Saturday saw an unforgettable night of WSB boxing in the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent, as the Cuba Domadores earned their second WSB title in three years with a near-perfect win over the British Lionhearts.
The 9-1 scoreline betrayed a gutsy performance from the Lionhearts who worked tirelessly throughout, but only Frazer Clarke was able to break down the flamboyant brilliance of a determined Cuban side.
The opening bout was always going to be a crucial litmus test for both sides, and light flyweights Johanys Argilagos and Galal Yafai put on a great contest for the packed-out crowd. Yafai threatened several times early on but Argilagos seemed to have a reply to everything that came at him, and edged the judges’ score and set his team on the way to a famous win.
And so it proved throughout the match, as the Domadores’ World and Olympic champions were able to reply to the Lionhearts’ attacks with interest. No strangers to the big occasion in their third straight WSB final, the likes of Erislandy Savon and Robeisy Ramirez were imperious in the ring, but the British side will have taken crucial experience from the big occasion.
The likes of Dalton Smith and Muhammed Ali boxed without nerves against some of the best in the world, and super heavyweight Frazer Clarke will return home with a smile on his face after stopping Leinier Pero in Round 4 to ensure the Lionhearts got on the scoreboard.
