Cuba, the small island that has produced so much awesome boxing talent over the years, indeed decades, has another gold medal winner. Yesterday in Paris, France, Erislandy Alvarez edged French hero Sofiane Oumiha via split decision victory.
Alvarez goes home to Cuba with the lightweight gold medal, and in so doing, he joins the long list of great Cuban boxers to have won gold at the Olympics – including Teofilo Stevenson, Joel Casamayor, Felix Savon, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Mario Kindelan, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Odlanier Solis, and others.
It was a close, ultra-competitive fight yesterday, and in the end, the French fans felt very strongly that Oumiha had won. It was, to repeat, close, but Alvarez, who triumphed via a 3-2 margin, did not win by any “robbery.” The 24-year-old, five years the younger man, was aggressive from the start, while Oumiha employed good defense, although some shots did get home for Alvarez. As fans know, some of the scoring we have seen, not only at this Olympics but at previous Games, has left us shaking our heads. Some shots land, yet the scoring fighter is not rewarded.
In yesterday’s bout, Alvarez won the first round on all five judges’ cards. Oumiha came back well in round two, winning the session 3 to 2. The final round saw Alvarez close strong, with him winning the last three minutes of the bout by a 4-1 margin.
As the official decision was announced, Oumiha broke down in tears, while showman Alvarez celebrated with a backflip.
So, will Alvarez now join Cuban fighters like Gamboa, Solis, Casamayor, and others and go pro, or will he resist the pro $dollar the way Stevenson (famously), Savon, Kindelan, and others did? Talented, exciting to watch, and still young enough to compete in L.A in 2028, should he so wish, Alvarez has some big decision-making to do.
For now, Alvarez, a former gymnast who made the decision to switch to boxing, can celebrate being the sole Cuban boxer to have won gold at Paris 2024.
