Editing Teófilo Stevenson

{{short description|Cuban amateur boxer (1952–2012)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|Stevenson|Lawrence|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox boxer
| name           = Teófilo Stevenson
| image          = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-1004-023, Teofilo Stevenson cropped.jpg
| caption        = Stevenson in 1985
| realname       = Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence
| nickname       = Pirolo
| weight         = [[Heavyweight]]
| height         = 6 ft 5 in<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Teofilo-Stevenson | title=Teófilo Stevenson &#124; Olympic Champion, Three-Time Gold Medalist, Heavyweight Boxer &#124; Britannica | date=25 March 2024 }}</ref>
| reach          = 78 in
| birth_date     = {{birth date|1952|3|29|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Puerto Padre]], [[Las Tunas Province|Las Tunas]], [[Republic of Cuba (1902–1959)|Cuba]]
| death_date     = {{death date and age|2012|6|11|1952|3|29|df=y}}
| death_place    = [[Havana]], Cuba
| style          = [[Orthodox (boxing)|Orthodox]]
| total          = 332
| wins           = 302
| KO             = 
| losses         = 22
| draws          = 8
| no contests    = 
| medaltemplates = 
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[boxing]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{CUB}} }}
{{MedalCount
|[[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|3|0|0
|[[Friendship Games]]|1|0|0
|[[AIBA World Boxing Championships|World Championships]]|3|0|0
|[[Pan American Games]]|2|0|1
|[[Central American and Caribbean Games]]|2|0|0
|Central American Championships|6|0|0
|'''Total'''|'''17'''|'''0'''|'''1'''
}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Boxing at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold  | [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]] | [[Boxing at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Heavyweight|Heavyweight]]}}
{{Medal|Gold  | [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]] | [[Boxing at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Heavyweight|Heavyweight]]}}
{{Medal|Gold  | [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Moscow]] | [[Boxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Heavyweight|Heavyweight]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Friendship Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[Friendship Games|1984 Havana]] | [[Boxing at the Friendship Games|Super Heavyweight]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[World Amateur Boxing Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships|1974 Havana]] | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1978 World Amateur Boxing Championships|1978 Belgrade]] | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships|1986 Reno]] | Super Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[1975 Pan American Games|1975 Mexico City]] | [[Boxing at the 1975 Pan American Games|Heavyweight]]}} 
{{Medal|Gold| [[1979 Pan American Games|1979 San Juan]] | [[Boxing at the 1979 Pan American Games|Heavyweight]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[1971 Pan American Games|1971 Cali]] | [[Boxing at the 1971 Pan American Games|Heavyweight]]}} 
{{MedalCompetition|[[Central American and Caribbean Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1974 Central American and Caribbean Games|1974 Santo Domingo]] | [[1974 Central American and Caribbean Games|Heavyweight]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1982 Central American and Caribbean Games|1982 Havana]] | [[1982 Central American and Caribbean Games|Super Heavyweight]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|Central America and the Caribbean Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold| 1970 Havana | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| 1971 San Juan | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| 1972 San José | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| 1973 Mexico City | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| 1974 Caracas | Heavyweight}}
{{Medal|Gold| 1977 Panama City | Heavyweight}}
}}
'''Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence''' ({{IPA|es|teˈofilo steˈβenson}}; 29 March 1952 – 11 June 2012) was a Cuban [[Amateur boxing|amateur boxer]] who competed from [[Boxing in the 1960s|1966]] to [[Boxing in the 1980s|1986]].

Stevenson won the [[Val Barker Trophy]] (1972) as well was honored with the [[Olympic Order]] (1987) and is one of only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals &ndash; alongside the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] [[László Papp]] and the fellow Cuban [[Félix Savón]].

== Early life ==

Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence was born in [[Puerto Padre]], Cuba.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.periodico26.cu/english/faces/stevenson.htm |title=Las Tunas-born Teofilo Stevenson: a Legend that Lives on |access-date=2011-06-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820040414/http://www.periodico26.cu/english/faces/stevenson.htm |archive-date=20 August 2006}}. Periodico.</ref> His father, Teófilo Stevenson Patterson, was an immigrant from [[Saint Vincent (island)|Saint Vincent]]. His mother Dolores Lawrence was a native [[Cubans|Cuban]], but her parents were immigrants from the [[English-speaking world|Anglophone]] island of [[Saint Kitts]]. Teófilo senior arrived in Cuba in 1923, finding work wherever he could, before settling in [[Camagüey]] with Dolores, where he gave English lessons to top up his meagre earnings. Due to his large size, Teófilo senior was encouraged into boxing by local trainers, fighting seven times before becoming disillusioned by the corrupt payment structure on offer to young fighters.<ref name="young">''In the Red Corner''. John Duncan. pp. 77–79.</ref>

Teófilo junior was a shiftless but bright child who at nine years old soon found himself sparring at the makeshift open-air gym his father had frequented.<ref name="young"/> Under the tutelage of former national light heavyweight champion John Herrera, Teófilo junior began his career fighting far more experienced boxers, but according to Herrera, "had what it took". Despite his growing involvement in the sport, Stevenson had yet to tell his mother about his activities. Eventually Teófilo Sr. broke the news to his wife, who was furious; but she agreed to acquiesce on the provision that the boy was accompanied by his father.<ref name="young"/>

==Boxing career==
===Beginnings===

The young Stevenson continued to improve under Herrera in the mid-1960s, winning a junior title and gaining additional training in Havana. His victories drew the attention of Andrei Chervonenko, a head coach in Cuba's newly implemented state sports system. [[Professional sports]] throughout the island had been outlawed since 1962 by government resolution 83-A, and all boxing activity had come under the guidance of the government sponsored National Boxing Commission.<ref>[http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/04e7.htm Cubans flex muscles in world of controversy / Independent News – Cuba News / Noticias – CubaNet News<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004940/http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/04e7.htm |date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> Chervonenko, a retired boxer himself, sent by the [[Soviet Union]], who had created Cuba's ''Escuela de Boxeo'' (Boxing school) in a derelict old gym in Havana, began to champion Stevenson's progress.<ref>Duncan, p.79</ref>

Stevenson's senior boxing career began at age seventeen with a defeat in the national championships against the experienced heavyweight Gabriel Garcia. Despite the setback, Stevenson went on to register convincing victories over [[Nancio Carrillo]] and Juan Perez, two of Cuba's finest boxers in the weight division, securing a place in the national team for the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Boxing Championships. Defeat in the final after three victories was considered no shame, and Stevenson firmly established himself as Cuba's premier heavyweight. Back in the gym Chervonenko and leading Cuban boxing coach [[Alcides Sagarra]] worked on Stevenson's jab, which became his ultimate weapon, and paid dividends when the Cuban easily defeated East Germany's [[Bernd Anders]] in front of a surprised Berlin crowd. The victory made the entire amateur boxing world take notice of Stevenson as a serious heavyweight contender.<ref>Duncan, p-80-81</ref>

===Munich Olympics 1972===
Stevenson, now twenty, joined the Cuban boxing team for the [[1972 Summer Olympics|Munich Olympics of 1972]]. His opening bout against experienced Polish fighter [[Ludwik Denderys]] began dramatically when Stevenson knocked the other man down within thirty seconds of the opening bell. The fight was stopped moments later due to a large cut next to the Pole's eye.

Proceeding to the quarter finals, Stevenson met American boxer [[Duane Bobick]]. Bobick, a gold medalist at the [[Boxing at the 1971 Pan American Games|1971 Pan American Games]], had beaten Stevenson previously. After a close first round, Stevenson lost the second, but a ferocious display in the third round knocked Bobick to the canvas three times and the contest was stopped. The victory was viewed on television throughout Cuba, and is still considered Stevenson's most memorable performance.

Stevenson easily defeated German [[Peter Hussing]] in the semifinal by TKO in the second round, and received his gold medal after Romanian [[Ion Alexe]] failed to appear in the final due to injury. The Cuban boxing team won three gold medals, their first in Olympic boxing history, as well as one silver and one bronze. The Munich games established Cuba's dominance over the amateur sport that was to last decades. It also established Stevenson as the world's premier amateur heavyweight boxer.

Less than two years after his successful performance at the Munich Olympics, Stevenson, then 22-years-old, was rewarded with a house for himself in Havana and another for himself and his family in [[Delicias, Cuba|Delicias]]. Stevenson later recalled: "I had no idea the house in Delicias was going to be so big. When I was shown the plans, I said, 'What is this? A bunker?{{'"}} AIBA president [[Anwar Chowdhry]], when asked did the Cuban authorities acted properly in giving Stevenson two houses and two cars, said: "These things should not be allowed. If gifts are to be given it should be for everybody—not for a few." Over tea in his office in Havana's [[Sports City Coliseum]], INDER president Conrado Martínez Corona defended the local practice of giving cars and apartments to top athletes. "Our country has the obligation of solving the problems of all citizens—the problems of their nourishment, housing, education and health", he said. "It's a pity we can't solve this problem in the way we need to for everybody."<ref name="Brubaker">{{cite news |last= Brubaker|first= Bill|author-link= Bill Brubaker|date= 21 February 1986|title= A Boxer to Whom Money Didn't Talk|newspaper= [[The Washington Post]]|pages= A1}}</ref>

===Prime years===
Stevenson did the same at the inaugural [[1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships|1974 World Championships]] in [[Havana]], Cuba, and then in the [[1976 Summer Olympics]], held in [[Montreal]], Stevenson repeated the feat once again. By then, he had become a national hero in Cuba. This was the point where he was the closest to signing a professional contract, as American fight promoters offered him US$5 million to challenge world heavyweight champion [[Muhammad Ali]].<ref name = "bbc death">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18405802|title=Cuban boxing champion Teofilo Stevenson dies|publisher=BBC News|date=12 June 2012|access-date=12 June 2012}}</ref> If he had accepted, it would have made Stevenson the second boxer to go straight from the Olympics into a professional debut with the world's heavyweight crown on the line, after [[Pete Rademacher]]. Stevenson refused the offer, however, asking "What is one million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans?"<ref name="PBS">{{cite web |title=Sport in Cuba: The Diamond in the Rough|work=[[Public Broadcasting Service]]|url=https://www.pbs.org/stealinghome/sport/diamond.html|access-date=30 June 2006}}</ref> Stevenson went to the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] in Moscow and became the second boxer ever, after Papp, to win three Olympic boxing gold medals. The Moscow Games were the 19th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games.

Stevenson participated at the [[1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships]] in Munich, but lost to the eventual silver medalist and future professional world champion [[Francesco Damiani]] from Italy. This fight ended an eleven-year unbeaten run by Stevenson and was the only occasion that he did not win the gold medal at the World Championships when he entered the competition.

His loss by a split decision to Aleksandr Lukstin of the Soviet Union in the finals of the 1983 Córdova Cardín, as the Soviet head coach Kontsantin Koptsev later admitted, was due to a plaster-like tape they [[Hand wrap|handwrapped]] Lukstin's fists with instead of a regular elastic-band hand wrapping.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW3NN7YY4cM&t=1804 Территория бокса – Андрей Курнявка и Константин Копцев (Выпуск 28)] (in Russian)</ref>

Stevenson might have won a fourth gold medal at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]], but the [[Soviet Union]] boycotted the games, which were hosted by Los Angeles, in retaliation for the American boycott of the 1980 Moscow competition. Cuba followed the Soviet lead, and Stevenson did not compete.<ref name = "bbc death"/> For consolation, he beat future Olympic champion [[Tyrell Biggs]] in February 1984 (breaking three ribs in the process) and won the super heavyweight gold at the [[Boxing at the Friendship Games|1984 Friendship Games]], defeating [[Ulli Kaden]] of [[East Germany]] and, in the final, Valeriy Abadzhyan of the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/OlympicGames1984FT.html|title=Friendhips Tournament - Havana, Cuba - August 18-24 1984|publisher=amateur-boxing.strefa.pl |access-date=2019-03-05}}</ref>
At the [[1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships]], he won the super heavyweight gold, defeating [[Alex Garcia (boxer)|Alex Garcia]] from the United States in the final. Stevenson retired from boxing shortly after the [[1988 Summer Olympics]], which Cuba also boycotted.<ref name = "bbc death"/>

=== Rivalry with Vysotsky ===
Stevenson was known for two fights with Soviet boxer [[Igor Vysotsky]], who defeated him twice. Vysotsky later said in an interview with ''East Side Boxing'':<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=9323&more=1|title=SOVIET LEGENDS: Igor Vysotsky – The man who had Teofilo Stevenson's number!" ESB EXCLUSIVE Interview!|last=Komarnitzky|first=Gennadiy|author2=Koza, Izyaslav |date=24 December 2006|publisher=East Side Boxing}}</ref>
{{blockquote|text=I fought Teofilo twice. We first met at the "[[Giraldo Cordova Cardin International Boxing Tournament|Córdova Cardín" tournament]] in 1973 in Cuba. I took the first two opponents, both being Cuban, out early. In the third, I beat Stevenson on points. Although the score was 3:2, the pace of the fight forced Teófilo to take two necessary breaks to retie his gloves. We had a saying in the USSR, "It's easier to win the World championships than it is to win 'Córdova Cardín'." The second time was at a class A International tournament in [[Minsk]], in March 1976. In each stanza, Stevenson took a count, while in the final three minutes, I knocked him out. |sign=Igor Vysotsky|source=Interview with ''East Side Boxing'', 2006}}

Vysotsky was the only boxer out of hundreds of Stevenson's opponents to ever stop him, let alone by knockout, and to defeat him twice, both times in his prime, without being avenged. And on top of it, Vysotsky scored his first victory over Stevenson at the Córdova Cardín, Cubans' home tournament, where they do their best to never let any foreigner get into the finals.

Stevenson's second loss to Vysotsky happened six weeks before his knockout winning streak at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, which ended up with victories over [[John Tate (boxer)|John Tate]] and [[Mircea Șimon]]. After losing to Vysotsky for a second time he said, "Nobody is invincible."<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/florence-morning-news-sep-01-1977-p-22/ Olympic Heavyweight Boxing Champion Teofilo Stevenson Seriously Burned], ''Florence Morning News'', 1 September 1977, p. 22.</ref>

=== Highlights ===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-3}}
Local match-up (71&nbsp;kg), [[Las Tunas, Cuba]], October 1966 (debut):
*Lost to Luis Henríquez (Cuba) by decision
{{gold1}} National Youth Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Camagüey, Cuba]], 1968
*(no data available)
VI [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Guantánamo, Cuba]], November 1968:
*1/4: Lost to Adolfo Gálvez (Cuba) by decision
{{silver2}} VII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Nueva Gerona]], [[Cuba]], December 1969:
*1/2: Defeated Iván Rodríguez (Cuba)
*Finals: Lost to Gabriel García (Cuba) by decision
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], 1970:
*Defeated [[Nancio Carrillo]] (Cuba) KO  
*Defeated Juan Pérez (Cuba)
{{gold1}} I Central America and the Caribbean Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], September 1970:
*1/2: Defeated Visley Zulueta (Colombia) KO 1
*Finals: Defeated Earl McClear (Bermuda) by decision
{{silver2}} III Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], October 1970:
*1/4: Defeated Gabriel García (Cuba) RSC 3
*1/2: Defeated Adolfo Gálvez (Cuba) by decision
*Finals: Lost to [[Bernd Anders]] (East Germany) by decision
{{gold1}} VI Friendship Youth Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Vidin]], [[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], October 1970:
*1/4: Defeated Eckhard Findeisen (East Germany) RSC 1
*1/2: Defeated Dumitru Zelinta (Romania) RSC 2
*Finals: Defeated Vladimir Saprykin (Soviet Union) RSC 1
Cuba–Czechoslovakia Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], March 1971:
*Lost to Peter Sommer (Czechoslovakia) by decision
Czechoslovakia–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Prague, Czechoslovakia]], March 1971:
*Lost to Peter Sommer (Czechoslovakia) by decision
Yugoslavia–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Titograd]], [[Yugoslavia]], April 1971:
*Defeated Iordan Obradović (Yugoslavia) DQ 3
Austria–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Vienna, Austria]], May 1971:
*Defeated Erwin Suppik (Austria) KO 2
{{gold1}} IV Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], June 1971:
*1/2: Defeated Adolfo Gálvez (Cuba) RET
*Finals: Defeated José Luis Cabrera (Cuba) by decision
Panama–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Panama City, Panama]], June 1971:
*Defeated Rolando Tey (Panama) RET
Cuba–Bulgaria Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], July 1971:
*Defeated Borislav Krastev (Bulgaria) DQ 2 
{{bronze3}} [[Boxing at the 1971 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Cali, Colombia]], August 1971:
*1/4: Defeated Pablo Sarmiento (Argentina) by unanimous decision, 5–0
*1/2: Lost to [[Duane Bobick]] (United States) by unanimous decision, 0–5
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], September 1971:
*Defeated Adolfo Gálvez (Cuba) RSC
{{gold1}} III TSC Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Berlin, East Germany]], October 1971:
*1/4: Defeated Jerzy Skoczek (Poland) KO 3
*1/2: Defeated [[Bernd Anders]] (East Germany) RSC 3
*Finals: Defeated Josef Motýl (Czechoslovakia) RSC 1
Cuba–USSR Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Berlin, East Germany]], October 1971:
*Lost to [[Yuri Nesterov (boxer)|Yuri Nesterov]] (Soviet Union) by decision
IX [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Nueva Gerona]], [[Cuba]], October–November 1971 (no medal awarded):
*1/4: Defeated Francisco Molina (Cuba) KO
*1/2: Defeated Adolfo Gálvez (Cuba) by decision
*Finals: Defeated Luis Valier (Cuba) RSC
{{gold1}} II Central America and the Caribbean Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]], November 1971:
*Finals: Defeated Georgie Clemente (Puerto Rico) by walkover
{{gold1}} VII Friendship Youth Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], December 1971:
*1/2: Defeated Borimir Kristiev (Bulgaria) RSC
*Finals: Defeated Vladimir Volkov (Soviet Union) by decision
Cuba–USSR Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], January 1972:
*Defeated Vladimir Volkov (Soviet Union)
{{gold1}} X [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Santiago de Cuba, Cuba]], February–March 1972:
*1/2: Defeated Francisco Molina (Cuba) KO
*Finals: Defeated Luis Valier (Cuba) KO 1
Cuba–Romania Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], April 1972:
*Defeated [[Ion Alexe]] (Romania) by decision
Czechoslovakia–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Ústí nad Labem]], [[Czechoslovakia]], April 1972:
*Defeated Josef Motýl (Czechoslovakia) KO 2
GDR–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Berlin, East Germany]], 1972:
*Defeated [[Bernd Anders]] (East Germany) KO 2
{{gold1}} III Chemistry Cup (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Halle (Saale)|Halle, East Germany]], May 1972:
*1/4: Defeated Dieter Limant (East Germany) RSC 1
*1/2: Defeated Eberhard Findeisen (East Germany) RSC 1
*Finals: Defeated [[Jürgen Fanghänel]] (East Germany)
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], May 1972:
*Defeated [[Nancio Carrillo]] (Cuba) KO
{{gold1}} V Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], July 1972:
*Finals: Defeated [[Nancio Carrillo]] (Cuba) by decision
{{gold1}} [[Boxing at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Heavyweight|XX Summer Olympics]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Munich, West Germany]], September 1972:
*1/16: Defeated [[Ludwik Denderys]] (Poland) KO 1
*1/4: Defeated [[Duane Bobick]] (United States) RSC 3 {{small|(Bobick knocked down twice in the 3rd rd)}}
*1/2: Defeated [[Peter Hussing]] (West Germany) RSC 2 {{small|(Hussing knocked down twice in the 2nd rd)}}
*Finals: Defeated [[Ion Alexe]] (Romania) by walkover
{{gold1}} III Central America and the Caribbean Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[San José, Costa Rica]], November 1972:
*1/2: Defeated Jack Powell (Jamaica) RET 1
*Finals: Defeated Rafael Vega (Costa Rica) RSC 1
{{gold1}} XI [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], February 1973:
*Finals: Defeated [[Nancio Carrillo]] (Cuba)
{{gold1}} Golden Belt Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Bucharest, Romania]], April 1973:
*1/4: Defeated Hennie Thoonen (Netherlands) RET 2
*1/2: Defeated Ion Sanatescu (Romania) by decision
*Finals: Defeated [[Ion Alexe]] (Romania) RET 2
{{silver2}} VI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Santiago de Cuba, Cuba]], July 1973:
*1/4: Defeated [[Nancio Carrillo]] (Cuba) RET
*1/2: Defeated Peter Sommer (Czechoslovakia) KO 1
*Finals: Lost to [[Igor Vysotsky]] (Soviet Union) by split decision, 2–3
{{gold1}} IV Central America and the Caribbean Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Mexico City, Mexico]], November 1973:
*1/4: Defeated Jimmy Russell (Jamaica) by walkover
*1/2: Defeated Carlos Rivera (Venezuela) RSC 1
*Finals: Defeated Ismael Ruiz (Mexico) KO 1
{{gold1}} XII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], January 1974:
*1/8: Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) by decision
*1/4: Defeated [[Nancio Carrillo]] (Cuba) by decision
*1/2: Defeated Jesús Benítez (Cuba) RET
*Finals: Defeated José Luis Cabrera (Cuba) RET
{{gold1}} [[1974 Central American and Caribbean Games]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic]], March 1974:
*1/2: Defeated Rafael Vega (Costa Rica) KO 1
*Finals: Defeated Carlos Rivera (Venezuela) RET 1
{{gold1}} Golden Belt Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Bucharest, Romania]], May 1974:
*1/4: Defeated Marian Alexandru (Romania) RET 3
*1/2: Defeated Ion Anghel (Romania) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated Yevgeni Gorstkov (Soviet Union) by walkover
{{gold1}} VII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Camagüey, Cuba]], July 1974:
*1/4: Defeated Elpidio Valier (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) RSC
*Finals: Defeated [[Pyotr Zayev]] (Soviet Union) RSC
{{gold1}} [[1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships|World Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], August 1974:
*1/8: Defeated Tshibangu Hweia (Zaire) by walkover
*1/4: Defeated [[Peter Hussing]] (West Germany) KO 1
*1/2: Defeated Fatai Avinia (Nigeria) by decision
*Finals: Defeated Marvin Stinson (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{Col-3}}
{{gold1}} V Central America and the Caribbean Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Caracas, Venezuela]], December 1974:
*1/2: Defeated Rafael Vega (Costa Rica) by decision
*Finals: Defeated Carlos Rivera (Venezuela) by decision
XIII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Santiago de Cuba, Cuba]], January 1975:
*1/8: Defeated Germán Duvergel (Cuba) by walkover
*1/4: Defeated José Luis Cabrera (Cuba) by decision
*1/2: Lost to Adolfo Gálvez (Cuba) by walkover
INDER Anniversary Festival (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], February 1975:
*Defeated Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{gold1}} XV Honvéd Cup (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Budapest, Hungary]], March 1975:
*1/4: Defeated István Edocs (Hungary) by decision
*1/2: Defeated Igor Kykotoorov ? (Soviet Union) by walkover
*Finals: Defeated Gennady Kokurin (Soviet Union) RSC 1
{{gold1}} Golden Belt Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Bucharest, Romania]], April 1975:
*1/4: Defeated Claudio Liendo (Venezuela) by walkover
*1/2: Defeated Ilie Dascălu (Romania) RET 1
*Finals: Defeated [[Mircea Șimon]] (Romania) by walkover
{{gold1}} VIII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Las Villas (Cuba)|Las Villas, Cuba]], July 1975:
*1/2: Defeated Ricardo Casañas (Cuba) RSC 2
*Finals: Defeated Dietmar Meyer (East Germany) RET 2
{{gold1}} [[Boxing at the 1975 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Mexico City, Mexico]], October 1975:
*1/8: Defeated Gilberto Acuña (Costa Rica) RSC 1
*1/4: Defeated [[Clarence Hill (boxer)|Clarence Hill]] (Bermuda) by walkover
*1/2: Defeated Jair De Campos (Brazil) RSC 1 {{small|(2:01)}}
*Finals: Defeated [[Michael Dokes]] (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], December 1975:
*Defeated David Villa (Cuba) RSC
{{gold1}} XIV [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Camagüey, Cuba]], January 1976:
*1/8: Defeated Ramón Lores (Cuba) RSC
*1/4: Defeated José Luis Cabrera (Cuba) by walkover
*1/2: Defeated Glemond Crawford (Cuba) RET
*Finals: Defeated Julio Cañizares (Cuba) RSC
Jamaica–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Kingston, Jamaica]], February 1976:
*Defeated ? by decision
{{silver2}} Usov Memorial Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Minsk]], [[Belarus SSR]], April 1976:
*1/4: Defeated Leonid Zadorozhny (Soviet Union) RSCI 1
*1/2: Defeated Nikolay Malykh (Soviet Union) RET 3
*Finals: Lost to [[Igor Vysotsky]] (Soviet Union) KO 3
{{gold1}} IX Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Pinar del Río, Cuba]], May 1976:
*1/8: Defeated Fidel César (Cuba) KO 2
*1/4: Defeated José Ribalta<ref>An older brother to José Manuel Ribalta, a boxer who is known for his 1986 fight versus Mike Tyson.</ref> (Cuba) RSC 1
*1/2: Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) RSC 1
*Finals: Defeated Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{gold1}} [[Boxing at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Heavyweight|XXI Summer Olympics]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Maurice Richard Arena]], [[Montreal, Canada]], July 1976:
*1/16: Defeated [[Mamadou Drame]] (Senegal) KO 2
*1/4: Defeated [[Pekka Ruokola]] (Finland) RSC 1
*1/2: Defeated [[John Tate (boxer)|John Tate]] (United States) KO 1 {{small|(1:36)}}
*Finals: Defeated [[Mircea Șimon]] (Romania) RET 3 {{small|(2:35)}}
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], February 1977:
*Defeated [[Luis Martínez (Cuban boxer)|Luis Martínez]] (Cuba) KO
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Camagüey, Cuba]], April 1977:
*Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) by decision
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Matanzas, Cuba]], April 1977:
*Defeated Roberto Gómez (Cuba) by decision
Local match-up (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Bayamo, Cuba]], April 1977:
*Defeated Juan Pérez (Cuba) KO
{{gold1}} I Battle of Carabobo International Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Caracas, Venezuela]], June 1977:
*Finals: Defeated Woody Clark (United States) KO 3
{{gold1}} X Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Matanzas, Cuba]], July 1977:
*1/8: Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) RSC
*1/4: Defeated Julio Quintero (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Fidel César (Cuba) by decision
*Finals: Defeated Roberto Gómez (Cuba) RET 3
{{gold1}} VIII Central America and the Caribbean Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Panama City, Panama]], August 1977:
*1/4: Defeated José Ángel Castro (Venezuela) by unanimous decision, 5–0
*1/2: Defeated Mauricio Realajeno (El Salvador) KO 1
*Finals: Defeated Rafael Vega (Costa Rica) by walkover
{{gold1}} XVI [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Camagüey, Cuba]], January 1978:
*1/16: Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) RSC 1
*1/8: Defeated Oscar Rodríguez (Cuba) RSC
*1/4: Defeated Ramón Lores (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Noel Grenot (Cuba) RSC
*Finals: Defeated Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) RSC 2
Cuba–USA Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], February 1978:
*Defeated Jimmy Clark (United States) by split decision, 2–1
{{gold1}} XXIX [[Strandzha Cup]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Sofia, Bulgaria]], March 1978:
*1/4: Defeated Hans Müller (East Germany) KO 1
*1/2: Defeated Georgi Lefterov (Bulgaria) by walkover
*Finals: Defeated [[Georgi Stoimenov]] (Bulgaria) RSC 3
{{gold1}} Golden Belt Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Bucharest, Romania]], March 1978:
*1/4: Defeated Gheorghe Axente (Romania) RET 1
*1/2: Defeated Petre Ungureanu (Romania) by walkover
*Finals: Defeated Ion Cernat (Romania) RSC 1
{{gold1}} XI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Cienfuegos, Cuba]], April 1978:
*1/4: Defeated Ricardo Avilés (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Glemond Crawford (Cuba) RET 3
*Finals: Defeated Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) KO 2
{{gold1}} [[1978 World Amateur Boxing Championships|World Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Belgrade, Yugoslavia]], May 1978:
*1/8: Defeated Adama Mensah (Ghana) KO 1
*1/4: Defeated [[Tony Tubbs]] (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
*1/2: Defeated Carlos Rivera (Venezuela) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated [[Dragomir Vujković]] (Yugoslavia) RET 1
National Team Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], September 1978:
*Defeated Fidel César (Cuba) by decision
USA–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Madison Square Garden]], [[New York City]], October 1978:
*Defeated Jimmy Clark (United States) RSC 1
{{gold1}} XVII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Guantánamo, Cuba]], January 1979:
*1/8: Defeated Ramón Lores (Cuba) RSC
*1/4: Defeated Eliécer Silé (Cuba) RET
*1/2: Defeated Rolando Herrera (Cuba) RSC
*Finals: Held Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) to a draw
Cuba–USA Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva]], [[Havana, Cuba]], February 1979:
*Defeated Phillip Brown (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0 {{small|(Brown knocked down at 1:19 of the 3rd rd)}}
{{gold1}} VIII Chemistry Cup (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Halle (Saale)|Halle, East Germany]], March 1979:
*1/4: Defeated Lakhdar Kaddour (Algeria) RSC 1
*1/2: Defeated Werner Kohnert (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
*Finals: Defeated [[Jürgen Fanghänel]] (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
{{gold1}} Golden Belt Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Bucharest, Romania]], March 1979:
*Finals: Defeated [[Peter Hussing]] (West Germany) by walkover
{{gold1}} XII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], May 1979:
*1/8: Defeated Lázaro Figueras (Cuba) RSC
*1/4: Defeated Marcos Díaz (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Božidar Cvetić (Yugoslavia) by walkover
*Finals: Defeated Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) by majority decision, 4–1
{{gold1}} [[Boxing at the 1979 Pan American Games|VIII Pan American Games]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Roberto Clemente Coliseum]], [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]], July 1979:
*1/2: Defeated Rufus Hadley (United States) KO 1 {{small|(1:39)}}
*Finals: Defeated Narciso Maldonado (Puerto Rico) RSC 1 {{small|(2:18)}}
National Team Championships (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Puerto Padre, Cuba]], September 1979:
*Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) KO
*Defeated Rafael Lugo (Cuba) RSC
*Defeated Armando Lowí (Cuba) RSC
{{Col-3}}
{{gold1}} XVIII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Pinar del Río, Cuba]], January 1980:
*1/4: Defeated [[Luis Martínez (Cuban boxer)|Luis Martínez]] (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Roberto Gómez (Cuba) KO
*Finals: Held Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) to a draw
USA–Cuba Duals (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Charlotte Coliseum]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], February 1980:
*Defeated Jimmy Clark (United States) by split decision, 2–1 {{small|(Clark was given a standing eight count at 2:12 of the 1st rd; Clark knocked down at 1:55 of the 3rd rd; Cuban referee Romelio Santiago repeatedly issued warnings for lunging to Clark)}}
{{gold1}} XI Ústí nad Labem Grand Prix (+81&nbsp;kg) [[Ústí nad Labem]], [[Czechoslovakia]], April 1980:
*1/2: Defeated Czesław Dawiec (Poland) RET 1
*Finals: Defeated [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) RSC 2
{{gold1}} XX Honvéd Cup (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Budapest, Hungary]], April 1980:
*1/4: Defeated Nikolay Timkin (Soviet Union) KO 1
*1/2: Defeated Ferenc Somodi (Hungary) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated [[István Lévai]] (Hungary) KO 3
{{silver2}} XIII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Holguín, Cuba]], May–June 1980:
*1/4: Defeated Rolando Herrera (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Defeated Lázaro Figueras (Cuba) by decision
*Finals: Lost to Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) by walkover
{{gold1}} [[Boxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Heavyweight|XXII Summer Olympics]] (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Moscow, Soviet Union]], July–August 1980:
*1/16: Defeated [[Solomon Ataga]] (Nigeria) KO 1
*1/4: Defeated [[Grzegorz Skrzecz]] (Poland) KO 3 {{small|(2:12)}}
*1/2: Defeated [[István Lévai]] (Hungary) by unanimous decision, 5–0
*Finals: Defeated [[Pyotr Zayev]] (Soviet Union) by majority decision, 4–1
{{gold1}} XIX [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Matanzas, Cuba]], January–February 1981:
*1/8: Defeated Hermes Córdova (Cuba) by walkover
*1/4: Defeated Rolando Herrera (Cuba) RSC
*1/2: Held Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) to a draw
*Finals: Defeated Roberto Taylor (Cuba) by walkover
Local match-up (+91&nbsp;kg), [[San José, Cuba]], June 1981:
*Defeated [[Jorge Luis González]] (Cuba) by decision
{{gold1}} XX [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Cienfuegos, Cuba]], January 1982:
*1/4: Defeated Luis Palmar (Cuba) KO
*1/2: Defeated Fidel César (Cuba) KO
*Finals: Held Ángel Milián Rivero (Cuba) to a draw
{{silver2}} XI Chemistry Cup (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Halle (Saale)|Halle, East Germany]], March 1982:
*1/2: Defeated Dietmar Mayer (East Germany) RSC 1
*Finals: Lost to [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) DQ 1
{{gold1}} XV Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Guantánamo, Cuba]], May 1982:
*1/8: Defeated Orlando Ruíz (Cuba) RSC
*1/4: Defeated Aleksandr Oreshkin (Soviet Union) RET 2
*1/2: Defeated Horacio Navia Ruíz (Cuba) RET 2
*Finals: Defeated Sergey Kirilitsyn (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
[[1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships|World Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Munich, West Germany]], May 1982:
*1/4: Lost to [[Francesco Damiani]] (Italy) by unanimous decision, 0–5
{{gold1}} [[1982 Central American and Caribbean Games|XIV Central American and Caribbean Games]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], August 1982:
*1/2: Defeated Nelson Rosas (Puerto Rico) KO 1
*Finals: Defeated James Parson (United States Virgin Islands) RET 1
USA–Cuba Duals (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Reno-Sparks Convention Center|Sparks Convention Center]], [[Reno, Nevada]], November 1982:
*Defeated [[Tyrell Biggs]] (United States) KO 2 {{small|(2:59)}}
XXI [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Las Tunas, Cuba]], January 1983:
*1/4: Lost to [[Jorge Luis González]] (Cuba) by decision
Cuba–GDR Duals (+91&nbsp;kg), n. a., 1983:
*Lost to [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) by decision
{{silver2}} XVI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Santiago de Cuba, Cuba]], August 1983:
*1/2: Defeated Epifanio Estrada (Cuba) by decision
*Finals: Lost to Aleksandr Lukstin (Soviet Union) by split decision, 2–3
{{bronze3}} North American Championships (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Houston, Texas]], September 1983:
*1/2: Lost to [[Craig Payne]] (United States) by split decision, 2–3
{{gold1}} XXII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Manzanillo, Cuba]], January 1984:
*Finals: Defeated Félix Lemus (Cuba) by decision
USA–Cuba Duals (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Reno-Sparks Convention Center|Sparks Convention Center]], [[Reno, Nevada]], February 1984:
*Defeated [[Tyrell Biggs]] (United States) by split decision, 3–2 {{small|(Biggs knocked down at 2:05 of the 3rd rd; Biggs suffered three ribs broken)}}
{{gold1}} XIII Chemistry Cup (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Halle (Saale)|Halle, East Germany]], March–April 1984:
*1/4: Defeated Olaf Walther (East Germany) KO 2
*1/2: Defeated Pyotr Skok (Soviet Union) RSC 1
*Finals: Defeated [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
AIBA International Challenge (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Los Angeles, California]], April 1984:
*Defeated [[Biaggio Chianese]] (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{gold1}} Intercup (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Karlsruhe]], [[West Germany]], May 1984:
*1/2: Defeated Karl-Heinz Geus (West Germany) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated John Emmen (Netherlands) RSC 1
Cuba–USSR Duals (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], August 1984:
*Defeated Valeriy Abadzhyan (Soviet Union) KO 2
{{gold1}} [[Boxing at the Friendship Games|Friendship Games]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], August 1984:
*1/2: Defeated [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated Valeriy Abadzhyan (Soviet Union) RET 3
{{gold1}} III TSC Tournament (+81&nbsp;kg), [[Berlin, East Germany]], September 1984:
*Finals: Defeated [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) KO 2
XXIII [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Nueva Gerona]], [[Cuba]], January 1985:
*1/4: Lost to Félix Lemus (Cuba) by decision
{{bronze3}} VI Military Spartakiad of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Bydgoszcz, Poland]], August 1985:
*1/4: Defeated Khalil Nasser (Iraq) by walkover
*1/2: Lost to Vyacheslav Yakovlev (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 0–5
{{gold1}} IV TSC Tournament (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Berlin, East Germany]], September 1985:
*1/2: Defeated Sergey Kormilitsyn (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
*Finals: Defeated [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{gold1}} XXI Vaclav Prochazka Memorial (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Ostrava]], [[Czechoslovakia]], October 1985:
*1/4: Defeated ? Baguin (Czechoslovakia)
*1/2: Defeated Ilya Iliev (Bulgaria)
*Finals: Defeated [[Biaggio Chianese]] (Italy) by walkover
{{gold1}} XXIV [[Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón|Playa Girón National Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Havana, Cuba]], January 1986:
*1/2: Defeated Juan Carlos Ortega (Cuba) RSC 1
*Finals: Defeated Félix Lemus (Cuba) RET 3
{{gold1}} XXXVII [[Strandzha Cup]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Sofia, Bulgaria]], February 1986:
*1/4: Defeated Aleksander Burmistrov (Bulgaria) by majority decision, 4–1
*1/2: Defeated [[Petar Stoimenov]] (Bulgaria) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated Lachezar Kamenov (Bulgaria) by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{silver2}} XV Chemistry Cup (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Halle (Saale)|Halle, East Germany]], March 1986:
*Finals: Lost to [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 0–5
{{gold1}} XVII Ústí nad Labem Grand Prix (+91&nbsp;kg) [[Ústí nad Labem]], [[Czechoslovakia]], March 1986:
*1/2: Defeated Valeriy Aseyev (Soviet Union) RSC 2
*Finals: Defeated [[István Lévai]] (Hungary) by unanimous decision, 5–0
XIX Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Guantánamo, Cuba]], April 1986:
*1/4: Lost to Osvaldo Castillo (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
{{gold1}} [[1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships|World Championships]] (+91&nbsp;kg), [[Reno-Sparks Convention Center|Sparks Convention Center]], [[Reno, Nevada]], May 1986:
*1/8: Defeated [[Ulli Kaden]] (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
*1/4: Defeated [[Petar Stoimenov]] (Bulgaria) KO 1
*1/2: Defeated Vyacheslav Yakovlev (Soviet Union) by majority decision, 4–1
*Finals: Defeated [[Alex García (boxer)|Alex García]] (United States) RSCH 2 {{small|(1:06)}}
{{Col-end}}
He finished his twenty-years-long career having 332 fights under his belt, with a record of 302 wins, 22 losses (only 1 by knockout,) and 8 draws. Various western estimates totaling his record to 500+ fights,<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/berkshire-eagle-jul-30-1976-p-20/ Stevenson KOs Tate] by Martin Lader (MONTREAL UPI), ''Berkshire Eagle Newspaper'', 30 July 1976, p. 20.</ref> including there hundreds of unaccounted tough sparrings with a degree of [[aliveness (martial arts)|aliveness]] outstanding for amateur boxing, which paid off with such an excellent career (his fearsome reputation alone brought him 22 [[walkover (contest)|walkover]] wins, and a number of [[bye (sports)|byes]] to skip unnecessary encounters with a limited opposition.)

=== 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics ===
Stevenson might have captured more gold medals for his country, but the Cuban government for purely political reasons [[1984 Summer Olympics boycott|boycotted]] the [[1984 Los Angeles Games]] and [[1988 Summer Olympics boycott|refused to attend]] the [[1988 Seoul Games]] because [[North Korea]] was not allowed to cosponsor the event.<ref name="Hudson">{{cite book |last=Hudson |first=David L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmhFCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA298 |title=Combat Sports: An Encyclopedia of Wrestling, Fighting, and Mixed Martial Arts |date=2009 |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=978-0-313-34383-4 |location=Westport, CT |pages=298–299}}</ref>

{{external media|image1=[https://images.teamusa.org/-/media/TeamUSA/Boxing/Ali_Muhammad/ali_muhammad_1996_800x375_2.jpg Muhammad Ali and Teófilo Stevenson at the ring posing for the press photo]|image2=[https://www.josportsinc.com/item_images/1151686724.jpg Teófilo gives Muhammad a tour across Havana]}}
At his prime in the 1970s, Stevenson dominance in the amateur heavyweight division coincided with [[Muhammad Ali]]'s reign as the world's heavyweight champion in professional boxing. Stevenson was often dubbed by the American media as Ali's "Communist twin", and speculations went back and forth as to their much anticipated fight if Stevenson would accept an offer to turn pro (which in essence meant to defect and to leave Cuba permanently). Along with [[Pete Rademacher]], he was the only amateur boxer who was offered a shot at the world's heavyweight title in his potential pro debut. Eventually Ali spent one week in Cuba with Stevenson, but their matchup would never happen.<ref name="Brubaker" /> Stevenson, when he finally met Ali, suggested to Ali to arrange a three- or four-round fight. Ali refused to fight Stevenson's way, implying he would face him off in a standard 15-round championship bout, in which he would have an edge by outlasting his opponent<ref name="Grimsley">[https://newspaperarchive.com/hanover-evening-sun-jul-25-1980-p-10/ Cuban Heavyweight Looks For 3rd Gold] by Will Grimsley (AP Special Correspondent), ''Hanover Evening Sun'', 25 July 1980, p. 10.</ref> (although in 1971 Ali himself invited the recent Soviet heavyweight champion Kamo Saroyan, who visited the United States, for a two-round bout).<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/68708470/ Ali Invites Russian To Go 2 Rounds (UPI,) ''Kingsport News'', January 7, 1971, 7-C.]</ref> When the aging Ali was going to [[Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes|fight Larry Holmes]] in 1980, and Stevenson was making his way to the third gold medal in Moscow, Stevenson commented to the press that now it was Ali who should have insisted on a three- or four-round fight.<ref name="Grimsley" />

{{quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote="Stevenson is a champion in all kinds of ways. He has it all. Stevenson is about as better fighter as I've ever seen, professional or amateur.<br> I haven't seen this much class and skill in the professional for a long time nor at the amateur. Stevenson would undoubtedly became champion of the world professionally if he decided to.  He has the skill and qualification any time he wants to become champion of the world."|source=—[[George Foreman]] speaks on Stevenson's performance vs. Tate.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW7MkLz6vxs&t=321 John Tate vs. Teofilo Stevenson] (live broadcast,) July 1976.</ref>}}
Stevenson turned down several lucrative offers to go pro, which came from various internationally well-known U.S. boxing kingpins, most notably from [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King]] and [[Bob Arum]].<ref name="Hudson" /> King's top rival Arum almost succeeded and came the closest to pulling off an Ali-Stevenson matchup when the Cubans accepted his $1 million offer for five three-round [[exhibition fight]]s. "We plan to use this money for social problems," an INDER official said at the time. But the [[U.S. Treasury Department]] did not allow the series, saying that it violated terms of the [[U.S. embargo against Cuba]]. Apart from that attempt, Arum used a Jamaican promoter, Lucien Chen, as a mediator, to propose a $1 million fight against [[Leon Spinks]]. "I envisioned a fight that would be attended by the two presidents, [[Fidel Castro]] and [[Jimmy Carter]]," Chen said.<ref name="Brubaker" />

Nevertheless, Stevenson's professional debut never did happen, because he remained loyal to the Cuban revolutionary ideals, never accepting any payday for himself, no matter how big it appeared. After knocking out three opponents at the Munich Olympics in September 1972, including Duane Bobick of the United States, Stevenson was approached by an American promoter, who offered him $1 million to turn pro on the spot. "I will not trade the Cuban people for all the dollars in the world," Stevenson was heard to say. "Stevenson would have been phenomenal as a pro, he could have been in the same class as Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier. But we'll never know," said Don King.<ref name="Brubaker" />

=== Retirement ===
Stevenson finished his sports career in 1988. He started to work as a boxing trainer and sports functionary. He worked at the National Institute for Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (INDER,) also he served as vice president of the Cuban Boxing Federation.

== Later life ==
In 1999, Stevenson was arrested for an altercation incident at [[Miami International Airport]] where, before boarding a [[United Airlines]] chartered jet of the Cuban national boxing team, he allegedly headbutted a 41-year-old [[United Airlines]] ticket counter employee, knocking out several of his teeth. According to Stevenson, an "agitator" approached him at the airport shouting insults against the Cuban government. Stevenson failed to attend the subsequent court proceedings, having travelled to Havana after his release from custody while on bail. The Cuban state newspaper ''[[Trabajadores]]'' blamed what it described as the "[[Cuban diaspora in Miami|Miami mafia]]" (i.e. Cuban exiles, whose vast diaspora reside in Florida) for provoking the incident, alleging that the [[Cuban American National Foundation]] organised a public gathering to abuse Stevenson when he returned to Miami airport after his arrest. The newspaper believed that the motives for the alleged provocation were somehow to cast a shadow upon a Cuban sports star.<ref>[http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y99/nov99/09e7.htm Accused Cuban boxer provoked by insults to Castro] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004834/http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y99/nov99/09e7.htm |date=27 September 2007 }} Reuters News</ref>

== Death ==
Stevenson died on 11 June 2012 of a heart attack in [[Havana]] at the age of 60.<ref name = "bbc death"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-06-12/teofilo-stevenson-cuban-olympic-boxing-champion-dies-at-60|title=Teofilo Stevenson, Cuban Olympic boxing champion, dies at 60|agency=Associated Press|magazine=Sporting News|date=12 June 2012|access-date=12 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203014429/http://aol.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-06-12/teofilo-stevenson-cuban-olympic-boxing-champion-dies-at-60|archive-date=3 February 2013}}</ref> It was first reported by Cuban state media,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/11/world/americas/cuba-boxer-teofilo-stevenson-obit/index.html|author=Patrick Oppmann|title=Cuban boxing legend Teofilo Stevenson dead at 60|work=CNN|date=12 June 2012|access-date=12 June 2012}}</ref> stating "the Cuban sporting family was moved today by the passing of one of the greatest of all time".

He was survived by his two children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/9326538/Teofilo-Stevenson.html|author=Staff|title=Teofilo Stevenson|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=12 June 2012|access-date=12 June 2012}}</ref>

A forthcoming{{when|date=October 2022}} documentary by [[Brin-Jonathan Butler]], ''Split Decision'', contains the last known interview with Stevenson.

== Awards and honours ==
* Stevenson was awarded the [[Val Barker Trophy]] for Outstanding Boxer at the 1972 [[Summer Olympic Games|Olympic]] Games.
* In 1972, Stevenson became a [[Merited Master of Sport of the USSR]], one of a few foreign athletes to be awarded the title in its history.<ref name="Panorama">{{cite book|title=Panorama of the 1972 Sports Year|year=1973|pages=122–124|publisher=[[Fizkultura i sport (publisher)|Fizkultura i sport]]|location=Moscow|language=ru}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Sports links}}
* {{BoxRec|882802}}
* [http://www.geocities.ws/pedrinet/stevenson.html Amateur career of Teófilo Stevenson] (in Spanish) compiled by Pedro Cabrera Isidrón of the Cuban Olympics Committee. Last updated: 25 June 2008
* {{commons category-inline|Teófilo Stevenson}}
* {{wikiquote-inline|Teófilo Stevenson}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Héctor Ramírez (boxer)|Héctor Ramírez]]
| title = [[List of flag bearers for Cuba at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for {{CUB}}
| years = [[1972 Summer Olympics|Munich 1972]]<br>[[1976 Summer Olympics|Montreal 1976]]<br>[[1980 Summer Olympics|Moscow 1980]]
| after = [[Héctor Milián]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Val Barker Trophy winners}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Boxing Heavyweight}}
{{Footer World Amateur Champions Heavyweight}}
{{Footer World Amateur Champions Super Heavyweight}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions Heavyweight}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Teofilo}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Puerto Padre]]
[[Category:Cuban people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent]]
[[Category:Cuban people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines descent]]
[[Category:Cuban Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Cuban male boxers]]
[[Category:Cuban communists]]
[[Category:Super-heavyweight boxers]]
[[Category:Heavyweight boxers]]
[[Category:Olympic boxers for Cuba]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in boxing]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1975 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1979 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Olympic Order]]
[[Category:AIBA World Boxing Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Pan American Games medalists in boxing]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in boxing]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:20th-century Cuban sportsmen]]