** FELIX SAVON Interview ** by cc |
![]() CC: Where were you born? FS: Guantanamo [province]. CC: How old were you, and how did you first get involved in boxing? FS: I'm from the country. I grew up fighting - it's something we just did. People used to put a bottle cap on each of your shoulders "this is your father, this is your mother" and knock them off. And so we fought. [this is analogous to the american practice of having a chip on your shoulder... for those of you not familiar with this: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/92100.html ] I started boxing when I was 13. Within 6 months, they took me to the ESPA [provincial junior school, first rung up from the local gyms on the ladder to the national team]. After 7 fights, they took me to the junior national team, at age 16. Nobody wanted to fight me. ![]() FS: No, I never was. I was raised in the country, where we fought for fun. Initially, I was timid in hitting people - my sisters used to defend me, even at the fight against Solis, they were hitting him LOL. [Solis beat Savon at the cuban nationals, and after Savon retired, was allowed to fight for the gold medal (successfully) in 2004] CC: (looking upward): How tall are you, and what weight did you fight at? FS: 194cm [almost 6"5], and I fought at the 91+kg [200+lb] division. CC: What's your record, and what were your accomplishments in boxing competition? ![]() [World Amateur Championships winner in 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997; also PanAm games champion in 1987, 1991, 1995; olympics gold in 1992 (Barcelona), 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney)] [see also http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/.../savon_bio/ ] CC: That's a pretty sick record. What were your hardest fights? FS: Chagaev, Vanderlijde. At the [cuban] nationals - Solis, Causse.They were all hard. Fights are won in the gym as well as the ring. [see http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/savon.html ] CC: What kind of training routine did you have before? FS: We trained 11 times a week. Twice a day, 6 days a week, except on Thursdays, when we only had one session. And Sundays off. The training consisted of getting up at 5 am to run 6-8km, depending on where you were in the training cycle, then doing shadow boxing, skipping, hitting the bag, and doing some exercises like sit-ups, stretching, and weights. In the afternoon there would be a 3-hour session of technical work and sparring. ![]() FS: Some people are born at an advanced level, but everyone has the same capacity, so you can reach the same level. CC: You've had a lot of great moments as a champ. What was your best memory? FS: The first time that Fidel Castro gave me the Cuban flag to carry, to represent the people in 1986. He made a speech, comparing me to Teofilo Stevenson. I was so emotional that I lost my sight and my speech. ![]() FS: Yeah LOL. CC: Now that you're retired, what do you do these days? FS: I work at the cuban boxing federation. They had me answering the phones all day, but I felt useless. Now I have a project with Stevenson, I go around the country, scouting and training heavyweights. CC: How many do you have, and what do you do with them? FS: About 70. You know, technical training, and giving them advice. CC: Are you going to be at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? FS: We'll see. [in Cuba, boxers, like the rest of the population, can only travel abroad with the permission of the government] ![]() FS: Have faith in your elders. If you want to have good results, you need to have punctuality, discipline, and responsibility. In a fight, don't think about the opponent as if you're having a fight, but as if you are playing a game. CC: What do you think of the boxing game these days? FS: It's been stable, but maybe not as good as before. CC: Why not? FS: Kids these days have lost their patriotism, against the U.S. I want the whole world to recognize Cuba. Me, I'm a symbol of Cuba like Marti [also names other figures of Cuban nationalist history]. I'll be remembered forever when I die. ![]() FS: No, that's lies. It was the Americans - in Mexico, they were trying to get Don King on the phone with me, and get me a helicopter [to defect]. But I said "No!" to Imperialism! CC: Have you followed Tyson's career? FS: I couldn't - we don't get the fights here. I remember him biting a guy's ear off though. CC: Do you know Lennox Lewis? [I tell him about the fight with Tyson, and that Lewis retired recently] If so, what was your impression of him. FS: Yeah - I remember him from around 1986-1987. We didn't have partners to spar with, so we were together. He asked me to take it easy. I showed him some boxing; he showed me some dance moves [gyrates, reggae-style]. Nice guy, humble. ![]() FS: No, I don't even have a computer. Besides, I like to participate more, and to train people. CC: What do you think of pro boxing in general? FS: It exploits the fighters. [Although this is a common question to Cubans, he doesn't elaborate. The Cuban government is against pro boxing.] CC: How do you feel about the recent defection of some members of the national team, including Solis? I hear they're in Miami already. FS: I feel sad. I feel as if I'm responsible. There were some ideological problems. CC: Maybe some financial ones too. CC: Besides Cuba, what countries do you think are strong in boxing now? FS: Russia - well it's been split into many countries now. ![]() FS: November 22, 2006, to Kazakhstan. They put me to spar with one of their fighters, a 19 year old kid; he was strong. His trainer told him in the corner to go hard and open up on me. CC: Yeah, I imagine that would be a nice notch on his belt, having rocked Felix Savon. FS: I wanted to show him my experience, so I used movement [footwork] to diffuse his attacks. He wouldn't gain anything by me just knocking him out. ![]() FS: Men and women are equal, but women are naturally more limited. Besides menstruation and pregnancy, a woman's body and face are valuable. For men, it's ok to have a beaten face; women will still want them. I don't think it's ethical or healthy - boxing is a traumatic sport, and the effect is not the same on women. They are more fierce and throw more punches. Women will not be trained in Cuba - we are against it. CC: Besides boxing, do you have some hobbies? FS: I paint, and I love basketball and volleyball. I'm also planning on getting my PhD in physical education. |
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