Teofilo stevenson biography template

His natural talent and dedication to the sport quickly caught the attention of his coaches, who saw great potential in him. Stevenson trained rigorously, honing his skills and perfecting his technique in the ring. He made history by winning three consecutive gold medals in the heavyweight division in the , , and Olympic Games. Teofilo Stevenson was a Cuban amateur boxer who achieved legendary status in the sport.

He had an impressive professional career, winning three Olympic gold medals in the heavyweight division in , , and Despite receiving numerous lucrative offers to turn professional, Teofilo Stevenson made the bold decision to stay amateur throughout his career. He believed in amateurism as a way to represent his country on the international stage and to inspire future generations of Cuban athletes.

Teofilo Stevenson had a fierce rivalry with American boxers during his career. His matches against American opponents were highly anticipated and often drew large crowds. He became a national hero and a symbol of Cuban pride, inspiring a generation of athletes to pursue their dreams. Login Register. Omnia mutantur. Nihil interit. Please add an image!

Birth Date: Biography Early years Stevenson was born in Cuba.

Teofilo stevenson biography template

Early boxing career The young Stevenson continued to improve under Herrera in the mid s, winning a junior title and gaining additional training in Havana. Munich Olympics Stevenson, now twenty, joined the Cuban boxing team for the Munich Olympics of During his career as a boxer, he won fights and lost I took the first two opponents, both being Cuban, out early.

In the third, I beat Stevenson on points. Although the score was , the pace of the fight forced Teofilo to take two necessary breaks to retie his gloves. In each stanza, Stevenson took a count, while in the final three minutes, I knocked him out. Private life In , Stevenson was arrested at Miami International Airport when, before boarding a United Airlines chartered jet that would take the Cuban national boxing team home, he allegedly headbutted a 41 year old United Airlines ticket counter employee, causing him to break his teeth.

Death Stevenson died on 11 June of a heart attack in Havana, Cuba at the age of Assign place. The victory made the entire amateur boxing world take notice of Stevenson as a serious heavyweight contender. Stevenson, now twenty, joined the Cuban boxing team for the Munich Olympics of 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 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 years-old, was rewarded with a house for himself in Havana and another for himself and his family in 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? If gifts are to be given it should be for everybody—not for a few. Stevenson did the same at the inaugural World Championships in Havana , Cuba, and then in the Summer Olympics , held in Montreal , Stevenson repeated the feat once again.

By then, he had become a national hero in Cuba. Stevenson refused the offer, however, asking "What is one million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans? The Moscow Games were the 19th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games. Stevenson participated at the 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. Stevenson might have won a fourth gold medal at the Summer Olympics , but the Soviet Union boycotted the games, which were hosted by Los Angeles, in retaliation for the American boycott of the Moscow competition.

Cuba followed the Soviet lead, and Stevenson did not compete. Stevenson retired from boxing shortly after the Summer Olympics , which Cuba also boycotted. 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 : [ 12 ]. I fought Teofilo twice. I took the first two opponents, both being Cuban, out early.

In the third, I beat Stevenson on points. In each stanza, Stevenson took a count, while in the final three minutes, I knocked him out. This fight is still considered one of Stevenson's most famous. In the semifinals, Stevenson easily defeated Peter Hussing from Germany, and in the final, his Romanian opponent, Ion Alexe, was unable to fight due to an injury.

This was the first time in Olympic boxing history that Cuba won three gold medals. From that moment on, Cuban boxers began to be taken much more seriously. In , Stevenson won gold at the World Championships, and in , he won gold again at the Olympics in Montreal. By that time, he was already a national hero in Cuba. However, Stevenson refused, stating that a million dollars meant nothing compared to the love of 8 million Cubans.

In , Stevenson went to the Olympics in Moscow and once again emerged victorious, becoming the second boxer in history to win gold at three Olympics. This record was later matched by another Cuban boxer, Felix Savon, in Stevenson could have potentially won a fourth gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics, but Cuba decided to boycott the games in support of the Soviet Union.

Shortly before the Olympics, Teofilo Stevenson retired from boxing, and Cuba also boycotted those games.