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Félix Savón Fabre (born 22 September 1967) is a Cuban former amateur boxer who competed from 1980 to 2000. Considered one of the all-time greatest amateurs,[2] he became three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the World Champion six times in a row,[3] all in the heavyweight division. In 1988, when he was favored by many to win the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, the Cuban government boycotted the event.[4] Savón is particularly known for having rejected numerous multimillion-dollar offers to defect and leave Cuba permanently to fight Mike Tyson as a professional.[5]
Félix Savón | |
|---|---|
 Savón (right) in 1987 | |
| Born | Félix Savón Fabre 22 September 1967 San Vicente, Cuba |
| Other names | Niñote ("Big Kid") |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[1] |
| Reach | 82 in (208 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 288 |
| Wins | 258 |
| Wins by KO | 158 |
| Losses | 10 |
Medal record | |
Early life
editHe was born in San Vicente, in Guantánamo Province, Cuba. His ring debut occurred in 1980, in Guantánamo.
Savón's inspiration to become a boxer was his renowned countryman, three-time Olympic champion Teófilo Stevenson[4] (he later was perceived by the Western media as Stevenson's successor[6])
Career
editDuring his career, in which he did not turn professional, he managed a career record of 362–21, with the majority of his losses avenged.[7][8] The only boxers, who got away with knockout victories over Savón unavenged were Soviet Usman Arsaliyev and North Korean Li Dal-Chen, whom he met only once.
He won his first important titles in 1985. At 19 he beat America's Michael Bentt on his way to win the 1987 Pan Am games.[9] Besides winning the Cuban heavyweight title (which he would win each year until his retirement, except 1999 and 2000 when he lost to Odlanier Solís, who he would lose to twice and defeat once in their three meetings), he also won the Junior World Championships in 1985.[10]
This set off his career, in which he would win six World Championships; his victory at the 1997 tournament was the result of the disqualification of an opponent, future professional world champion Ruslan Chagaev (whom Savón had previously beaten), who beat Savón in the final, but was later stripped of the gold medal for having two professional fights prior to the championships.[11] Chagaev was reinstated as an amateur the following year when these fights were declared exhibitions, but did not regain the gold medal.[12]
"He's just a great guy and he deserves everything he's got.
—Boxer Michael Bennett on Savón.[13]
In 1998 during the Heavyweight final of the Goodwill Games from New York, Savón had an amazing knockout over U.S. Amateur Champion DaVarryl Williamson.[14] At the 1999 tournament, he was to fight American Michael Bennett in the final, but the whole Cuban team retired from the competition to protest the result of another Cuban boxer in the tournament whom they considered had been "robbed" by the judges, meaning that Bennett won the final on default.[15] In their bout at the 2000 Summer Olympics Bennett would lose 23–8 to Savón.[16]
Savón won three Olympic gold medals, a feat shared with only two other boxers, László Papp and compatriot Teófilo Stevenson. He could have been a four-time Olympic gold medalist, had the Cuban government allowed its team to participate in the 1988 Seoul, South Korea.[4]
Savón's critics said that he is a puncher instead of a boxer who is not satisfied with a decision, risking losses by going after knockouts even when he is far ahead on points. Roosevelt Sanders, a U.S. boxing coach, said Savon would have been immediately ranked between 5th and 10th in the world's professional boxing heavyweight division if he turned pro after the 1990 Goodwill Games.[4] "Cuba, since 1974 has been the king of amateur boxing in the world", he said. "That is why the media of other countries keep asking why we don't box professionally. Professionalism will abolish humanism and society." Savon said amateur athletes are revered in Cuba. "Athletes are the most important thing in Cuba since Castro took over. We practice sports from the age of 8."[17]
Highlights
edit|
Local match-up (71 kg), Guantánamo, Cuba, 1980 (debut):
National Team Championships (91 kg), Cuba, October 1986:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), New Orleans, Louisiana, December 1986:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Sacramento, California, December 1986:
Cuba–USA Duals (91 kg), Santa Clara, Cuba, December 1987:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, April 1988:
AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Casablanca, Morocco, February 1989:
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Cuba–USA Duals (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, 1989:
AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), West Berlin, West Germany, March 1990:
U.S. Olympic Cup, North America–Europe Duals (91 kg), Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1990:
Cuba–USA Duals (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, 1990:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, August 1991:
AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Tampa, Florida, April 1992:
AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Istanbul, Turkey, February 1993:
Europe–North America Duals (91 kg), Berlin, Germany, March 1993:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Biloxi, Mississippi, September 1993:
AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Dublin, Ireland, March 1994:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Ledyard, Connecticut, October 1994:
National match-up (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1995:
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AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Macon, Georgia, October 1995:
USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Ledyard, Connecticut, November 1995:
XXXVI Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Holguín, Cuba, February 1997:
National match-up (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, August 1997:
National Tournament of Champions (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, April 1999:
Ukraine–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Kyiv, Ukraine, March 2000:
National Olympic Trials (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, June 2000:
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Retirement
editSavón announced his retirement from the ring, but helped train Cuba's fighters for the 2004 Athens Olympics.[18] After winning his third Olympic gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Savón announced his retirement at age 33.[19]
Later life
editIn February of the following year with Fidel Castro also present, Savón had the song "You Love Us" dedicated to him by the Manic Street Preachers, who became the first western rock band to play in Cuba.
In 2018, Savón was arrested amid accusations that he had raped an underage boy.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Olympic Bio: Felix Savón". Sports Illustrated. 7 April 2000. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Savon makes boxing history". BBC News. 30 September 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Golden hat-trick for battered Savon, Kingston Gleaner, 1 October 2000, p. 29.
- ^ a b c d Cuban Heavyweight (Associated Press,) St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3 August 1990, p. 22.
- ^ Butler, Brin-Jonathan (2014). A Cuban Boxer's Journey: Guillermo Rigondeaux, from Castro's Traitor to American Champion. Picador.[page needed]
- ^ Goodwill (United Press International,) Detroit Free Press, 29 July 1990, p. 40.
- ^ "Felix Savon - Olympics Athletes - 2008 Summer Olympics - Beijing, China". ESPN. 2008. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ "Felix Savon Amateur Boxing Record". Boxing-Scoop.com. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ Moran, Malcolm (21 August 1987). "Savon of Cuba Dominates Bent". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Janofsky, Michael (3 August 1990). "A Punching Patriot From Cuba". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ "Sorry". Indianexpress.com. Retrieved 21 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Padgett, Tim (11 September 2000). "Felix Savon". Time. Archived from the original on 2 July 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Just happy to be free: Once jailed, American boxer Bennett can't complain after quarterfinal loss By Tim Dahlberg (The Associated Press,) Doylestown Intelligencer, September 27, 2000, p. 22.
- ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ "Plus: Boxing - World Amateur Championships; Cubans Withdraw In Angry Protest". The New York Times. Associated Press. 27 August 1999. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Pennington, Bill (26 September 2000). "Sydney 2000: Boxing: Savon Is Easy Winner Over Benett". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Victorious Cuban Heats Up Cold War by Les Bowen, Philadelphia Daily News, 2 August 1990, p. 63.
- ^ "Plus: Boxing; Cuban Champion To Become a Coach". The New York Times. Reuters. 7 January 2001. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ "Felix Savon". CNN.com. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Castillo, Elisinio (8 November 2018). "Felix Savon in Jail, Allegations of Sexual Assault of a Minor". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 15 November 2019.