Iron Felix. Felix Savon - Cuban amateur boxer

(Born 1967)

Cuban boxer. Champion of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona (Spain), 1992. Champion of the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta (USA), 1996. Champion of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney (Australia), 2000

In the last decade of the 20th century, the black Cuban Felix Savon managed to repeat the great sporting achievements of the Hungarian Laszlo Papp and his compatriot Theophilus Stevenson - he became the third of the boxers to win three Olympics.

But in terms of the number of victories at the world championships, Savon is certainly the most titled of the boxers. In his weight category, he was champion five times: the first time in 1986, the last time in 1995. In addition, Felix Savon won the Pan American Games three times, won the World Cup three times and was the winner of the Goodwill Games twice.

However, the appearance of Felix Savon at the games of the XXVII Olympiad in 2000 in Australia was unexpected for many. The Cuban was already 33 years old. After winning the Olympic Games in Atlanta four years earlier, it seemed to many that his sports career was winding down. After all, at the 1997 World Championships, Savon managed to take “only” second place, losing in the final on points. And since then he has never achieved any big victories.

However, in Sydney, the five-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion appeared, as it turned out, with the firm goal of winning his third gold medal. And he confidently walked towards this goal, fight after fight, defeating four opponents one after another.

Of particular interest was the fight between Felix Savon and American boxer Michael Bennett. The fact is that these rivals had old scores to settle. At the World Championships in Houston in 1999, they were supposed to meet in the final, but Savon refused to enter the ring. In this way, he wanted to protest against the bias of the judges, who clearly did not favor the Cuban boxers at that time. After this, Bennett was awarded the title of world champion, and in addition, he announced to the whole world that Savon refused to go against him only because he was confident in advance that he would lose.

However, at the Sydney Olympics everything fell into place. From the very first seconds, Savon unleashed a hail of blows on Bennett, and soon the fight was stopped due to the clear advantage of the two-time Olympic champion.

In the semi-finals, Felix Savon defeated German boxer Sebastian Kober. And in the final, the Russian Sultanakhmed Ibragimov could not resist the great boxer. The Cuban confidently won on points and, to the delight of the audience, left the ring as a three-time Olympic champion.

Many heard him shout loudly on the way to the locker room: “Savon still has time!” However, this victory turned out to be the last. The great Cuban boxer was soon to turn 34 years old, and according to existing rules, upon reaching this age, a boxer can no longer compete in either the Olympic Games or the World Championships.

Savon, however, would still have time to take part in the 2001 World Championships in Belfast, but decided to leave the sport at the zenith of his glory. Over the years of his performances, he had 375 fights, losing only 17. In this, Felix Savon also surpassed his great compatriot Teofilo Stevenson, who won 310 victories and suffered 20 defeats.

Shortly after winning the Olympics in Sydney, Felix Savon announced that he was switching to coaching, and would go to the World Championships in Belfast as a mentor to the national team of Cuban boxers.

And at the games of the XXVIII Olympiad in 2004 in Athens, the great boxer, who in fact became an excellent coach, again found himself in the spotlight of journalists. Knowing the capabilities of his players, the coach of the Cuban national team, Felix Savon, announced that he plans to win gold medals in eight of the eleven weight categories. The forecast, however, did not entirely come true - Cuban boxers took away only five gold medals from the last Olympics.

But Savon accurately predicted the victories of his students - Oldanier Solis, Mario Kindelan and Guillermo Rodrigo Ortiz.

September 22, to the best amateur boxer of the last century Felix Savon turns 46 years old. We invite you to go back 20 years and see how great the Cuban boxer looked in the ring at that time.

Savon was born in the southeast of the island of Cuba in Guantanamo Bay. It was there that the US military base was located, on the territory of which there was a prison for persons accused by state authorities of various crimes and often without formal charges. In 2009, US President Barack Obama closed the prison. But in the 70s, Guintanamo was a “dark” place and quite criminal.

This atmosphere was reflected in the future world champion Felix. At the age of 10, he ran away from his parents to his boxing coach Sagarra, who later replaced his father, mother, and family as a whole.

The 10-year-old boy impressed with his discipline and hard work. And it’s not just that he grew into a real athlete and a man who never gave up, be it in the ring or in life.

In 1982, 15-year-old Savon took part in adult competitions for the first time, sensationally winning them. In 1985 he won the World Junior Championships, and in 1986 the World Championships among men. His entire career continued in this spirit – Olympics after Olympics...

He fought 383 fights at the amateur level, of which he won 362.

The Cuban athlete always despised money, and when he was offered to enter the professional ring against Mike Tyson and for 10 million dollars after the Olympics in Atlanta, Savon refused. He boxed not for the sake of green cards, but for the love of the sport. Agree, nowadays there are fewer and fewer such athletes.

Savon hung up his gloves in 2001. Since then, the legend has lived in Cuba in poverty, sometimes working as a coach.

Felix Savon – David Toua

Felix Savon – Sultan Ibragimov

Felix Savon – Andrey Kurnyavka

Felix Savon – Evgeny Sudakov

Felix Savon – Robert Greene

Name: Felix Savon

Achievements:
Gold medalist of three Olympic Games (2000, 1996, 1992)
World Championship winner (1995, 1993, 1991, 1989, 1986)
Winner of the Pan American Games (1994, 1991, 1987)
World Cup winner (1994, 1990, 1987)
Winner of the 1985 Junior World Championship
Winner of the Goodwill Games (1994, 1990)

Felix Savon is a famous Cuban heavyweight boxer, recognized as the best in amateur boxing of the last 10 years of the 20th century. A three-time Olympic champion, in the early 2000s he became the most famous athlete in Latin America, topping the list of the top ten.

Sports achivments:

• World Junior Champion (1985)
• Olympic champion - 1992 (Barcelona), 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney).
• World champion 1986, 89, 91, 93, 95, 1997
• Winner of the Pan American Games in 1987, 91, 95.
• World Cup winner - 1987, 90, 94
• Received the IOC Olympic Order (2001)
• 2-time winner of the Goodwill Games (1990 in Seattle, 1994 in St. Petersburg)

Felix has 358 victories, and he lost only 17 fights.

Born on September 22, 1967 in Cuba, in San Vicente (Guantanamo Bay), long before the American prison for terrorists “settled” there. Felix was born in turbulent times for Cuba: the Cuban Missile Crisis, the threat of nuclear war, American aircraft carriers off the coast of the island, which was a model of dissent and a different worldview from the capitalist one.

Felix Savon's childhood was spent in conditions of fierce socialist competition and strong opposition to the “decaying West.” He grew up in a poor family, fought for survival and, like most Cuban boys, dreamed of glorifying his independent homeland in the boxing ring.

In a fairly short period of time, Felix Savon achieved impressive success, becoming the “locomotive of the Cuban national team”, rapidly breaking into the world ring.

His signature smashing right hand, which repeatedly knocked down his opponents, was a rarity among amateur boxers. Over the years, Felix's skills have been honed. Savon's only disadvantage, which weakens his position, is a weak jaw, which is a significant problem for a boxer of his weight category.

However, having won Olympic gold three times, Felix Savon, who competed at 91 kg, became the third three-time world champion in boxing history. Before him, Laszlo Papp and Theophilus Stevenson distinguished themselves in the same way. The first medal went to Savon for his victory over Canadian David Defiagbon. The second is for defeating David Isonritei from Nigeria.

Victory at the Olympics in Sydney (in 2000) brought Felix another victory (in a fight with Sultan Ibragimov), although no one made serious bets on the Cuban this time: Felix was already 33 years old (1 year remained before the end of his career). In addition, at the Olympics in 1997, the athlete took “only” 2nd place, missing points in the final. And until Sydney itself, no major sporting victories were noticed for him.

However, Savon was preparing for another breakthrough, setting a big goal for himself - winning a third Olympic gold medal. Four rivals submitted to Savon: fight after fight, bringing him closer to the cherished victory.

Of particular note is the fight between Felix Savon and Michael Bennett: rivals with “old scores.” Their previous meeting was supposed to take place in the World Cup ring in Houston, where Savon refused to go, thereby protesting against the biased attitude of the judges who did not favor the Cubans. Bennett, who became the automatic world champion, took advantage of the situation in the most inappropriate way, announcing to the whole world that Felix refused to fight him because he had no doubt that he would lose.

This is not forgotten, and at the Olympics in 2000, justice prevailed: from the very first seconds of the fight, Savon’s advantage became obvious. Bennett was unable to resist the flurry of powerful punches from the Cuban, and the fight very soon ended with an unconditional victory for Felix.

The semi-final was marked by a victory over the German Sebastian Kober. In the final, our wrestler Sultan Ibragimov submitted to the legendary Cuban boxer. Having confidently defeated Sultanhamed on points, Savon left the Olympic ring as a 3-time Olympic champion.

After finishing his career, Felix Savon began training young boxers. The World Cup in Balfest saw him coach the Cuban national team. And at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Savon’s wards took home 5 gold medals - out of 8 “declared” according to the coach’s forecast. His students - Oldanier Solis, Mario Kindelana and Guillermo Rodrigo Ortiz - did not disappoint, brilliantly realizing the coach's prediction.

The former boxer paints pictures and takes part in the creation of the film “Felix Savon and His Life.”

One of Savon’s sons is seriously involved in boxing, but his father does not coach him, but simply “gives valuable advice to a beginner” so that the young man becomes a real athlete.

Felix Savona fight video:

fight - Felix Savon - Sultan Ibragimov

Felix Savon - Andrey Kurnyavka

Felix Savon - David Tua

Felix Savon "Guantanamera" was born in a small town in which there were barely a dozen rural farms. Cockfights and homemade baseball games were the only entertainment for the peasants of the village. Young Savon showed an irresistible attraction to sports from a young age and began to practice various disciplines such as swimming, baseball, football and even chess.

At the age of 13, he attended a special school for the development of athletic talent, where the boxing coach discovered that his height, reach and punching power, combined with skills, were at a high enough level to become the successor to Teofilo Stevenson, the Cuban boxing legend. Thanks to the influence of his coach, Felix took part in the 1981 championship, receiving his first title in competitions between schoolchildren in Cuba.

Pedro Roque, one of the country's most popular trainers, took responsibility for training the young fighter until Savon was nineteen. Already an adult athlete, Alcides Sagarra, one of the best boxers of that time in Cuba, continued to train. Everyone who worked with Felix in those early years noted that in addition to his natural athleticism, he had discipline and determination as his main strengths.

The athlete combined training and graduate studies in physical education, laying the foundation for achieving his goal of becoming a great athlete. In 1985, he won his first national championship in the Cuban heavyweight division and brilliantly confirmed the title of champion for eleven years in a row.

His international achievements include an undisputed advantage: two Central American and Caribbean championships, in 1986 (Dominican Republic) and 1991 (Cuba), three Pan American titles, obtained in 1987 (Indianapolis), 1991 (Havana) and 1995 ( Mar del Plata) and six world championships, held in 1986 (Reno), 1989 (Moscow), 1991 (Sydney), 1993 (Tampere), 1995 (Berlin) and 1997 (Budapest). At the 1999 World Championships in Houston, Savon did not compete in the final due to the withdrawal of the Cuban delegation in protest of controversial arbitration during the competition.

Despite the many offers he received to compete as a professional, he always rejected the idea and remained the absolute king of the amateur heavyweights for twelve years. He won the Olympic gold medal at the games in Barcelona in 1992, repeating this achievement four years later in Atlanta, and then in Sydney in 2000.

“The Boxer is a Victory,” as he was liked to be called in his homeland, returned with defeats several times: the first in 1997 from compatriot Juan Delis, as well as from the Russian boxer Ruslan Chagaev, but still he remained unfailingly devoted to the sport and always dedicated his victories to the Cuban cause. to the people.

Felix Savon ended his career in 2001; boxing rules take into account the age limit of 34 years for amateurs, which the Cuban reached. Currently, he is engaged in coaching, he has five children, whom he is raising with his wife Maria. 16 gold medals from various championships and Olympic games and two silver - this is the highest level of dedication and passion for sports. Felix Savon will forever remain a hero for his people and a model for an athlete in any other country.

Felix Savon Fabray– Cuban heavyweight boxer, recognized as the best amateur boxer of the late 20th century. Felix Savon was born on September 22, 1967. Pupil of coach A. Sagarra. In the 90s, he became an Olympic champion three times. In 2000, the Prensa Latina agency conducted a survey among the region's media, according to which Felix ranked first among the ten most famous athletes in Latin America. In 2000, in Sydney, the boxer, competing in the weight of 91 kg, became an Olympic champion and headed the top of Olympus. Now Savon shares this title with Hungarian Laszlo Papp and his fellow countryman. These three boxers are the only three-time Olympic champions in boxing history.

At a time when almost everyone believed that the boxing career of the slender Felix Savon was immediately heading towards sunset, he came to Sydney with one single goal: to win the title of Olympic champion for the third time. And he managed to realize it. He appeared in the ring four times, and each time he left as a winner. Everyone was eagerly awaiting Felix's fight with Michael Bennett (USA), this opponent claimed that he would win the fight with the Cuban. At the World Championships in Houston (1999), Bennett declared himself as a champion without entering into a fight, which, in turn, did not take place due to the protest of Savon, a thirteen-time Cuban champion, against the poor attitude of the judges towards his fellow boxers during passing these humiliating competitions. Sydney provided an excellent opportunity for revenge, where Savon took advantage of it, giving the American a good beating, which is why they suspended the fight on the 3rd attack, in which the championship was given to the Cuban with a significant difference in the score (more than 15 points). Savon then defeated Germany's Sebastian Kober in the semi-finals. Having completed his last fight with Ibragimov in victory, on the way to the locker room the boxer shouted to reporters: “Felix still has time!” But later Savon was forced to “hang up” his gloves, because AIBA set an age limit (up to 34 years) for participation in international competitions, and he would just turn 34 on September 22. Savon has defeated such famous professional fighters as Andrzej Golota, Ray Mercer, Michael Bennett, David Tua, Shannon Briggs and Kirk Johnson.

Savon has 358 victories and only 17 defeats.
Currently works as a trainer.

Sports achivments:
Three-time Olympic champion (1992, 1996, 2000)
Five-time world champion (1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995)
Silver medalist at the 1997 World Championships
Three-time Pan American Games champion (1987, 1991, 1995)
Three-time World Cup winner (1987, 1990, 1994)
Champion of the Junior World Championship 1985
Two-time winner of the Goodwill Games (1990 – Seattle, 1994 – St. Petersburg)