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239 fights, never knocked out – the 35-year-old heavyweight boxer was denied

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Erislandy Savon lands punch on Anthony Joshua at 2012 Olympics amateur boxing match

Among the amateur ranks is a heavyweight whose records read differently than almost any other fighter’s. In 239 fights he had never been knocked out, and boxing still hadn’t had a chance to see what he could become.

In a division built on strength, where even the best eventually fall, this kind of toughness is almost unheard of – and it’s even more remarkable in a heavyweight division of just 35.

This man is Erislandy Savón.

Name Savón

Savón’s name already carries a lot of weight in boxing circles, and following in the footsteps of his uncle Félix meant expectations were unchanged from the moment he started making noise on the Cuban scene, with his first wins and experience quickly counting into the hundreds.

World Boxing News explored his potential beyond the vest many years ago, when a professional move still seemed realistic and the path ahead seemed much more open than it ultimately proved to be during his earlier career.

It never happened the way many expected, and that’s where the frustration comes from.

Cuba’s missing link

Cuba remains a sore subject for professional boxing fans, who have been denied several superstars over the decades capable of changing the history of the sport, and no one will ever know whether legends like Teófilo Stevenson or Félix Savón would have beaten the best of their generation in the paid rankings.

They have already proven themselves at the amateur level, but that doesn’t detract from how good they were – and if anything, it shows how much is left on the table.

Only Stevenson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which is still gloomy considering achievements in the unpaid code have no category of their own for fighters like the Savóns, whose dominance came in a system that rarely allowed for crossover.

World boxing series

Despite all the dominance and all the victories, the part that counts most in the larger sport never came.

Which never happened

Erislandy followed the same path, staying within the system that built him and representing Cuba at the highest level, building one of the most extensive resumes in contemporary amateur heavyweight boxing, including specific contests, including a narrow Olympic defeat to Anthony Joshua in 2012, a fact that many still question given the way that fight played out.

35 is still teenage for a heavyweight, but injuries and five lost years have completely changed the picture, leaving a version of the fighter that no longer resembles the one many expected to see many years earlier.

His last appearances came around the disrupted Olympic cycle, and he has since faded from the spotlight without any real conclusion, leaving behind a career that never came to an end despite years of expectation that it would eventually.

That lingering uncertainty remains – WBN asked this question once before and it never really went away – whether the man who looked after Joshua in 2012, only to make the wrong decision, could have done the same in the professional ranks, and whether this version of him would have been postponed when everything was on the line.

Now it seems one box will never have the answer.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Deontay Wilder may miss the fight he wants next due to a change in heavyweight plans

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47 minutes ago

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April 23, 2026

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Deontay Wilder set to miss out on the fight he wants next as heavyweight plans shift

Deontay Wilder is unlikely to secure his preferred fight after taking a split decision to fellow veteran Derek Chisora ​​earlier this month.

The two faced off in a messy battle at London’s O2 Arena, with Wilder scoring two knockdowns en route to his 12-round victory.

The 40-year-old had previously recorded just one victory, a seventh-round finish over little-known heavyweight Tyrrell Herndon, following consecutive defeats to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.

These two flaws emerged in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and reinforced the growing belief that the “Bronze Bomber” was on the brink of retirement.

However, Wilder has since insisted he wants to stay in the sport, particularly to secure a long-discussed clash with Anthony Joshua, who recently told the Briton to “sit down or shut up”.

The pair have been on a collision course for a century since they held all four major heavyweight titles between them.

While both fighters would likely like to fight without a title later this year, Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn expressed a slightly different desire.

I’m talking to talkSPORTJoshua’s longtime promoter has mentioned a potential appearance this summer ahead of what he hopes will be a November fight with Tyson Fury.

“If we were promoting this event [this summer]that’s exactly what I would do [making the Wilder fight].

“But this is the deal that we made with Fury against AJ as the pinnacle of that deal. There will be a lot of people who won’t want to take a fight that they think will be risky and bet on it. [the Fury fight in] danger.

“The reality is this [that] all fights are risky, especially in this division. We have no problem with fighting Wilder. [But] I don’t think it’s Wilder [on] basis of this agreement.”

This deal includes two fights with Turki Alalshikh, which will allow Joshua to enter the ring before his fight with Fury in overdue 2026.

Such an agreement would mean he would fight for the first time since then in December in the sixth round against Jake Paulwhich was preceded by a tragic car accident that killed two of his close friends.

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Osleys Churches Respond to Charles Adames Combat Claims

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3 hours ago

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April 23, 2026

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Image: Osleys Iglesias fires back after Carlos Adames says “I’m ready”

Carlos Adames said he can beat anyone at middleweight and super middleweight, but the statement was met with immediate backlash from newly crowned IBF super middleweight champion Osleys Iglesias. After Adames announced he was ready to fight, the undefeated Cuban responded on social media, calling for the fight to go ahead.

The exchange began when Carlos Adames stated that no one at 160 or 168 pounds could beat him. The fan quickly challenged him to fight Iglesias, one of the most hazardous names in the super middleweight division.


“Who are you? What I do in the ring confirms what I say here. Whenever you want, I’m ready to prove it to you,” Adames said in X.

That was met with a direct response from Iglesias (15-0, 14 KO), who is coming off an eighth-round victory over Pavel Silyagin and gained traction at 168 pounds after winning the IBF title.

“Enough talking. Let’s get on the same page and take the fight to the next level. I’m waiting for your call. My team is ready. I’m waiting for you,” said Osleys Iglesias.

Adames holds the middleweight title while Iglesias is one division above, so any fight would require one side to advance. This alone makes it more sedate than a routine online argument.

This exchange with Iglesias bears all the hallmarks of a potential bluff by Adames. Iglesias is now viewed by many as the 168-pound boss who stopped Pavel Silyagin in the eighth round just two weeks ago.

He’s a powerful southpaw with a 93% knockout rate, which isn’t usually the type of guy a champion fights unless he’s 100% sedate or looking for a huge payday.

Fans will soon find out if this was Adames’ social media stunt if he starts demanding a catchweight fight with Iglesias or tells him to drop down to 160 pounds. If he tells IBF 168-pound champion Iglesias to back off, he will simply be looking for a way out. It will be a foregone conclusion if he stays on X and does not lead to official negotiations between Adames’ promoters at PBC and Iglesias’ team.

The southpaw Iglesias is essentially a airy heavyweight who can reach 168 pounds and would also have significant height and an advantage over Adames. If Adames is sedate, he’s taking one of the toughest routes possible to make a super middleweight debut.

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Last updated: 23/04/2026 at 10:29

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Boxing

Ryan Garcia Says He Only Wants to Fight One Man Next: ‘I Don’t Want Anyone Else’

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5 hours ago

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April 23, 2026

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Ryan Garcia says he only wants to face one man next: “I don’t want anybody else”

Ryan Garcia has been linked with a number of opponents for his next appearance, but he insists he is only targeting one fighter.

After many years as one of the biggest names in the sport, Garcia finally became world champion in February posted a dominant unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where he won the WBC welterweight title.

Since that victory, rumors have circulated that “King Ry” would return against several different opponents, including WBO champion Devin Haney, WBA champion Rolly Romero and two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez.

For one reason or another, all of these fights fell through, and in recent weeks a recent favorite has emerged to fight Garcia, after British star Conor Benn defeated Regis Prograis at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month.

Following the victory, Benn immediately called out “King Ry” for a world title match, and Garcia was quick to respond as a war of words began between the two fighters.

In the recent movie captured by Fight Hub TVGarcia has now ruled out fighting anyone else and says Benn is the only person he wants to face.

“I can’t wait, man. It’ll be August. [I don’t want] Nobody [else]. I just want Conor.”

Benn is ranked No. 1 in the WBC welterweight rankings, so a clash with “King Ry” seemed like a formality, although Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, revealed a potential obstacle to that fight.

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