Colombia Heroicos defeat Cuba Domadores 3-2 to carve out slender Semi-Final advantage

The Colombia Heroicos once again produced a superb display of WSB passion and power on Saturday night as they defeated two-time WSB Team Champions Cuba Domadores 3-2 for the second time this season. As has already become customary in the teams’ three meetings so far in Season VII, it was five incredibly close bouts that played out between them, and the Heroicos will be under no illusion that they still need to produce something special if they are to hold off the Cubans in Havana in a week’s time.

It was the hosts’ Dominican Draft Pick Leonel De Los Santos who opened up proceedings at Bantamweight (56kg) against Cuba’s Javier Ibanez. Los Santos looked in no mood to repeat the split decision defeat he suffered to his opponent in the Group Stages, using his agility and speed to confound Ibanez’s attacking instincts. Ibanez responded well in the second as he clicked into his groove, but several Los Santos’ uppercuts were the difference in round four and even a late rally from the Cuban wasn’t enough to prevent the Colombians going one-up.

Fellow Dominican Elvis Severino Rodriguez then faced Andy Cruz at Light Welterweight (64kg), and the Cuban talent continued his remarkable unbeaten record in Season VII thanks to two dominant opening rounds that left Rodriguez chasing the match without success. With the scores tied, Heroicos’ Middleweight (75kg) Jorge Vivas Palacios then engaged in another world-class encounter with Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Arlen Lopez, both boxers enjoying periods of control as the two exchanged some lightening combinations. With the bout evenly poised at the midway point it was Palacios who found his range and rhythm, and by the fifth round it was his sheer physical strength that saw him over the line and the Colombians into a 2-1 lead.

The experienced figure of the hosts’ 37-year-old Heavyweight (91kg) Deivis Julio Blanco had won all four of his Season VII contests going into his crucial match against Cuba Domadores’ Erislandy Savon, even ending his opponent’s long-standing unbeaten during the Group Stages back in March. A more focussed Savon earned his revenge on Saturday night, however, when despite Blanco’s robust defences, it was the Cuban’s range and footwork that proved decisive on route to a split decision win that tied the match.

At 2-2, Colombia Heroicos’ were able to call upon their own Olympic star, Yuberjen Martinez, to try and restore the advantage against Jorge Grinan at Light Flyweight (49kg). Martinez was in confident mood as he moved in close, taking the early lead with some lightening combinations as Grinan tried to attack. The Colombian went on to dominate the middle part of the bout and eventually secured the most comfortable point of the night for his team, who at 3-2 up going into the second leg in Havana will now be dreaming of that place in the Season VII Final.