Joahnys Argilagos: The Unsung Cuban Boxing Sensation
Joahnys Óscar Argilagos Pérez is a Cuban boxer born in Camagüey on January 11, 1997. He made his name as an amateur light-flyweight: he won world championship gold in 2015 and 2017, then took bronze for Cuba at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
About the video: The preserved clip is the Rio 2016 Olympic light-flyweight bout between Argilagos and Great Britain’s Galal Yafai. Argilagos won their round-of-16 match by a 2–1 decision.
Amateur highlights
At the 2015 AIBA World Championships in Doha, Argilagos won the light-flyweight title. He repeated as world champion in Hamburg in 2017. At Rio in 2016, he advanced through Galal Yafai in the round of 16 and Peter Mungai in the quarterfinals before losing a close 2–1 semifinal to Colombia’s Yuberjen Martínez and receiving the Olympic bronze medal. He also earned silver at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where Mexico’s Joselito Velázquez won the final.
Professional career
Argilagos turned professional in 2019, not 2016. He debuted in Houston on May 3, defeating Josué Morales by majority decision over six rounds. A 2021 managerial announcement listed him at 6–0 with three knockouts and said he was then training in Las Vegas with coach Pedro Roque.
Sources
- Olympedia: Joahnys Argilagos profile and 2016 Olympic medal
- BoxRec: Olympic, World Championship and Pan American results
- International Boxing Association: 2015 Pan American Games final
- International Boxing Association: 2015 American Confederation Championships
- PhilBoxing: Argilagos managerial signing and 2021 career details
- World Boxing Association: Argilagos bout record
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
