The Cuba Domadores have taken a major step towards reaching the grand final of the World Series Boxing to beating in the first semifinal match the Russian Boxing Team 3 x 2. This result seems laudable after continuous variations on the roster of the team and places the Cubans at the doors of accessing the dispute for the throne.
The visit to Moscow Arena was not pleasant; since the Cubans had felt the Russian power in the qualifiers, now in the semifinals, things could be worse. The Russians went with the entire arsenal they had and in order to get an advantage, even if minimal, to win them some peace before the trip to the uncomfortable ring of the Havana’s Sports City.
But despite the uncertainty of any of the names submitted by the Cubans in the Russian capital, the story of this fight continued proving that the best roster is the Domadores.
Cubans tipped the balance from the start with an excellent presentation of Yosvani Veitía (49 kg) , who prescribed a class of good boxing to hi rival Belik Galanov. A fight that started evenly, with many exchanges where both fighters beat and received, rushed and receded, sounding the gong in the first round Veitía went to his corner bleeding, with traces of the intensity of the round. Perhaps the red thread that dripped from his nose to the top of his lips bothered him, somewhat disturbed him that after resumption of boxing, he took hold of the fight with both fists on the face of his opponent. Thereafter, Galanov was just an attempt to challenge the versatility of Yosvani who brought him to dance around the ring.
In the second round there was no surprise, the runner-up of the world in the 56 kg division Vladimir Nikitin crushed the desires of debutante Norlan Yera. The Russian, a typical bully, one of those who move without fear of danger, never hesitated to entrench the Cuban, a novice in these competitions, who had no choice but to accept the challenge of facing that locomotive that was on him at every turn. The fight took some curiosity when Nikitin, swing throwing machine, received the impact of a right jab over the eye causing him to start bleeding profusely soaking his shorts, gloves and face. In the end, neither the shouts from the corner encouraging Yera nor the impaired physiognomy of his opponents prevented the central referee from raising Vladimir Nikitin’s hand as the winner.
In the third bout of the evening, Yasnier Toledo ( 64 kg) number one in the ranking , went as a strong candidate to untie the tie. Opposite was Maxim Dadashev, a riposte fighter that could never figure out the effusive movements of the Cuban, a waltz in which he could never join, just throwing himself at Toledo very easily and with what sublime weaving made him look foolish and then disarmed , he, with the passivity of a serial murderer be able to destroy him with combinations of short right jab and left uppercut directly to plexus and face.
The 75 kg combat was the grayest of the five. Everybody knew beforehand that the Cuban Arlen Lopez could do little without any experience in his match against Cheboratev Artem. The Cuban was too disorganized, lacking the skills needed to defeat a world class boxer as the Russian who took every advantage the Cuban gave him to him hard with both hands.
With even score the final bout would decide who would come to Havana with the lead, regardless of being just one. On one side Domadores Erislandy Savon, undefeated in six presentations in this WSB, and other Eugeniy Tischenko, a tall southpaw. From the very beginning Savon took the lead, first in the short range then in the long one. It was his seventh consecutive wins, and the Domadores know they can count on him to solve a last minute, or bout, problem.
Now Cuba needs to win three more in Havana to be in the grand finale. Considering the divisions left, it may be an attainable feat: to go for the gold in their debit in the WSB
