The Cuban boxer Ángel Raymond Morejón, known as "El Terrible," went from walking through the Balkan mountains at night after being turned away twice at the borders to winning an important belt from the World Boxing Council (WBC) in Europe.
Morejón, who emigrated from Cuba to reunite with his mother in Italy, was crowned Silver champion of the WBC in the bridgerweight division after defeating Ugandan Willy Kyakonye by technical knockout in the third round during a match held on Monday, October 12, at the historic Carré Theater in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The victory was confirmed by the World Boxing Council, which highlighted the performance of the Cuban boxer against an opponent who arrived undefeated and was fighting in front of his home crowd.
Morejón sent his opponent to the canvas in the first round, knocked him down again in the third, and forced his corner to throw in the towel after one minute and eight seconds into that round.
The WBC confirmed that Morejón has a professional record of 13 wins, no losses, and 10 knockouts.
From Cuba to Italy: a journey to reunite with her mother
Trained in the Cuban boxing school in Havana, Morejón became part of national teams and dreamed of participating in the Olympic Games. However, he decided to seek new opportunities outside the island.
In 2022, he traveled to Russia to participate in a fight and subsequently embarked on a challenging migration route to Italy, where his mother had been living for years.
His journey took him through Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. He crossed mountainous areas on foot, often at night, with limited resources and no assurance of reaching his destination.
According to an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, border authorities rejected him twice before he was able to continue his journey.
"I was never afraid because my goal was to reach my mother," the athlete recalled while reminiscing about that journey.
Finally, in 2023, he arrived in Italy and managed to reunite with her in Porretta Terme, a town in the Emilia-Romagna region, near Bologna.
Her arrival did not mean the end of difficulties. She had to adapt to a new country, learn the language, regularize her immigration status, and rebuild her sports career.
He found an opportunity at the Pugilistica Alto Reno gym, under the guidance of coach Emanuele Orlando, who helped him develop his professional career and adapt his technique to European boxing.
The results began to come in. In July 2026, he won the Italian heavyweight championship, and just three months later, he added the WBC Silver belt to his achievements.
Emigration has also meant other family separations. In an interview published in July by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Morejón shared that his daughter lived in Mexico and expressed his desire to someday bring her to Italy.
One step closer to the world championship
In statements published this Wednesday by the newspaper Corriere di Bologna, the Cuban acknowledged the significance of his victory in Amsterdam.
“It was not an easy night,” Morejón stated, noting that his opponent was undefeated and competing in front of his own supporters, circumstances that made the victory particularly meaningful.
He also explained that during the fight, he noticed a tendency from Kyakonye to advance using his right hand, which allowed him to find opportunities to land his punches.
Although the Silver belt represents an important achievement, Morejón is still not the absolute world champion. That title in the bridgerweight division, which has a limit of 224 pounds, is held by the Belgian Ryad Merhy.
The victory in Amsterdam brings the Cuban closer to the possibility of competing for that title, although an official world championship match has not yet been announced.
"I am very happy for myself and for my entire team," the boxer declared to the Italian media, convinced that this result can open doors to greater challenges.
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