Ãngel Herrera Vera
Ángel Herrera Vera ( born August 2, 1957 in Guantánamo ) is a former Cuban boxer. Herrera was world champion in 1978 and 1982 and Olympic champion in 1976 and 1980.
Career
Herrera was Cuban Champion in 1977, 1978, and 1979 Featherweight ( -57 kg ) and 1982, 1983 and 1984 in the Lightweight (-60 kg).
In 1976 he took at the age of 18 years participated in the Olympic Games in Montreal and was able after beating Sik Rai, India ( KO 1 ), Angel Pacheco, Venezuela (5-0 ), Dave Armstrong, USA (3:2) Juan Paredes, Mexico (5-0 ) surprisingly won the gold medal in the featherweight, in the final he defeated while the favored representative of the GDR, Richard Nowakowski.
1977 Herrera won the Central American and Caribbean Games and the silver medal at the Army Championships of the Soviet bloc behind Viktor Rybakov and the year after the World Championships. After defeats at the Pan American Games in 1979 against Bernard Taylor, United States ( 5-0 ), and with the Cuban championships against Adolfo Horta he rose to the light weight, and won at the 1980 Olympic Games in this weight class the gold medal. Herrera hit this Russollilo Carlo, Italy ( 5:0 ), Geza Tumbas, Yugoslavia (5-0 ), Batbilegiin Galsandordsch, Mongolia (5-0 ), Kazimierz Adach, Poland (5-0 ), and Viktor Demjanenko, Soviet Union (RSC 3 ).
In 1981, Herrera the North American Championships with a final victory over Vinny Pazienza, USA, and in the same year the World Cup in Montreal with a revenge victory against Rybakov. The following year he won the World Championships with a final victory over Pernell Whitaker, United States ( 3-2 ). After he was defeated at the Pan American Games 1983 Whitaker in the final, the Olympic boycott of Cuba prevented a further part in the Olympics Herrera. The alternatively held competitions of friendship Herrera won the gold medal with a final victory over Nergüin Enchbat, Mongolia ( 3-2 ).
After this last success Herrera ended his career. He now lives in modest circumstances in Alamar, Habana del Este. The car, which he had received for his success, he rented in order to earn his livelihood.