[professordp]

CounterPunch, December 1976

"Fidel Lets Teo Go-But Not As A Pro"
by Skip Bailey


The boxing world is still reeling from Cuban Communist Boss Fidel Castro's national radio address last week. Unless you live in a cave, slipped into a coma, or were abducted by aliens, you know that the Bearded One has given 1976 Olympic boxing god Teofilo Stevenson the green light to do battle in the world of professional boxing--but not as a pro.

In an unprecedented move, Castro announced that Stevenson will not be fighting for personal gain but rather for "socialism and the glory of the Cuban people." This means that Big Teo's purse will be directly deposited into the Communist kitty "to benefit all Cubans."

Don't shed any tears for Stevenson. He appears to have bought into Fidel's dream of a communist utopia and has been afforded numerous amenities not enjoyed by the typical residents of Castro's "workers paradise".

While the logistics are still being worked out, the Cuban government will promote all of Stevenson's bouts. Of course he will be fighting that exploited class known as professional boxers who hail from capitalist countries. Lacking Teo's elevated consciousness, they want to walk away with some money in their pockets, thus arrangements will need to be made.

There's also the question of those profit-hungery media moguls who want to broadcast Stevenson's foray into the world of professional boxing. Arrangements must also be made here.

Political Pugilism

I'm glad a took a minor in political science twenty-five years ago (see the note below) so I can explain this to you. Politics has periodically seeped into the boxing world. Racism and segregation limited the careers of many excellent black fighters earlier this century and gave rise to the Great White Hope, which is unfortunately still an element in our sport. Hitler made use of Schmeling for propaganda purposes in the 1930s and Mussolini basked in Primo's glory to a lesser degree.

But this is something different. We're not talking about political seepage here--we're discussing a tidal wave!

Nearly fifteen years ago, Castro banned all professional sports in Cuba claiming that they were corrupt, exploitive, and created attitudes of selfish individualism. Now he has obviously reversed himself. Why?

Two words--Teofilo Stevenson! Teo is Cuba's very first hero of the Castro era, and Fidel wants to maximize the propaganda value of the situation. My sources tell me that El Presidente was not completely pleased with the production of the 1976 Olympic team. Sure they won more medals than any other team, but the yankee imperialist American boxers won only one less medal and took home more gold.

Stevenson is as good as gold for Castro's purposes. He's good looking, committed to the cause, and extremely talented. Insiders have indicated that Fidel does not want to wait another four years until the 1980 Olympics to showcase his star--the time is now.

What does this all mean for boxing? Here's my take on the situation.

There Will Be No Ali-Stevenson Fight

Some of my old pals at The Ring are running around prediticting an Ali/Stevenson match no later than early 1978. Sorry guys, you're missing the big picture here. There's not going to be a re-Pete of the Rademacher/Patterson debacle of twenty years ago.

A fight with Ali will do nothing for Stevenson or for Castro. There's no postives here--just negatives. Sad as it is, Ali's skills have declined, but not to the extent that he couldn't beat Stevenson a year from now--and not just hand the big kid a defeat. Ali would humiliate Teo (and Castro) before a world audience. That's just not in Fidel's plans.

Even if Ali was around two years from now, and Stevenson honed his skills to the degree he beats the Greatest, Fidel would still be a big loser. Ali is not only a citizen of the world (tough to tie him to the corrupt American capitalists), he's extremely popular in the Third World, the same part of the planet that Castro wants to win over. Remember how many felt when Marciano beat up on an aged, over-the-hill Joe Louis? Now multiply that by a few million if Stevenson disposed of Ali in similar fashion. You can never forget that the Castro's purpose is not the big payday, its scoring political points in the world arena.

Go Slow Teo

To borrow from the Rolling Stones, time, time, time is on Teo's side--yes it is! Stevenson is not yet twenty-five with about three years to go before he enters his athletic prime. Like all fighters with potential, he'll feast on a plate of stiffs his first year and gradually work his way up to the next level of competition. Expect him to fight frequently (once every six weeks) in the beginning but be aware that his opponents will be safe and cherry-picked.

There's another reason for Stevenson to take his time. Presently, we're witnessing the Twilight of the Gods in the heavyweight division. I've already discussed Ali. Quarry appears to be punched out. Ditto Joe Frazier. Kenny Norton's best days might be behind him. Sure he got jobbed this summer in the Ali fight, bit he wasn't particulary impressive either. Foreman, at least on paper, is still in his prime. But you have to wonder if losing the title to Ali two years ago tooks something out of his psyche. Last year's circus act in Toronto and the barroom brawl with Ron Lyle earlier this year make me wonder. And knocking out Smokeless Joe, Scott LeDoux, and Dino Dennis does not impress me.

Two years from now, when Teo is ready he'll pretty much be able to run the table. These guys, with the exception Foreman, will be gone from the scene giving Stevenson a pretty clear path to the title.

Bobick Is The Key

The way I see it playing out, Duane Bobick is the only roadblock that Stevenson will need to overcome. Duane has been boxing as a pro for the past three years and has compiled a record of 38-0. Sure he basically fought a bunch of stiffs, but the important thing is that he's picked up a ton of skill and experience. He's not the same fighter that Teo knocked out in the 1972 Olympics. Most likely Bobick will get to the throne before Teo, thus setting up the match that Castro really wants to take place.

While there's not an advantage in defeating an over-the-hill Ali, Bobick is a different matter. He's white. And that has some propaganda value -think Schmeling/Louis in reverse. El Presidente's golden boy would be Ali's successor in the Third World by lifting the crown from the capitalists' Great White Hope. Also remember that a fight between Bobick and Stevenson would be viewed as a rubber match. Bobick beat Teo in the 1971 Pan American games, and Stevenson returned the favor the following year in the Olympics. Bobick has signed to fight Norton in the spring and should have no problem hastening Kenny's retirement plans.
I predict that Bobick will win the title by mid-1978 and face Stevenson sometime in early 1979.

If Teo can get past Bobick, he should be able to hold the title for some time. Beyond Duane, there really won't be much out there. 1976 U.S. Olympians John Tate and Leon Spinks are about to begin their respective pro careers but don't present any threat to Stevenson. This summer against Stevenson, Tate was terrible. Many questioned whether he should have been in an Olympic ring. More wonder if he belongs with the pros. Spinks has the misfortune of being a natural cruiserweight which means if he's going to make any money, he'll have to beef up and do it as a heavyweight. He'll be giving up a lot weight and size. Sure he might have been fun to watch this past summer--but a fight in your local tavern can also be entertaining. I've been accused in the past of having a vivid immagination, but its not so vivid as to allow me to ever see Leon wearing the heavyweight crown. Some scribes have been raving about Ali's former sparring partner Larry Holmes who has compiled an unbeaten record against unknown opponents. Two years from now you won't even remember his name.

So that's how its going to play out, boxing fans. And it will be fun, exciting, and damn interesting!

See you next month!

Note: An examination of Bailey's college transcript reveals that he took one course in political science, Introduction to Politics 101 in which he earned a final grade of C.