Teofilo Stevenson Was Born on March 29, 1952- the Year in About His Life and Career
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champion, he strolls into the OUBA.N living room and seats him- recently that we sat down self in a large wicker chair. for an in-depth conversation Teofilo Stevenson was born on March 29, 1952- the year in about his life and career. which the Olympics introduced the world to future world heavy This rare interview with the weight champion Floyd Patterson. Born the first of five children, to enigmatic fighter turned out Jamaican parents in the southern Cuban province of Las Tunas, to be a fascinating and Teofilo was big for his age and entered a Cuban sports school at the insightful experience. age of 12. During his long reign as "I come from an athletic family," reveals Stevenson. "My father the Olympic heavyweight had boxed when he was young. My brother David played baseball, boxing champion, the and one of my sisters played name Teofilo Stevenson basketball. I tried baseball, became synonymous basketball, and soccer before I with Cuba and with found boxing." Fidel Castro's He still believes that the Communist revolution. socialist sports system does a Stevenson became one of good job of recognizing and Castro's propaganda nurturing young talent, be it tools, a global symbol of intellectual, creative, or athlet the new Cuban regime. During the Cold War, athletes were the ic. "It's a very good system, soldiers, and Olympic arenas were their battlegrounds. because they recognize talents Stevenson has always been quick to credit Castro and the social and abilities early, when ist system with creating him the ultimate Cold War fighting you're still very young," he machine. During the 1970s and '80s, the success and esteem of says. "Everyone in Cuba has the Cubans' international sports program rested firmly on the the right to attend sports broad shoulders of Teofilo Stevenson. school. Sports school is more Since Stevenson's personal relationship with Castro, as well than competition. It teaches as his accomplishments as an Olympian, have been well-docu children about the competi mented, I set out to gain deeper insight into the man behind the tion of life. This is where I learned to box." myth. Did he have any regrets about not fighting as a professional? Stevenson's first major boxing competition came at the 1971 Pan What happened to his proposed bout with Muhammad Ali in the American Games. In the finals, the 19-year-old was pitted against a 1970s? Could he have beaten Ali? Did he have an Teofilo Stevenson at home opinion about athletes defecting from Cuba in dur.ing the inter:view search of Yankee dollars? Stevenson lives in a modest, two-story, brown and yellow home in the once-affluent Havana sub urb of Reparto Nautical, with his wife Fraymari, a petite, 27-year old attorney, and their five-year old son. Fight photos, plaques, and awards adorn the family-room walls, whose centerpiece is a photo showing a young and triumphant Stevenson, arm raised in victory by a smiling, cigar-chomping Fidel Castro. Before our interview, Stevenson ambles about nonchalantly, wearing a pair of khaki shorts, san dals, and no shirt. His neatly groomed hair, now speckled with gray, fits perfectly atop his hand some, high-cheekboned face. With the air of a 66 SMOKf • FALL 2000 tough and experienced American sailor, Duane Bobick. At this point became a national hero. Shortly after his victory, he was approached in his career, Stevenson's main weapon was a long, punishing jab. by an American boxing promoter and offered $1 million to defect Bobick's experience and ring savvy proved too much for the novice and turn professional. He flatly refused. Cuban, who lost in a unanimous decision after three rounds. "I would not leave my country for $1 million, or [for] a lot more Stevenson came away with the knowledge that he would need to than that," he tells me. "What's a million dollars against 10 million develop his offensive arsenal if people who love me?" he wanted to pose a serious The Munich Games springboarded Stevenson threat at the upcoming Olympic into the international spotlight. After the Olympics, Games, in Munich, West Stevenson continued to lead the Cuban national Germany. At 6-feet-5, 215 team, amassing a long string of victories in national pounds, he had been gifted with and international competitions, including the 1974 height and reach. All he lacked World Championships, held in Havana, where he was a more effective offensive out-pointed the tough American fighter Marvin style that would leave his oppo Stinson in the finals. nents off-balance and vulnerable At the Pan-American Games of 1975, Stevenson to his strength. His fight plan was matched against another American hopeful worked. named Michael Dokes. The fight was closely contest The 1972 Olympics proved to ed, with Stevenson pulling out a narrow win. He had be a career turning point. In the finally captured the title that Duane Bobick had semi-finals, Stevenson squared denied him in 1971. [Michael Dokes went on the cap off once again with the highly ture the W.B.A. version of the heavyweight champi touted gold-medal favorite onship, by defeating Mike Weaver in 1982.] Duane Bobick. Bobick, still confi As the defending gold medalist at the 1976 dent from his Pan-American vic Games in Montreal, Stevenson breezed through the tory, boldly predicted a knock preliminary bouts with knockout wins. In the semi out win over Stevenson. "All finals, he faced another American hopeful, "Big Stevenson's got is a decent jab," John" Tate. He chopped down the future W.B.C. proclaimed Bobick, shortly before their match. heavyweight champion with a series of strong combinations and But Stevenson had a surprise for the cocky American. He came moved on to the gold-medal round. out fast and strong and dominated the first round, "I remember John Tate very with relentless jabs and thunderous straight rights. well," says Stevenson. "I Between rounds, Bobick sat bleeding and motionless remember him because he was on his stool. The mismatch continued, until the refer very big and strong. I was lucky ee finally called a halt to the slaughter midway to knock him out in the finals at through the second round. For the first time in Montreal. Tate won the bronze Olympic history, a gold medal was within reach for a and I won the gold. I was sorry Cuban fighter. to hear that he was killed in an Stevenson smils as he remembered his battles with accident." Stevenson won his Bobick. "Duane Bobick was a very good fighter. As a second consecutive gold medal boxer, I needed more time to mature. When I fought when he beat Romanian Mercia Bobick at the Pan-American Games, it was a test for Simon in the final. me. But I learned from my mistakes. After I beat him After the Montreal Games, in Munich, I believed that I could be an Olympic promoters floated the idea of champion." a dream-match between the Stevenson would not get the photo-finish victory seemingly invincible Teofilo he wanted. In the finals at Munich, Stevenson won Stevenson and the newly the gold medal by default when his Romanian oppo recrowned heavyweight nent, Ion Alexe, broke his thumb in a semi-final bout. champion, Muhammad Ali. Nevertheless, as the first Cuban ever to capture an The brainchild of American Olympic gold medal in boxing, Teofilo Stevenson boxing promoter Bob Arum, FALL 2000 . SMOKf 67 When Cuba boycotted the 1984 Games in Los the Ali-Stevenson series would consist of five three-round bouts, Angeles, Stevenson was denied the opportunity of winning an held at various venues across the U.S. unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal. Does the 48-year-old A key contract clause stipulated that the bouts be fought under Olympic legend believe that he would have captured another cham amateur rules, to ensure continuation of Stevenson's amateur status. pionship at the Los Angeles Games? [Professional sports had been banned in Cuba since the Communist "Yes, I would have won the gold medal, because I had already takeover.] More importantly, if Stevenson lost his amateur standing, beaten the man [Tyrell Biggs] who won the gold, at the '84 he would also lose his eligibility to compete in the Olympic Games. Olympics," says Stevenson. Gesturing a knock-out punch with his Under no circumstances would Castro risk losing his Olympic hero. long arms, he adds, "My match was a one-sided victory. I defeated The Association of International Boxing of Amateurs approved him by a knockout." of the series, provided, of course, that Stevenson did not get paid. Like his Olympic predecessors who did win the heavyweight Under Arum's plan, Ali would receive a purse of $3 million, with crown- Patterson, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, and Spinks - Stevenson Stevenson's $1.3 million believes he would have going to the Cuban Boxing succeeded them as a pro Federation. The series fessional champion as would begin at New York's well. "There were some Madison Square Garden great champions in my and conclude at the Los era, like Ali and George Angeles Forum. Despite the Foreman," he admits. "I best efforts of Bob Arum had the opportunity to and the Cuban Boxing turn professional, and I Federation, the series was chose not to. If I had canceled. Reportedly, at the become a professional last minute, Ali decided to boxer, I'm sure I would pull out, claiming "he had have become the heavy nothing to gain and every weight champion of the thing to lose by fighting an world." amateur." It was rumored Stevenson's swan-song that Ali offered Stevenson came in 1986, when, at the over $100,000 as consola age of 34, he capped off a tion, which Stevenson magnificent career with a refused.