Cuban Erlandis Lara has, according to Bild Zeitung, fled the country by boat with Arena Box Promotion financing it and is hiding in Mexico while awaiting the paper work to be done to travel to Germany. Meanwhile Guillermo Rigondeaux was supposed to have been on the boat but jumped off at the last moment.
The Bild Zeitung should f*ck himself hard in the a** and drop dead for breaking this news. Now it will be much harder for team Arena to manage Lara's trip to Germany and his VISA. This should've been kept in secret until all the paperwork was done and Lara landed in Hamburg. Bild Zeitung should get an extra F*CK YOU for informing that Arena financed the trip and also for informing that Lara is in Mexico. Did Lara qualified himself to the Olympics? Will the Cuban team leave for Beijing after all this? I'm very disappointed that Rigondeaux couldn't make it. Thank you Bild Zeitung for informing the world that Guillermo was on the boat but jumped off in the last moment. The Cuban government will be very happy to have a chat with the great boxer.
The cuban team will not be effected at all by this news since both Rigondeaux and Lara were no part of cuban team anymore, the cuban team for Beijing has already been announced so this wont effect them, But to hear that Rigondeaux did not make it its really sad, I hope those are rumors and they might have said that because they didnt have any news on him or something, but it dosent look good or possitive right now. Its pretty messed up for those people to break that news while they are still with no paper work, I hope everything works out, And I hope rigondeaux left aswell because I see no reason for him staying after being told over and over again that his future in boxing in cuba is done.
Sounds like some very dirty games by Arena (''stealing'' Lara from another country and invest some money in him, only to become very filthy rich themselves).
Well... I doubt they are 'stealing' or 'kidnapping' them... it's the fighters' choice to leave Cuba. Ahmet Öner did a very fine job with the first 3 Cuban Olympians making their trip possible, getting their VISA, the German, US citizenship, apartment in Hamburg, quality opponents, quality TV deals, good money etc. So far Öner put a huge amount of money and time in them, (he even arranged a trip for Gamboa's family) and only Yuri is giving something back. Looking at Solis' shape when he left Cuba last year, and the rumors of the problems with the bottle didn't make his 2006 Cuban boxing career look too good... It's really the boxers' choice whether they want to fight for their great country or for the money. But even if they get an Olympic gold for their country in Cuba, they still can't decide to turn pro to earn money for themselves and their families... it's out of the question. So the only way to make something big is to flee the country which is very sad. But out of the hundrends of money-making promotional companies, it seems Arena Box-Promotion is one to take good care of it's fighters. Gamboa is fighting on HBO after just one year at the pros and without speaking English for Christ's sake!
Here's Lara's amateur record: http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/lara.html Rigondeaux and Lara: This content is protected
Erislandi should do well in the pro's, he's extremely fast with great defence and boxing skills. Also, unlike the other Cuban's who escaped, he's only 24 years olds. Lara was the captain of the Cuban team wasn't he?
What about this Rigondeux guy. I have heard his name a few times and how good he is. Is it hype or does he have one hell of a pedigree???
I've never seen a more talented 'pure boxer' stylist, whom also had a degree of punching power in the amatuer's like Rigondeaux. He's like Casamayor stylistically, but much quicker and has a degree of timing precision that only I've Savon have in the amatuer's. However, I don't think his style is as well suited to the pro's as Gamboa's, but I do think Rigondeaux could be a force in the same right, it'd have to be very soon though, he's 28.
