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Boxing champ Andy Cruz training for pro debut after leaving Cuba

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Gold medalist Andy Cruz of Cuba reacts on the podium during the victory ceremony for the Men" s="" Light="" at="" the="" Boxing="" events="" of="" Tokyo="" Olympic="" Games="" Ryogoku="" Kokugikan="" Arena="" in="" August="" Valdrin="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/11/22/andy-epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Gold medalist Andy Cruz of Cuba reacts on the podium during the victory ceremony for the Men&#x27;s Light (57-63kg) at the Boxing events of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan, 08 August 2021. Valdrin Xhemaj, EPA-EFE</figcaption></figure></div>HAVANA, Cuba -- Olympic and triple world amateur boxing champion Andy Cruz -- who was expelled from Cuba&#x27;s official federation in July -- is planning to turn pro and says he left his home country &quot;legally,&quot; after speculation he had defected.In an interview with ESPN given in Spanish, the 27-year-old Cruz did not reveal his current location, though specialized blogs said he had gone to the Dominican Republic about two weeks ago.&quot;Thank God, I am already taking this great step that many expected. I am here ready to face this great challenge that lies ahead of me and I plan to do great things in professional boxing,&quot; Cruz said Sunday on the network&#x27;s Knockout show.Cruz was expelled from competing for Cuba in July after what the country&#x27;s boxing federation said was an attempt to &quot;illegally leave the country&quot; the month before. In May, he was pulled from making his professional debut with other Cuban fighters in Mexico -- the squad&#x27;s first pro fight in 60 years. The federation accused him of neglecting his training at the time.Cruz -- the Olympic lightweight champion at the Tokyo Summer Games held a year late in 2021 -- explained to ESPN that his relationship with Cuba was &quot;good&quot; because he got an &quot;out from the national team&quot; and left the country &quot;legally.&quot;The boxer, considered the most technically sound Cuban fighter, stressed that he is &quot;preparing very well&quot; for his professional debut, noting: &quot;I&#x27;m starting to take my first steps, I&#x27;m already in action, I&#x27;m already training.&quot;&quot;I am going to forge a new stage in my career now, in professional boxing,&quot; Cruz said. Cuban officials told AFP that the island&#x27;s sports authorities could not comment on the boxer&#x27;s activities because he was no longer a &quot;member of Cuban sports.&quot; Known in Cuba as the &quot;dancer of the ring,&quot; Cruz has become the most high-profile loss to the country&#x27;s squad -- which has racked up 80 world titles and 41 Olympic titles -- since double Olympic champion Robeisy Ramirez defected in Mexico in 2018.Ramirez is currently shining on the US boxing scene.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

Olympic and triple world amateur boxing champion Andy Cruz -- who was expelled from Cuba's official federation in July -- is planning to turn pro.