Julio César La Cruz and Arlen López lifted sceptres in a day of six wins without a setback for the tamers.

Double Olympic titleholders Julio Cesar La Cruz and Arlen Lopez lifted world belts and Cuba swept 6-0 at the International Boxing Association (IBA) Night of Champions held at the Ciudad Deportiva coliseum, cheered on by more than 10,000 fans.

Julio (92 kg) repeated his dominance over Uzbekistan’s Madiyar Saydrakhimov, whom he had beaten in the semi-final of the world championship in Tashkent 2023 and in a World Series bout organised five years earlier at the same venue where he now beat him 3-0 in 10 rounds.

«We came up with the plan that we thought was best, and it happened,» he explained in a press area where he arrived amid greetings and requests to share photos. «It’s the result of a lot of effort, and I’m very pleased to have responded to my supporters,» he said.

Without abandoning the script that allowed him to take advantage of his better preparation, he disseminated his offensive work and moved with ease, certain that the good use of the accumulated «fuel» would be key to securing the gift he promised his mother.

«I feel in perfect shape, ready to represent Cuba in the event that the coaching staff decides,» he said to a reporter who wanted to know if he still wants to win other prizes outside of professional commitments.

The access of Arlen (80 kg) to this other title was registered in only three of the 10 episodes agreed for the fight with the Dominican José Luis Tejeda, whom he punished at will before the technical knockout was declared.

It even seemed that the referee could have stopped the actions in the previous chapter, but it was not so and that lengthened the martyrdom of a man whom the home star claimed to have studied in search of the gaps that ended up facilitating the victory.

«After an Olympic Games in which things didn’t go the way we wanted (bronze), I focused on this commitment and we worked hard with my coach Victor Sanchez to guarantee this result by any means,» said Arlen.

«This is a new step in my career, as always supported by my family, and it makes up for not being able to win the title for the third time in Paris,» he said before accepting that these will be the circuits where he will continue his aspirations as an athlete.

The discussion of IBA sashes was the climax of an evening applauded by the audience that filled the same venue that 50 years ago hosted the World Championships, to which tribute was paid on Tuesday on International Boxing Day.

As a preamble, Saidel Horta (57 kg), Lázaro Álvarez (63.5 kg), Erislandy Álvarez (63.5 kg) and Roniel Iglesias (67 kg) also did their homework in six-round bouts and set the scene for the most eagerly awaited moments of the professional format.

Horta (57 kg) and Lázaro (63.5 kg) neutralised the momentum of their opponents based on better technique, supported by which they hit with enough quality to win the votes of the three judges who evaluated them.

«The key was to go in and out punching, true to the Cuban school style,» said the first of them, runner-up of the orb, who in addition to physical strength showed concentration to not get carried away by the constant push of the Russian Ruslan Belousov.

His teammate, triple world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, left Uzbekistan’s Mujibillo Tursonov with his wishes and declared himself «very satisfied to make my people happy in the first programme of its kind to be held on the island».

After predicting that «there is Prince for a long time», he considered that the work he had put in was in response to a better adaptation to the demands imposed by professional fights.

Erislandy (63.5 kg) also won with a unanimous decision, and Iglesias (67 kg), two-time Olympic gold medallist and starter at the recent event at that level, respectively, with a 2-1 verdict.

Álvarez, true to his style, threw a lot and made a big impact on the Colombian José Ignacio Muñoz, to set the tone for a fight that he said he enjoyed in a special way because of the atmosphere generated in the capital’s coliseum.

Iglesias was slower and economised his efforts, but he imposed the rhythm against the Armenian Gurgen Madoyan and despite certain «tangles», he made merits to increase his already impressive record in a historic day for the lovers of his sport on the island.

THE CARDEL

57 kg: Saidel Horta 3-0 to Ruslan Belousov (RUS)

63.5 kg: Lázaro Álvarez (CUB) 3-0 to Mujibillo Tursonov (UZB)

63.5 kg: Erislandy Álvarez (CUB) 3-0 to José Ignacio Muñoz (COL)

67 kg: Roniel Iglesias (CUB) 2-1 to Gurgen Madoyan (ARM)

80 kg: Arlen Lopez (CUB) TKO-3 to Jose Luis Tejeda (DOM)

92 kg: Julio Cesar La Cruz (CUB) 3-0 to Madiyar Saydrakhimov (UZB)