Felix Savon

[edsel77x]

Felix Savon, 3 Time Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medalist From Cuba: Who Did He Face?

 

By Laz Izada:

 

Felix Zavon dominated amateur heavyweight (201lbs) boxing circles between 1985 when he won the Junior World Championship in Bucharest, Romania out pointing Poland’s Andrew Golota, until the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia when he defeated Sultan Ibragimov (21-13) from Russia.

 

After winning his third Olympic Gold medal in 2000 against Ibragimov he retired at 33. One year before amateur boxing’s mandatory retirement age of 34.

 

During his reign he captured three consecutive heavyweight Olympic Gold medals (1992, 1996, and 2000), Gold at 6 consecutive World Amateur Boxing Championships (1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997) and was the Cuban National Champion from 1985 until 1998. He composed a record of 362-21.

The big question is who did this 6’ 5” tall lanky amateur boxer with extraordinarily foot and hand speed fight against? It was clear that he never faced the best pros that might have been amateur or he might of turned pro to face them in his prime from 1985-2000. They were in the era Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, and Lennox Lewis.

 

So who did he defeat in his career that later turned pro, in the 1992 Olympics for Gold he defeated Danell Nicholson (United States) a close 13-11, and David Izon (Nigeria) 14-1. In the 1996 Olympics he defeated Luan Krasniqi (Germany) for Gold by walkover and then David Defiagbon (Canada) 20-2. Then in 2000 he defeated for Gold Michael Bennett (United States) 23-8 and Sultan Ibragimov (Russia) 21-13.

 

So there you have it –in three Olympics Zavon beat six guys who later turned pro, that were good but not the best in the heavyweight division. There pro records were as follows: Danell Nicholson (42-5, 32 KO’s), David Izon (27-6, 23 KO’s), Luan Krasniqi (30-4-1, 14 KO’s), David Defiagbon 21-2, 12 KO’s), Michael Bennett (10-4, 8 KO’s) and Sultan Ibragimov 22-1-1, 17 KO’s).

 

In regional and world amateur competitions Zavon also defeated David Tua (51-3-2, 43 KO’s), Shannon Briggs (51-6-1, 45 KO’s), and Lamon Brewster (35-6, 30 KO’s) by knockout and TKO. At the time of those matches Zavon was a lot older and more experienced then Tua, Briggs, and Brewster. Shannon Briggs summed it up best in a quote “that he gave Savon credit but it was like boys going against men.” Briggs was 18 when he lost by KO to Savon, who was 28 at the time.

 

In the mid to late eighties it was rumored that Don King had offered Zavon 10 million dollars to fight Mike Tyson which was undefeated at the time and knocking out everybody in site. Zavon countered with the same statement that Cuban heavyweight great before him Teofilo Stevenson said when Don King offered 1 million for Stevenson to fight Muhammad Ali in the seventies, “that he would not trade the love and affection of 10 million Cubans for 10 million dollars.” So the fight with Tyson never took place.

 

So we ask boxing fans will never know how good Savon was, as he did not fight against the best heavyweights of his time like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, and Lennox Lewis.

 

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=27354&more=1

[grapevine241]

this is idiotic in so many ways that im not even going to dignify it with an explanation of how dumb this writer comes off in this article

[WelshDevilRob]

I've nothing against Savon and it would have been fantastic for the sport if he'd turned Pro. He achieved a phenominal amount in the amateur game as his resume proves.

 

I've always wondered with the Cuban fighters in general if they had an advantage over most nations in the amateurs. For example they build up a wealth of experience in the game, so come the tournaments they usually are alot older than the competitors of other countries - so not only have the experience factor but also a wealth of experience when in bouts.

 

On a seperate note did Savon ever face Jorge Luis Gonzalez?

[iamasadlittleboy]

I think (Well know) some writers say things just to stir up controversy, thats whats happening here.

[edsel77x]

I think (Well know) some writers say things just to stir up controversy, thats whats happening here.

 

iam you are all to aware of that, as you yourself are a writer and with all your anit- Haye rhetoric and all :).

 

Interested in knowning what could of came of him!?