called up.
Even the opponent of La Cruz, from the province of Camagüey, was already known, who would face in 10 rounds the Tajik Davlat Boltaev, bronze medallist in the five rings in Paris 2024, where he could not climb the podium.
The outstanding fighter from Camagüey would have the chance to defend the professional world gold belt achieved with a victory over Madiyar Saydrakhimov of Uzbekistan in a six-fight series.
Another negative aspect of the IBA’s decision is that it deprived the Cuban fans of enjoying the long-awaited sporting spectacle.
