Two-time Olympic champion Cubans Julius Cesar La Cruz and Arlen López, who started professional boxing last year, appeared for the first time in the recently updated ranking of the World Boxing Council (WBC).
La Cruz, who presents a balance of two successes without defeats, both by way of KO, appears in 20th place in that ranking in the cruiserweight division, headed by the Armenian-German Noel Mikaelyan, according to a note published by the sports portal Hit.
La Cruz and Arlen in the World Boxing Council ranking
It is considered an important step in the purpose of completing higher-ranking lawsuits in the current season. #Cuba #Boxing #CubanBoxing #CMBhttps://t.co/2Xopikssaf pic.twitter.com/GqVlExtWIr— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) January 10, 2023
For his part, Arlen (2-0, 2 KO) occupies the 27th seat among the light heavyweights, whose main reference is the Englishman Callum Smith, adds the report.
Both Cuban figures debuted in professional boxing in the middle of last year as members of the Domadores de Cuba franchise, which has only lost one of the 16 bouts held so far, mainly in fights organized in Mexico cities.
La Cruz had his first presentation in this new setting along with five other fighters from the Island in a billboard held in the Mexican city of Aguascalientesin which he dispatched the Colombian Deivis Cásseres in the second round.
Arlen’s debut was more spectacular, as he knocked out his opponent Fernando Galván with a powerful swing left just in the second minute of the first round.
Later the presentations of the boxers continued under the protection of the Cuban Boxing Federation, managed by the Mexican promoter Golden Boxing when both entities signed a representation contract.
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Alberto Puig de la Barca, president of the governing body of the boxing in Cubahighlighted Hit that these first appearances in the WBC ranking contribute to the purpose of concretizing higher-ranking duels in the current season.
“It makes them more attractive to promoters,” he recalled, before assuring that it is a step that others such as Roniel Iglesias (super welterweight), Yoenlis Hernández (middleweight) and Lázaro Álvarez (super lightweight) can join, the media reported. .
Gerardo Saldívar, head of the Golden Ring company, considered that “in general, it can take a professional boxer years or many fights to reach that point.” ranking».
The Mexican businessman valued the new inclusion in the ranking of the WBC, calling it “a recognition of the quality of Cuban boxing”.
Another 13 Cuban boxers with no ties to the Cuban federation were also included in the most recent update of the list. Among them, the welterweight Yorednis Ugás (27-5, 12 KO) and the well-rounded Guantanamo Frank Sánchez (21-0, 14 KO) stand out, both anchored in third place in their respective categories.
At 37 years old, Ugás from Santiago achieved his most notable performance at beat convincingly to the legendary Filipino Manny Pacquiao in August 2021 to take over the World Boxing Association (WBA) belt.
He exhibited that crown until in April of last year he lost to the American Errol Spence Jr., in an attempt to unify his title with those of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Council (WBC), which at that time held his rival.
