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| “What is one million dollars compared to the love of my people?” Some variation of that question has always been the answer when Teofilo Stevenson is asked why he shunned riches and fame to remain in Cuba, an amateur legend, a perpetual question mark for the fight world’s collective imagination – what might have been? In the 70’s, Stevenson, a three-time Olympic heavyweight gold medalist, was eagerly sought by promoters as an opponent for Ali. In fact, he already had been dubbed “The Cuban Ali” by the press, and it was an apt comparison – both were handsome, articulate, dazzlingly stylish in the ring and seemingly unbeatable in their primes. The offers reached as high as five million dollars, but Stevenson was proud, defiant and fiercely devoted to his homeland. Reports of him today always mention that he is poor but happy, and as beloved in his country as if the Montreal Olympics were yesterday. | ||
