News Vale Teofilo Stevenson

[Ford Fairlane]

Olympic boxing legend Teofilo Stevenson passed away of a heart attack aged 60.

Cuba mourns boxing great Teofilo Stevenson

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

There will be a state funeral in Cuba. He was a giant of a boxer and of Cuban sport. I remember watching his gold medal bout in Moscow when he won his third super heavyweight gold medal. For Castro and Cuba he turned down numerous offers to turn pro and would have made millions of dollars. He won numerous world amateur titles including the 1986 at age 34.

His country man Felix Savon won the '92, '96 and '00 light heavyweight golds to be the only other triple Olympic champion. I had a ticket to watch him match Stevenson 3 golds, but was severley hung over celebrating with the Hockeyroos - a mate I played footy with went out with Alison Peake. One of the greatest regrets of my life that I didn't go!

 

[Ford Fairlane]

As noted in the linked article, László Papp also was a triple Olympic boxing gold medallist, 1948, 52 and 56.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Ah yeah was thinking the heavyweights rather than other weight divisions. I reckon Papp was in Sydney or was invited to come and watch Savon go for gold. Stevenson was there and so were a few ex pro heavweight champs. Think Ali, Fraser and Tyson were there for Savon's fight. As I said one of the biggest regrets of my life matched by one of my biggest hangovers.