Cuban boxer Julio Cesar La Cruz farewells his third Olympic title

 PARIS, Jul 29 (ACN) Two-time Olympic champion Julio Cesar La Cruz lost by a 2- 3 split vote in the round of 16 in the 92 kilogram boxing division of the Olympic Games, and said goodbye to the dream of winning his third title in these competitions.

Facing his compatriot Loren Berto Alfonso, representative of Azerbaijan, the five-time world champion and flag-bearer of the Caribbean delegation in the summer event, lost the second and third rounds, in a fight with little action by both.

The “shadow”, as the Cuban is known, was not convincing in the ring and thus sentenced a fight that was known to be difficult due to the quality of his opponent, world champion and silver medalist in the 2023 edition.

Loren Berto, as part of his strategy, presented a boxing style similar to that of La Cruz.

La Cruz showed dissatisfaction with his loss to the Cuban-born boxer, who is a citizen of Azerbaijan. As he passed through the mixed zone of the facility, he looked at the journalists waiting for him, waved his hand that he would not give statements and from a little behind his trainers he told them that he had not lost the fight.

The final vote was 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 in favor of Alfonso and 30-27, 29-28 in favor of La Cruz, showing that it was an even and tactical fight.

With this result, La Cruz, captain of the Cuban team, could not continue on his way to his third Olympic Games crown.

After a while, the main Cuban trainer Rolando Acebal returned and explained that it was a good fight, but that things did not go well against a fighter who is Olympic runner-up in Tokyo 2020 and world and European titleholder.

Alfonso also gave statements to journalists, to whom he assured that his trainer's strategy worked against the best boxer in the world, but he had to defeat him by details.

He saluted the Cuban people and expressed that the triumph was also for the Caribbean country.