Teófilo Stevenson will be remembered as the greatest fighter to never turn pro. Born in Las Tunas Province in Cuba in 1952, Teófilo followed the footsteps of his father, Teófilo Stevenson Sr, who was also a boxer. Stevenson began boxing at the early age of nine. At first his mother Dolores disapproved. She then allowed the younger Teófilo to box, as long as he was under the guidance of his father. He soon blossomed into a phenomenal amateur, first winning national junior titles and graduating to the senior level. Stevenson quickly became Cuba’s elite heavyweight boxer.
Notable fighters that Stevenson faced were Duane Bobick, John Tate, Tyrell Biggs, Igor Vysotsky, and former heavyweight champion Francesco Damiani. Stevenson had an amateur record of 302 wins, and only 22 loses. He is one of only three fighters to win three Olympic gold medals. Fellow countryman Félix Savón and Hungary’s László Papp were the only other two. Stevenson had an 11 year unbeaten streak. In 1976, Stevenson was offered 5 million dollars to take on the heavyweight champion at the time, Muhammad Ali. The offer was refused however and Stevenson asked, “What is one million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans?”. The boxing community, amateur and professional, were saddened to here of Teófilo Stevenson’s passing at the age of 60.
Here are some of Teófilo Stevenson’s achievements and accomplishments:
*In 1972 in the Olympic Games, Stevenson was awarded the Val Barker Trophy for Outstanding Boxer.
*Teófilo Stevenson became the Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR in 1972. One of the very few selected foreign athletes to be awarded the title in its history.
*Captured three gold medals at the the Munich, Montreal, and Moscow Olympic games.
*Won three gold medals at the World Amateur Championships in Havana, Belgrade, and Reno.
*At the Pan American Games, Stevenson earned two gold medals in Mexico City and San Juan, as well as a bronze medal in Cali.
*Stevenson was named coach of Cuba’s amateur boxing program.
Here is a match in which Teófilo Stevenson faces American Tyrell Biggs(Spanish commentary)
