Juan Torres Odelín Ruled the World Amateur Light Flyweights
Juan Torres Odelín won the world amateur light flyweight championship in Reno, Nevada, in 1986. The Cuban boxer defeated Puerto Rico’s Luis Rolón in the final to claim the 48-kilogram gold medal.
Career highlights
Torres Odelín’s championship campaign included victories over Philippe Desavoye, Krasimir Cholakov and Hamilton Rodrigues before the final. He defeated Rolón by a 5–0 decision to complete his run to the title.
He returned to an international medal podium at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. His campaign ended in a semifinal defeat against American Michael Carbajal by a 0–5 decision, leaving Torres Odelín with bronze.
An amateur championship career
Torres Odelín’s principal achievements came in amateur competition. He did not appear at the 1984 or 1988 Olympics, both of which Cuba boycotted. His Reno world title and subsequent Pan American medal remain the key international results of his boxing résumé.
The Reno tournament began with a bye for Torres Odelín. His closest contested victory came against Bulgaria’s Cholakov, whom he edged by three judges’ votes to two. The wins over Desavoye, Rodrigues and Rolón were all unanimous. In Indianapolis the following year, he beat Canada’s Scotty Olson and Venezuela’s Odilio Jesús Arias unanimously before Carbajal ended his attempt to reach another major international final.
Sources
- BoxRec: Torres Odelín’s world championship and Pan American results
- Amateur Boxing Results: 1986 world championship tournament record
