Several Cuban boxers are part of the roster of the newly created IBA Kunlun Fight league, which will kick off on November 16 in the National Stadium of Beijing, China, and will award prizes totaling two million dollars.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) and the company Kunlun Star joined forces to create the competition and bring together talented boxers from around the world, including several medalists from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In fact, according to the official portal Cubadebate, the first Cubans to debut will be Erislandy Álvarez, king on French soil, and Roniel Iglesias, a three-time medalist under the five rings, including his crowns in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020.
Álvarez and Iglesias will compete in the 63.5 and 71-kilogram divisions, respectively, in search of winning the belts and the substantial monetary prize, something truly unusual outside of the programs of the most recognized entities in the world.
According to the competitive system, an initial draw will be held to determine the matchups in an event that will have a playoff format. The quarterfinal fights will last six rounds, while the semifinals and finals will be contested over 12 rounds, the mentioned media outlet reported.
The league will feature other quality representatives, such as the Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha, a three-time world champion and double Olympic runner-up; and the Uzbek world leader Ruslan Abdullaev, among many others.
All of this will happen after the "Night of Champions" organized by the IBA at the Sports City Coliseum in Havana, where, for example, the locals Julio César la Cruz and Arlen López pocketed 120 thousand dollars for their victories in the 92 and 80 kilos, respectively.
That billboard turned out to be historic as it became the first professional performance staged on the island in the last 60 decades.
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