3RD CUBAN OLYMPIAN TURNS PRO IN 3-WEEK SPAN

[Best Coast]

The next day after 2-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez signed a long-term pro boxing contract, his Cuban super heavyweight teammate Leinier Pero from the 2016 Olympics fought his pro debut in Wittenberge, Germany. Including their fellow Cuban defector Joahnys Argilagos, who turned pro at a small club show in south Texas in early May, that makes 3 Cuban teammates from the Rio Olympics turning pro in less than a month.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Leinier_Pero

[oogiebe]

Leinier Pero vs Maksym Pedyura - 6 rounds heavyweight

https://youtu.be/NKtIdMcA_6Q?t=17

[Best Coast]

Leinier Pero vs Maksym Pedyura - 6 rounds heavyweight

https://youtu.be/NKtIdMcA_6Q?t=17

I like the way Pero mixes in body shots so early in his pro career. Since amateur judges dont count body shots quite as much as pro judges do, some of the long-time amateurs are deficient in that phase of the game.

And Leinier did have a long amateur career: 4-time Cuban national champ (at HW & Super Heavy), 2-time Pan American Games Gold Medalist (2011 & 2015), World Youth Championships Gold Medalist at age 17, 2-time Cuban National Schools champ at ages 14 & 15 (189 pounds). Pero is just 26 now...

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Leinier_Pero

[jamamb]

interesting he was such an accomplished am, he didnt really look all that amazing from the fight there, kinda a bit slow and clumsy with his shots, and smallish

heres him in the olympics vs hrgovic

[Best Coast]

Not surprising. Most consider Hrgovic to be the best of the 2016 Olympic super heavies and that includes me. Pero was fighting at 200 pounds when he was 22 and might be better off competing at cruiser as a pro. If he doesnt, he will most likely have trouble with the bigger young HWs like Hrgovic, Yoka, Jalolov, etc.

[candyslim]

He walked into a full bloodied shot from Hrgovic there. I'm impressed that he got up. I doubt he'll ever trouble the division's elite but he can be in some good fights.

[Best Coast]

He walked into a full bloodied shot from Hrgovic there. I'm impressed that he got up. I doubt he'll ever trouble the division's elite but he can be in some good fights.

Hrgovic is a beast. I expect him to be the HW heir apparent when AJ/Wilder/Fury are done and wont be surprised if he beats some of them in a couple years.

I like the new nickname Hrgovic used before the Corbin blowout: "El Animal"

[morm]

On hunt ... El animal , Pero i think better in cruiser ...

[candyslim]

Hrgovic is a beast. I expect him to be the HW heir apparent when AJ/Wilder/Fury are done and wont be surprised if he beats some of them in a couple years.

I like the new nickname Hrgovic used before the Corbin blowout: "El Animal"

Yeah I've always though Hrgovic is destined for the top although I did have some doubts about his punching power at one point. I'll bet Mr. Corbin doesn't though

[Ilya Muromets]

interesting he was such an accomplished am, he didnt really look all that amazing from the fight there, kinda a bit slow and clumsy with his shots, and smallish

heres him in the olympics vs hrgovic

Two out of the three olympic judges gave the Cuban the first round despite him getting a standing 8 count. They are as bad as their counterparts in the pros. Maybe they're gunning for jobs in Las Vegas.

Why doesn't communist Cuba want to let their boxers turn pro? They have a huge amateur boxing program. Communist China allows their boxers to turn pro. Cuba's best boxing talent just defects now.

[Best Coast]

.Why doesn't communist Cuba want to let their boxers turn pro? They have a huge amateur boxing program. Communist China allows their boxers to turn pro. Cuba's best boxing talent just defects now.

The Cuban government has traditionally treated their Olympic gold medalist boxers with disrespect and disdain.

After Joel Casamayor brought "glory" to the motherland at the 1992 Games with a gold medal, Fidel Castro gave him a bicycle. Casamayor then traded the bicycle for a pig so he could feed his family.
http://www.joelcasamayor.com/Bio.htm

As an amateur, Casamayor once traded a bike given to him by Fidel Castro for winning the gold medal in exchange for a pig so his family could eat.

After Yuriorkis Gamboa won gold in 2004 he ended up selling the gold medal to support his family. No subsidies or stipends for representing his country like many other nations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuriorkis ... #Defection

He sold his Olympic gold medal to support his family.

[3132DW]

Two out of the three olympic judges gave the Cuban the first round despite him getting a standing 8 count. They are as bad as their counterparts in the pros. Maybe they're gunning for jobs in Las Vegas.

Why doesn't communist Cuba want to let their boxers turn pro? They have a huge amateur boxing program. Communist China allows their boxers to turn pro. Cuba's best boxing talent just defects now.

After next Olympics half the Cuban team will do a runner and end up in the pro’s - no money for being Boxer at that level in Cuba and the more guys turning pro and getting well paid will only turn more heads of the next generation of youngsters.

[Best Coast]

After next Olympics half the Cuban team will do a runner and end up in the pro’s - no money for being Boxer at that level in Cuba and the more guys turning pro and getting well paid will only turn more heads of the next generation of youngsters.

I agree completely amigo. The fact that 3 defectors from the same 2016 Cuban Olympic squad turned pro in one month spells major trouble for the future of the Cuban amateur boxing scene.