Esteban Lecuona: Road to Glory

[bob_bask]

My name is Esteban Lecuona. I am 20 years of age.



For as long as I can remember I have been a boxer.



And one day I will box at the Olympics.



This is my story.

[Infinity]

Nice to see you jumping in with a new story line, will be following along for sure..

[bob_bask]

Season Schedule


Cuban National Championships


World Amateur Championships


Season Goals

[bob_bask]

My Achievements

I live very close to the boxing gym and began at eight or nine. My mother tried to stop me, but it never worked and eventually she gave up.

I trained from the beginning with coach Ynilo Ruelas, with him I had many victories.

When I won the Junior title I moved to Havana for more training.



In Havana I trained every day with coach Fernando Álvarez.



After I won the National Youth title at Bantamweight I joined the senior National team.

[bob_bask]

My Goals

This season I hope to win the Playa Giron.

To do so I must beat Miguel De La Torre, an Olympic Champion.

If I am able to beat De La Torre, I could get selected for the World Championships.

There are also several other tournaments along the way.

[bob_bask]

Miguel De La Torre is an Olympic Champion.

Miguel is thirty-one years old, we spar together everyday.

As a Junior, coach Álvarez would talk to me on how I could beat De La Torre.

This season I hope to do just that.

[bob_bask]

Pan American Games

Selection

Heavyweight - A. López
Middleweight - A. Márquez
Welterweight - F. Rojas
Lightweight - M. Rodriguez
Featherweight - M. Vallejo
Bantamweight - M. De La Torre
Flyweight - J. Martinez

I wasn't expecting selection, too little experience. I pray one day I box an American.

Those of us left behind have been entered into the TV Cubana tournament.

[bob_bask]

Coach Acevedo wanted to see me and Miguel box three competition rounds today.



He took lots of points off me in the first. In the second I attacked and landed my double hook that left Miguel unable to reply. He kept away in the last, I gave chase but he countered well and I lost the round.

After the decision I wished Miguel well for the Games and went to change.

Acevedo's assistant José Urrutia was waiting for me. He told me Acevedo was pleased and offered encouragement to continue training hard and following my diet.

[bob_bask]

Originally Posted by Infinity

Nice to see you jumping in with a new story line, will be following along for sure..

Thanks for the comments.

I've wanted to try something like this for a while.

Hope it turns into a good read.

[bob_bask]

My Weight



I am hungry. Always hungry.

Acevedo wants me to stay at 54 kg.

If I fail weight once, he could remove me from the team.

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I will box Norberto Chavarria Hernández in the quarter-final. Urrutia tells me he has poor balance and to attack his weak defense.

[bob_bask]

Chavarria throws many punches, but they are easy to avoid. I land an early combination and finish with a right hand that hurts him.

He continues to miss in the second and I begin to land heavy blows. These soften him.

I attack and he goes down from a left hook-right uppercut. He makes it to his feet and is able to hold me off to see out the contest.


Afterwards I watch my next opponent José Sotolongo outbox Francisco Medina.

Sotolongo is a good boxer, more experienced than me. He once boxed internationally, but it's said in national team he was not a dedicated trainer.

[javier_83]

i'll be reading this!! good luck in your carrer!!

[bob_bask]

Sotolongo boxes on the outside, he lands one nice counter right to my jaw. I find success targeting his body. I am sure he groans when I hook his body at the bell.

He is aggressive from the bell. His jab is fast and hurts. I throw my punches one after another and it disrupts his rhythm. A left hook-right straight causes Sotolongo to retreat.

I find his jaw with my hook and he smothers me. His awareness of distance returns and I struggle to close the gap. He scores with jabs and I hurt him in the few exchanges.

All judges give me the victory.


I was not able to watch the other semi-final as coach Urrutia told me to catch the bus straight home in order to rest for the final.

[bob_bask]

Before I get back to box I hear on the bus Felipe Chibás won against Rafael Capablanca in the semi-final I missed.

I am told to use the home team changing room.

José Urrutia tells me Chibás is a good province boxer. He throws lots of punches but power like a fly.



We both display are hand speed. He is slightly faster, but I have power. My left hook knocks him off his feet. Chibás gets up and I take a big advantage scoring with every punch I throw.

I continue to stay close to Chibás. I try to tie him up and he accepts without struggle. My range on top is off so I hit his body.

I am slow to start in the third and he displays no effort to box. I am confident of victory on seeing the round out so remain cautious and practice my defense. He scores with his jab as I land heavy to his midsection.

4-0.

The judges vote me the winner.


Urrutia congratulates me and says he will see me at training tomorrow.

[bob_bask]

Originally Posted by javier_83

i'll be reading this!! good luck in your carrer!!

Thanks Javier, no idea yet where it's going, but we'll see.

[bob_bask]

Back at the Finca I run around the track, hit the bags and box several rounds.

Two rounds with Ernesto Deleón at 57 kg and two rounds with César Rodríguez at 67 kg.

With Deleón I let him catch me to test his power, I fail to feel the 3 kg difference, it is not noticeable.

Rodríguez asks me to throw my fastest combinations so that he can improve his reflexes. I catch him many times, but my blows are light.



Urrutia speaks to me again, he tells me I must practice boxing at long distance. To use my jab and then create distance.

He says if I do this I have I better chance of defeating De La Torre.

[bob_bask]

The team return from Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is not good.

We did not win the team trophy.



Until now, we have won it on every occasion.

Only Adolfo Márquez, Marquesa Rodriguez and Miguel De La Torre took gold.

Everybody is given a week holiday.

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I decide to stay. I can see my mother at Christmas.



A few others stay too. Manny Fonseca, Sixto Casas and Cipriano Jiménez.

Urrutia tries to shoo us off but Acevedo stops him.

The week goes quick.

[bob_bask]

As the others filter back for training Monday morning, many do not return.

It's take four of us at dinner to name everybody missing.

Acevedo addresses all of us after we have eaten.



"Comrades.

We were not born to be losers.

Does anybody here feel like a loser?

No on in this room is a loser. Nobody.

Let me talk to you about winners."

Acevedo then read from a piece of paper the boxing achievements of Cuba, of the medals and the champions.

He talked of the positives from the championships in Buenos Aires and how he envisioned the future of Cuban boxing.

"Viva Cuba. Viva Revolution."