The Cuban invasion into professional boxing is something that has been predicted in recent years and the proud boxing nation is now set for a landmark contest as one of their most accomplished amateurs seeks to achieve world honours in just their fourth professional contest.
An Olympic gold medallist as a light-heavyweight at Rio 2016 and as a heavyweight at Tokyo 2020, Julio Cesar La Cruz has established himself as one of Cuba’s most impressive amateur talents and has won an eyewatering five world championships, dominating the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions for almost 15 years.
In May 2022, ‘La Sombra’ made his professional debut in Mexico and scored a knockout win over Deivis Casseres, before registering a second stoppage win against Juan Rodolfo Juarez three months later.
However, the now 35-year-old has fought just once since, banking ten rounds against Austine Nnamdi in a clash in Guinea in December 2023 – that win seeing La Cruz crowned as the WBA Gold bridgerweight champion.
Following a meeting with the IBA, the WBA have now announced that the Cuban will challenge Muslim Gadzhimagomedov for the WBA bridgerweight, as well as the less recognised IBA bridgerweight strap.
The showdown will take place in Dubai this December – with the fight acting as a launch for regular fights between contenders on the IBA circuit and WBA ranked world title hopefuls, as per the WBA website.
“Another point to be discussed was the development of the IBA Champion’s Night, whose events have had the support of the WBA and with bouts for both regional and world titles of the pioneer organization. Fighters such as Albert Ramirez, Albert Batyrgaziev, Muslim Gadzhimagomedov, among others, have had the opportunity to fight and win WBA championships in this great project.
“In addition, the occasion was a step forward in the goal to achieve a unified WBA-IBA fight in December, which will have Gadzhimagomedov facing Julio La Cruz in the ring in Dubai, during the annual IBA congress.
“That Dubai congress will be important because it will relaunch a league project similar to the old World Series of Boxing (WSB) and will give the opportunity for fighters from the IBA circuit to fight boxers from the WBA rankings.”
As a result, Julio Cesar La Cruz will become the first Cuban boxer to fight in a world title contest whilst fighting under the banner of the CBF (Cuban Boxing Federation) and will do so by fighting on a fourth different continent in as many professional outings.
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