1976 : Montreal Olympic Games

Introduction :

The 1976 Olympic Games are an opportunity for the USA and the USSR to beat the Cuban team, victorious in the 1972 OG (see separate article in this blog). After the Cuban team victory in 1974, during the first World Championship (see separate article), the challenge will be difficult for both countries.

Cubans will have to fight in Canada, in front of a pro-American crowd.

Preparation of the Cuban team :

1975 :

For the 6th Central American and Caribbean Championships, in Guatemala City, in August 1975, Cuba wins only 2 gold and 1 silver medals, a very bad result for this country. Hector Ramirez, Genovefo Grinan and R. Arrevalo are the only medalists. It is possible that Cuba had sent a B team, just before the 7th Pan Am Games.

At the 7th Pan American Games in Mexico City in October 1975, the gold medalists are Jorge Hernandez (-48kg), Ramon Duvalon (-51 kg) Orlando Martinez (-54kg) against Bernard Taylor/USA, Rolando Garbey (-71kg ), Alejandro Montoya (-75kg), Rene Pedroso against Leon Spinks/USA (-81kg) and Teofilo Stevenson against Michael Dokes/USA (81 kg)

The silver medalists are Genovefo Grinan behind Dave Armstrong/USA (-57kg), and Viktor Corona behind Ray Leonard (-63 kg).

The bronze medalists are Luis Echaide while Aaron Pryor/USA is silver medalist (-60 kg), Emilio Correa (-67 kg), while Clinton Jackson/USA is gold medalist.

A strong U.S. opposition is growing, with fighters who will be present at the 1976 Olympic Games.

Cuban stamps for the 7th Pan American Games

For the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Montreal in December 1975, 3 Cubans are in the finals, with only one elimination during the preliminaries. Hector Ramirez loses against Gyorgy Gedo/Hungary (-48 kg), Bienvenido Lazo wins against Vassily Solomin/URSS (-60 kg) and Luis Felipe Martinez loses against Viktor Savchenko/USSR (-71 kg).

1976 :

During the tournament between Yugoslavia and Cuba, in Banja Luka/YU, in February 1976, Cuba loses by 8 losses to 4 wins, with a B Team. In the second competition, still in Yugoslavia, the result is 5 wins and 5 losses, with the same type of team. Thereafter, Cuba meets Montenegro and won by 6 wins to 3 losses, with the same fighters.

In the Giraldo Cordova Cardin Tournament in May 1976, Cuba wins almost all the medals available.

In summary, Cuba seems to have followed the same type of preparation as the 1972 one.

Olympic Games :

The Olympic tournament takes place from July 18th to 31st, 1976.

5 Canadian $, Olympic Games 1976, boxing

Eliminated without medal :

(-54 Kg) Orlando Martinez loses his second match, vs Soon Chul Hwang/South Korea, on points 3-2. Orlando Martinez has already participated in the 1968 and 1972 OG (gold medal).

(-60 Kg) For his second combat, Reinaldo Valiente loses by 5-0 points, against Ace Rusevski/YU, future bronze medal. Valiente disappears from the Olympic team.

(-67 Kg) For his second fight, Emilio Correa loses RSC 3rd, vs Pedro Gamarro/Venezuela, future silver medal. Emilio Correa won a gold medal at the 1972 OG and 1974 WC. He will participate in the 1978 WC.

Clinton Jackson/USA, a former silver medalist in the 1974 WC and Mike McCallum/Jamaica, future world champion in pro boxing, are eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The gold medalists are :

(-48 Kg): Jorge Hernandez beats Li Byong Uk/North Korea in the finals, on points 4-1. Jorge Hernandez was gold medal at the 1974 WM. Jorge Hernandez will be at the 1978 WC and 1980 OG.

Jorge Hernandez (left) against an American

(-57 Kg). Angel Herrera wins in the finals against Richard Nowakowski/West Germany, by ko in the 2nd. In the quarter-finals, Angel Herrera beats Dave Armstrong/USA, on points 3-2. Angel Herrera will be at the 1978 WM and 1980 OG.

(81 kg). Teofilo Stevenson wins the gold medal, as mentioned in the article devoted to him in this blog. He beats John Tate/USA in the semi-finals, before the limit. A clip of a preliminary fight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtm9Ytmc4kM.

The silver medalists are :

(-51 Kg) Ramon Duvalon loses in the finals vs Leo Randolph/USA, on points 3-2. He disappears from the Olympic team.

(-63.5 Kg) Andres Aldama loses in the finals against Ray Leonard/USA, on points 5-0. Aldama wins his first 4 fights before the limit, for example vs Vladimir Kolev/Bulgaria by ko in the 1st during the semi-finals. Aldama will be in the 1978 WM and 1980 OG. Ray Leonard will become a multiple World Pro Champion. Excerpt from the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpUUMugmZ4s

Sugar Ray Leonard (left) against Andres Aldama

(-81 Kg) Leon Spinks/USA beats Sixto Soria by RSC in the 3rd. Sixto Soria wins his first 3 fights before the limit. Sixto Soria disappears from the Olympic team, but will be at the 1978 WM. Leon Spinks will beat Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight Pro Title in 1978. Video clip of the fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azd-g1CnW0k

Leon Spinks (standing) beats Sixto Soria

Bronze medalists are :

(-71 Kg) Rolando Garbey loses on points 4-1, vs Tadija Kacar/YU (future silver medalist) and brother of Slobodan Kacar, himself a future Olympic gold medalist and World Champion. Rolando Garbey participated in the 1968 (silver medal) and 1972 OG. He was gold medal at the 1974 WC.

(-75 Kg) Luis Felipe Martinez loses on points 3-2 vs Rufat Riskiyev/USSR in the semi finals. Luis Felipe Martinez disappears from the Cuban Olympic team. He will be at the 1978 WM.

Rufat Riskiyev, World Champion in 1974, loses vs Michael Spinks/USA in the finals, by RSC 3. Michael Spinks will become World Pro Champion, for the light-heavyweights and heavyweights.

In the first round, Luis Felipe Martinez def Fulgencio Obelmeijias/Venezuela, by 5-0. Obelmeijias will challenge Marvin Hagler for the Middleweights Pro Title. In the quarter-finals, Luis Felipe Martinez def Dragomir Vujkovic/YU, future silver medalist in the 1978 WC.

Comparison with other teams :

The U.S. team wins 5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals, 7 medals in total. Cuba is second with 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals, with 8 medals in total, but with less gold medals than the USA. Russia finishes with 1 silver and 3 bronze medals, behind East Germany and North Korea.

Record of the Cuban medals

It should be noted the exceptional result of the USA in this tournament, a team with many future professional boxing stars, but with less experience than the Cubans, who have sometimes already participated in two Olympiads.

The U.S. domination is clear in direct confrontation. The USA win 3 fights to 2 vs Cuba. Cuba wins 1 fight against the USSR and loses 1.

The Cubans have 34 fights and lose 8 times, a victories ratio of 81%, very close to that obtained in Munich (77.5 %) and La Havana (84%).

After the Olympic Games :

7th Central American and Caribbean Championships, Kingston/Jamaica. Cuba wins 6 gold medals and 1 silver, without the Olympics medalists.

1974: 1st AIBA World Championships

Introduction :

The creation of the Amateur Boxing World Championships by the AIBA (International Boxing Association or Association Internationale de Boxe amateur in French) make a 2 years delay between the two major events (Olympic Games and World Championships). Before, the fighters had to wait 4 years between two Olympic Games.

The first World Championships were held in Cuba. This country had the best results at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

A Cuban stamp dedicated to the World Championships

Preparation :

1973 :

The Cuban team, of course, participated at the 6th Giraldo Cordova Cardin tournament in July 1973, in Cuba. They have won virtually all the available medals, with the exception of the first place in -75 kg, won by Rufat Riskiyev/USSR over Orlando Stable/Cuba. In addition, Igor Visotsky/USSR won by surprise over Teofilo Stevenson in +81 kg, as detailed in Stevenson's specific article in this blog.

1974 :

During the 12th Central America and Caribbean Games, the Cubans won 6 gold and 1 silver medals. It should be noted that Venezuela's team won 4 gold and 1 silver medals.

At the 7th Cordova Cardin tournament in June 1974, Rufat Riskiyev/USSR, won again in -75 kg, facing Alejandro Montoya. Otherwise, all important medals are won by the Cubans.

World Championships :

This tournament takes place from August 17th to 30th, 1974 in La Havana.

Poster of the World Championships
(sorry for the poor quality of the image)

The Cubans results :

Eliminated without medal :

In -63.5 kg, Enrique Regueiferos loses during the preliminaries against Mario Rafael Ramos, by ko in the 3rd. Video clip of the fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVcZj5HfnBE

Ramos loses in the quarter finals. Ayub Kalule, Ugandans and future pro Middleweight World Champion with Denmark, wins in the finals against the Bulgarian Vladimir Kolev, on points 5-0. Regueiferos, former 1968 Olympic Games silver medallist and 1972 OG participant, disappears from the Cuban Olympic team.

In -75 kg, Alejandro Montoya loses during the preliminaries against Bernd Wittenburg/West-Germany, on points. Rufat Riskiyev/USSR, winner of the two previous Cardin tournaments beats Alec Nastac/Romania in the finals by 3-2. Alejandro Montoya, a former 1972 Olympics Games participant, disappears from the Cuban Olympic team.

Alejandro Montoya (left) in difficulty facing Bernd Wittenburg.

En -81 kg, Gilberto Carrillo loses in the quarter finals against Mate Parlov/Yugoslavia. Carrillo had already lost to Mate Parlov in the 1972 Olympics Games finals, by RSC in the 2nd (see article about 1972 OG in this blog). Carrillo disappears from the Cuban Olympic team. Extract of the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAYWPVAnHsc

Leon Spinks, the future winner of Muhammad Ali for the pro Heavyweight World Championship, loses in the semi-finals to Oleg Karatayev/USSR, by TKO in the 3rd.

Mate Parlov beats Karatayev in the finals by TKO in 2nd. Mate Parlov also becomes pro Light-Heavyweight World Champion.

Bronze Medal :

In -57 kg, Mariano Alvarez loses in the semi-finals against Howard Davis/USA, on points. Howard Davis beats Boris Kuznetsov/USSR, on points 3-2 in the finals. Howard Davis becomes Olympic champion in 1976 and a pro boxer, without gaining a world title, despite 3 attempts. Alvarez disappears from the Cuban Olympic team.

In -60 kg, Luis Echaide loses in the semi-finals against Vasiliy Solomin/USSR, on points. Solomin wins the gold medal. Echaide disappears from the Cuban Olympic team.

Silver Medal :

In -54 kg, Jorge Luis Romero def David Torosyan/USSR in the semi-finals, on points, while Wilfredo Gomez/Puerto Rico beats the French Aldo Cosantino via ko in the 1st round. Aldo Cosantino becomes coach of the French amateur team, while Wilfredo Gómez becomes multiple pro World Champion.

In the finals, Wilfredo Gómez beats Jorge Luis Romero by TKO in the 2nd. Jorge Luis Romero disappears from the Cuban Olympic team. Video clip of the fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM6KPGRBpA0

Fidel Castro congratulates Jorge Luis Romero

Gold Medal :

In -48 kg, Jorge Hernandez beats Albert Sandoval/USA, on points in the preliminaries. Sandoval becomes pro world title challenger in the bantams. Jorge Hernandez def Stephen Muchoki/Kenya on points 5-0 in the finals. Jorge Hernandez will be at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics Games. In 1978, during the second World Championships, Stephen Muchoki will beat Jorge Hernandez in the finals, on points.

Jorge Hernandez (right) against Albert Sandoval

In -51 kg, Douglas Rodriguez def Alfredo Perez/Venezuela, on points by 4 to 1, in the finals. Former 1972 Olympic bronze medallist, Rodriguez disappears from the Cuban Olympic team.

In -67 kg, Emilio Correa beats Clinton Jackson/USA in the finals by ko in the 3rd. Jackson beats in the quarter finals Mike McCallum/Jamaica, future multiple pro World Champion on points. Jackson will take part at the 1976 Olympics and becomes a pro fighter, without winning the world title. Correa, a 1972 Olympic Games gold medallist, will be at the 1976 Olympic Games.

In -71 kg, Rolando Garbey beats in the finals Alfredo Lemus/Venezuela, on points 3-2. Former 1968 Olympic Games silver medallist and 1972 OG participant, Garbey will be present at the 1976 Olympic Games.

In 81 kg, Teofilo Stevenson wins the gold medal against Marvin Stinson/USA, as mentioned in the article devoted to him in this blog. Evgeni Gorstkov/USSR loses in the preliminaries.

Comparisons with other teams :

Cuba wins 5 gold medals, 1 silver and 2 bronze. Soviet Union and the United States finish 2nd and 3rd.

Stamps fot the WC

In direct confrontations, Cuba wins 3 fights to 1 vs. the USA and also 3 fights to 1 vs. USSR.

For a total of 38 fights, Cuba has 32 wins and 6 losses, a 84 % wins ratio, (less than 1972 Olympic Games results, a 88 % wins ratio).

After the World Championships :

For the 5th Central American and Caribbean Championships, held in Caracas/Venezuela in December 1974, Cuba wins 5 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal. Luis Enrique Ramos, Ramon Duvalon, Luis Felipe Martinez and Victor Corona are emerging. Among the former World Championships team are Martinez Orlando, Orlando Palacios, Teofilo Stevenson and Luis Echaide. Many of Havana medalists are absent in Venezuela.

Conclusions :

The 1974 World Championships confirms the Cuban domination on the amateur boxing, domination initiated at the 1972 Olympic Games.

1975 Cuban stamp about the Championships of La Havana

They also demonstrated the ability of Cuba to organize a major championship.

A pin's created for the World Championships

Finally, of the 11 team's members, only 4 Cubans will continue their Olympic careers, while 8 medals were won. It is a turning point and a generation change for the Cuban team.