Félix Savón

Cuban boxer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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]

Nickname
Niñote ("Big Kid")
BornFélix Savón Fabre
(1967-09-22) 22 September 1967 (age 58)
San Vicente, Cuba
Height6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[1]
WeightHeavyweight
Quick facts Personal information, Nickname ...
Félix Savón
Savón (right) in 1987
Personal information
Nickname
Niñote ("Big Kid")
BornFélix Savón Fabre
(1967-09-22) 22 September 1967 (age 58)
San Vicente, Cuba
Height6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[1]
WeightHeavyweight
Boxing career
Reach82 in (208 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights288
Wins258
Win by KO158
Losses10
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing  Cuba
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 3 0 0
World Championships 6 1 0
Jr World Championships 1 0 0
Central American Championships 5 0 0
North American Championships 1 0 0
Pan American Games 3 0 0
Central American and Caribbean Games 4 0 0
World Cup 4 0 0
Goodwill Games 2 0 0
Total 29 1 0
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1992 BarcelonaHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1996 AtlantaHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place2000 SydneyHeavyweight
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1986 RenoHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1989 MoscowHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1991 SydneyHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1993 TampereHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1995 BerlinHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1997 BudapestHeavyweight
Silver medal – second place1999 HoustonHeavyweight
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place1985 BucharestHeavyweight
Central America and the Caribbean Championships
Gold medal – first place1984 ManaguaHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1985 MaturínHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1988 Guatemala CityHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1995 Mexico CityHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1996 GuadalajaraHeavyweight
North American Championships
Gold medal – first place1987 TorontoHeavyweight
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place1987 IndianapolisHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1991 HavanaHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1995 Mar del PlataHeavyweight
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place1986 SantiagoHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1990 Mexico CityHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1993 PonceHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1998 MaracaiboHeavyweight
World Cup
Gold medal – first place1987 BelgradeHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1990 DublinHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1994 BangkokHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1998 ChongqingHeavyweight
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place1994 Saint PetersburgHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1998 New YorkHeavyweight
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Early life

He 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

During 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

Retirement

Savón 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

In 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] The Cuban authorities never officially disclosed any details about his trial and conviction. In January 2025 it was reported that Savón was released on parole at the end of 2024 with about two years left on his original sentence.[21]

References

External links

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