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Cuban Boxing Champion Felix Savon, Another Fallen Hero

HAVANA TIMES — The video went viral within hours. Multiple-time boxing champion Felix Savon, considered one of the ten greatest athletes in Cuba’s history, was walking the streets looking for food.

He was not seen rummaging through garbage, but he said it himself: he was looking for food to eat, not, for example, to feed a pig.

The image is painful, regardless of the fact that we are talking about a figure who tarnished all the glory he could have achieved inside the squared circle—a considerable amount of glory, to say the least. He was a three-time Olympic champion, a six-time world champion, and won three more titles at the Pan American Games, among other accomplishments. He brought all of that into disrepute through his behavior outside the ring.

We are talking about a person who served time in prison for committing a sexual offense against a minor. Because he was a public figure aligned with the regime, there was not much public outcry, nor was the law applied to him with its full force. But that is another subject.

It is well known that in this country, an ordinary citizen and someone protected by the dictatorship are not equally situated and do not enjoy the same rights. This was the case here: while others convicted of similar offenses spend at least a decade behind bars, Savon served only six years and was released on parole in 2024.

When he got out of prison, he found himself without a job. His limited knowledge and lack of teaching skills left him with little choice but to coach children—and no parent would entrust their child to him. The country is in ruins, with prices soaring higher every day, and he cannot keep up with them on the meager stipend he receives.

Let us pause here for a moment, because this is not just about the boxer. It is about everyone who, at the height of their careers, irresponsibly gave their youth and talent to Fidel Castro, turning down millions of dollars, as Savon did. I would extend........

© Havana Times