Thawing of U.S.-Cuba relations could be boon for boxing

With Wednesday's thawing of a standoff that has seen the United States and Cuba on opposite sides of the political ring for decades, few sports may feel the impact more directly than boxing.

The fight game is one of Cuba's great passions, and fresh policy easing restrictions between the countries can be expected to see a further influx of boxers from the Caribbean nation.

"Boxing has a rich history in Cuba," said longtime HBO commentator Larry Merchant, in a telephone interview with USA TODAY Sports. "You see it generation after generation at the Olympics."

Merchant saw the Cuban boxing system firsthand in the mid-'70s, as part of an NBC delegation that visited baseball players, Olympic track athletes and the state-run fight program.

Cuba has had huge success in Olympic boxing, with 34 gold medals all-time, second only to the U.S. Flyweight Robeisy Ramirez and light welterweight Roniel Iglesias won gold in London and either would add intrigue to their respective divisions if they turned pro.

However, recent defectors have struggled to hit the big time in the professional ranks.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux, the WBO 122-pound champion, is recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but has struggled to generate public buzz or big paydays. Yuriorkis Gamboa is battling to get back into the mix at 130 pounds after being knocked out by Terence Crawford in June in a contender for fight of the year.

"With a lot of the Cuban guys the style is not seen as crowd-pleasing," Merchant said. "They're technical, they've been coached to win Olympic medals and people don't get so excited about watching it in the pros.

"Until now the authorities have either looked the other way or guys have been smuggled in. If the doors open it will obviously be easier. You will see some real, well-trained talent."