Julio Cesar La Cruz, on the right, has become Julian "El Pitbull" Fernandez's bourreau.

Havana, December 12 (JIT) - The stellar Julio Cesar La Cruz (92 kg) recovered from a bad start and won Cuba's second title at the World Boxing Tour 2022 stop in the Mexican city of Guadalajara.

The verdict came by way of 3-1, after the double Olympic champion erased the best start of Mexican Carlos Antonio Rodriguez, who surprised him with a swing to the head that took him to the canvas.

"He turned out to be a very strong opponent, but Julio recovered well and worked solidly with straights and hooks at short and medium distances, and dominated the bout," Cuban national team head coach Rolando Acebal explained to JIT.

Julio Cesar's title was added to the one won on the first day by Arlen Lopez (80 kg), 5-0 winner against Algeria's Younes Memouchi.

And in the Night of Champions organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Cuba added a win by Yoenlis Hernandez and a setback by Roniel Iglesias.

Yoenlis (75 kg) asserted his status as world champion to beat Uzbekistan's Jafarov 4-1, while Iglesias (71 kg), double Olympic titleholder, could not take revenge against Jordan's Zeyad Eashash, who celebrated a unanimous 5-0 decision under the orders of Cuban trainer Dagoberto Rojas.

Eashash had beaten Iglesias in the world championship in Belgrade 2021, when an injury prevented him from going beyond the first round.

The evening brought together other emblematic figures and became the culmination of a world forum that discussed issues of interest to a sport threatened with not being part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.