By Gary Anderson

AIBA President C K Wu (right) presents a winners cheque to President of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig ©WSBInternational Boxing Association (AIBA) President C K Wu has handed over a cheque for $500,000 (£293,000/€370,000) to the Cuba Domadores after their stunning debut season in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) saw them power their way to victory over the Azerbaijan Baku Fires last month.

The Domadores' Arisnoydis Despaigne overcame Yauheni Ramashkevich of the Baku Fires in a sudden-death welterweight bout at the Sarhadchi Olympic Sport Complex in Baku, to bring to an end a memorable first season in the competition for the Cubans who only lost one match throughout.

The Cubans finished with a stunning final record of 63-18 in individual bouts.

After topping Group B, which also included the Baku Fires, Cuba went on to defeat the USA Knockouts and the Russian Boxing Team at the quarter-final and semi-final stages respectively, winning 8-2 on both occasions.

The only black mark on the Cubans' season was the defection of Marcos Forestal, who absconded from the team base in Salem, New Hampshire, prior to the second leg of their quarter-final in the United States.

The Cuba Domadores were an unstoppable force in Season IV of the World Series of Boxing ©WSBThe Cuba Domadores were an unstoppable force in Season IV of the World Series of Boxing ©WSB



Wu, who is also the chairman of the WSB Board, presented the cheque today to President of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig, during the AIBA Executive Committee meeting currently taking place in Istanbul.

The Domadores' win in Season IV will have added significance for Wu, who had travelled to Havana last year to persuade the Government to end its half-a-century ban on professional boxing and enter the WSB.

The vice-president of the Boxing Federation of Azerbaijan, Suleyman Mikhaylov, was also presented with a cheque for $100,000 (£58,000/€74,000) in recognition of the Baku Fires reaching their first final in Season IV.

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