Cuban boxers close 2023 with six titles

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 26 (ACN) Cuban boxing finished 2023 with six gold medals, the two won in a five-fight professional bout against the host Russia, and the other four won recently in a tournament held in the Kazakh city of Karaganda.

The digital edition of the sports publication JIT reported that Sunday's titles went to two-time Olympic champions Arlen Lopez, 80 kilograms (kg), and Julio Cesar La Cruz (92 kg).

In the city of Samara, Lopez defeated the 2021 world runner-up Dzhambulat Bizhamov, three-time champion of his country, while Julio La Cruz defeated national multi-medalist Serguei Slobodyan.

JIT highlights that in the four-round bouts, Alejandro Claro (51 kg), world runner-up Saidel Horta (57 kg) and Jorge Cuellar (71 kg) lost.Claro, world bronze medalist, lost to Bair Batlayev, winner of the continental cup, Horta was beaten by the winner of the world cup, Ruslan Belousov, and Cuellar by the European king Vahid Abbasov, undefeated as a professional.

Hosted by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the match was the end of the season for the members of Cuba's elite team, who will return to the ring in January for the Playa Giron national competition in the central province of Sancti Spiritus, reports JIT.

Erislandy Alvarez (63.5 kg), Giorgis Salfran (51 kg), Jairo Munive (67 kg) and Jorge Soto (80 kg) won the four gold medals in the Kazakhstan fight.

A total of eight Cubans were in action, but Rafael Joubert (60 kg), Nelson Williams (86 kg), Freddy Pérez (92 kg) and Adonis Bell (+92 kg) lost in the semifinals.