Havana Boxing Academy Documentary (5 Parts)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5




Documentary detailing the training and lifestyle of young boxers in Cuba's boxing culture. It covers 8 months of intense training of boxers as young as 9 years old at the Havana Boxing Academy, one of Cuba's most reknown and succesful programs. After watching this, it becomes apparent why amateur Cuban boxers have dominated the sport over the past 7 years. For more details on the documentary visit:http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/cuba/index.html

Boxer Boys of Havana

Short from Craig Schneider about Cuban boxers from Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym. the gym is the oldest in Havana, Cuba. The Trejo gym is to Cuban boxing what certain playgrounds in New York City are to basketball -- source, sanctuary, shrine. Every day, after school, boys as young as 9 come to the Trejo to learn how to box. The instructors are former boxers, sometimes former members of the national team. The gym is run by the state now, like most institutions in Cuba, but it far predates Castro's revolution; the great Kid Chocolate himself taught at the Trejo in the 1940s, after he retired from the professional ring.

2001 World Championship Odlanier Solis vs. David Haye

June 30th, 2001 from Belfast, Ireland - 11th World Championship. Action from the 91kg Division Solis (Cuba) vs. David Haye (UK).

2004 Olympics Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Yuan Liu

1st round of 32 in the Bantamweight (54kg) Division from the 2004 Olympic Games. Liu (China) vs. Rigondeaux (Cuba).

2004 Olympics Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Gennady Kovalev Pt.2

Quaterfinals of the 2004 Olympics 54kg Bantamweight Division between Rigondeaux (Cuba) vs. Kovalev (Russia

2004 Olympics Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Gennady Kovalev Pt.1

Quaterfinals of the 2004 Olympics 54kg Bantamweight Division between Rigondeaux (Cuba) vs. Kovalev (Russia

2004 Olympics Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Gennady Kovalev Pt.3

Quaterfinals of the 2004 Olympics 54kg Bantamweight Division between Rigondeaux (Cuba) vs. Kovalev (Russia

1998 Goodwill Games Felix Savon vs. DaVarryl Williamson

Felix Savon (CUBA) vs. DaVarryl Williamson (USA) in the Heavyweight final of the Goodwill Games from New York.

1995 World Championship Final Felix Savon vs. Luan Krasniqi

1995 World Championship Final between Felix Savon (CUBA) vs. Luan Krasniqi (KAZ).

2000 Olympics Felix Savon vs. Michael Bennett

Felix Savon (Cuba) vs. Michael Bennett (USA) in the Heavyweight Quarterfinal.

1983 Pan American Games Pernell Whitaker vs. Angel Herrera

August 28, 1983 from Caracas, Venezuela. Whitaker (USA) vs. Herrera (Cuba) for the 1983 Pan American Games Lightweight Championship.

1992 Olympic Finals Felix Savon vs. David Izon (Izonritei)

1992 Olympic Finals Felix Savon vs. David Izon (Izonritei)

August 10, 1992. Heavyweight final between Felix Savon (Cuba) and David Izon (Nigeria).

1980 Olympic Final John Mugabi vs. Andres Aldama

August 2, 1980 from Moscow, USSR. 67kg Olympic Finals between John Mugabi (UGA) and Andres Aldama (Cuba). Mugabi went on the claim the WBC Light Middleweight Championship during his professional career

1991 World Championships Felix Savon vs. David Tua

Sydney, Australia. Felix Savon (Cuba) vs. David Tua (New Zealand) in semi-final action.

1976 Olympic Final Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Andres Aldama

July 31, 1976. Sugar Ray Leonard (USA) vs. Andres Aldama (Cuba)in the Lightwelterweight Divison final. Many observers believed that Aldama would win because he had recorded 5 straight KOs to get to the finals. During the fight Leonard would record two standing eight counts and one knockdown. The win represented Leonards 145th amateur victory.

1982 World Championships Teofilo Stevenson vs. Damiani

May 1982 World Amateur Boxing Championship bout between Damiani (Italy) and Stevenson (Cuba). This was Stevenson's first loss in 11 years. Damiani went on to win the WBO heavyweight title.

1980 81Kg Olympic Final Teofilo Stevenson vs. Zaev

Part 1

Part 2

August 2, 1980, Moscow, Russia. Olympic Final between Cuban boxing legend Teofilo Stevenson and Petr Zaev from Russia. Stevenson's gold in 1980 would be his 3rd. He may have won a 4th in 1984, if Cuban didn't follow Russia's lead and boycott the Los Angeles, games. He would finish his career with a record of 320-22, only to turn down a huge payday of 5 million dollars to fight Muhammad Ali. Stevenson was a Socialists who felt it was more important to remain in Cuba as a role model for Cuban youth and an example that capitalism and getting paid was not the most important thing. When asked about the offer he turned down, he reportedly said "Why do I need 5 million dollars, when I have the love of 11 million Cubans?". Stevenson went on to coach the Cuban boxing team and to this day may consider Stevenson the greatest Olympic boxer of all ti

1982 Mark Breland vs. Candelario Duvergel

Part 1

Part 2

November 13, 1982 Welterweight 147lbs. bout between Duvergel (Cuba) and 19 year old Breland (USA) during USA - The World meet. Breland is the reigning World Champion at the time of this bout. Breland finished his amateur career with 5 NYC Golden Gloves titles, 1982 World Championship, 1982 US Championship and an Olympic Gold at the 1984 games. During his Golden Glove reign, Breland was 21-0 (19KOs) with 14 KOs in the first round. Breland finished his amateur career 110-1.

1994 USA - Cuba Antonio Tarver vs. Juan Carlos Gomez

Light Heavyweight 178lbs Division bout between 25 year old Tarver (Orlando, FL) and Gomez (Havana, Cuba)