Teófilo Stevenson

Te?filo Stevenson Lawrence or Te?filo Stevenson (born March 29, 1952) is a Cuban former boxer who made history in amateur boxing, but who refused to turn professional. Many people consider him to be one of the greatest Olympic boxers in history, alongside L?szl? Papp.

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He was born in Puerto Padre, Cuba. His father Te?filo was an immigrant from Saint Vincent. His mother Dolores was a native Cuban, but her parents were immigrants from Saint Kitts. That's why Stevenson speaks English very well. He represented his country in the 1972 Olympic Games of Munich. He won the Gold medal, and then in the 1976 games, held in Montreal, Stevenson repeated the feat. By then, he had become a national hero in Cuba, and was a household name in Cuba. This was the point where he was the closest to sign a professional contract, American fight promoters offering him the amount of five million dollars to challenge world Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in his first professional bout, which would have made him the second boxer to go straight from the Olympics into a professional debut with the world's Heavyweight crown on the line, after Pete Rademacher. But he refused, asking What's five million dollars worth, when I have the love of five million Cubans? Stevenson went to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and became the second boxer ever, after Papp, to win three Olympic boxing gold medals. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, F?lix Sav?n, also from Cuba, became the third boxer to achieve this.

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Stevenson might have won a fourth gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, but the Soviet Union boycotted the games in retaliation for the United States boycott of the 1980 Moscow competition. Cuba followed the Soviet's lead, and Stevenson was deprived of the chance to earn a fourth gold. He retired from boxing shortly after. During his career as a boxer, he has won 301 fights out of 321.

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Stevenson was named coach of Cuba's amateur boxing program, and Cuban President Fidel Castro presented him with a mansion in an exclusive residential area, a practice that Castro is known for. In 1999, he ran into trouble 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 ticket counter employee, causing him to break his teeth. He was arrested, but soon after, he was released and returned home. Stevenson defended himself, saying he was provoked by a torrent of verbal abuse.

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When Stevenson refused to turn professional and fight Ali, the heavyweight scene was vibrant, with fighters of the calibre of Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, George Foreman and Joe Frazier competing. Stevenson would certainly have stirred up the professional boxing world, and fight fans continue to debate the possible outcomes had he fought in the halcyon days of heavyweight boxing.

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March 29: March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). There are 277 days remaining....

1952: 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar)....

Cuba: The Republic of Cuba consists of the island of Cuba (the largest of the Greater Antilles), the Isle of Youth and various adjacent small islands. The name of the island is derived from the Taino word "cubanac?n", meaning a central place. It is located in the northern Caribbean at the confluence of t...

Teófilo Stevenson related Images and Photos (experimental)

Director George Stevens on Set of the Film "Diary of Anne Frank"	Director George Stevens on Set of the Film "Diary of Anne Frank" During a Script Conference	Parker Stevenson	Adlai E. Stevenson His at Home
The Tomb of Tusitala the Grave of Robert Louis Stevenson at Apia Samoa	Orlando Magic v Dallas Mavericks Dallas TX - January 8: DeShawn Stevenson and Gilbert Arenas	Front Cover of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson circa 1910	Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat - Game One Miami FL - MAY 31: DeShawn Stevenson
Acrobat and Actor Russ Tamblyn on the Beach with Movie Actress Venetia Stevenson	The Rites of Spring Illustration from A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson