“What are eight million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans.”

- Teófilo Stevenson

Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence (1952-2012) was a Cuban amateur boxer, who competed from 1966-86. He won the Val Barker Trophy (1972) and was honoured with the Olympic Order (1987). Stevenson is one of only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón.

He might have become a five-time Olympic champion had the Cuban authorities allowed the Cuban boxing team to participate in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics, which they boycotted. Stevenson never played in the highly lucrative pro circuit and, almost entirely in his career, was content to box only for his country at the amateur level. “I haven’t seen this much class and skill in the professional (boxing) for a long time nor at the amateur. Stevenson would undoubtedly become champion of the world professionally if he decided to. He has the skill and qualification any time he wants to become champion of the world,” US pro George Foreman once said.