Update: On the morning of February 4, Eye of the Tiger and Camille Estephan announced with great fanfare that Osleys Iglesias would make his debut on Quebec soil on March 7, on the undercard of Butler-Rolls, against the Argentinian Marcelo Coceres (32-6-1, 18 KOs) at the Montreal Casino.
Olseys Iglesias, the IBO super middleweight champion, officially signed with Eye of the Tiger on November 14. In the following days, Punching Grace marked the occasion by speaking with the talented Cuban for a first time.
“EOTTM is a renowned promoter. It’s a strong team that knows how to lead very talented boxers to the top. They have organized several major events, and I am very happy to soon be presenting myself in Canada,” said the southpaw pugilist.
The athlete, with a perfect record of 9-0, 8 KOs, won’t feel too out of place with his arrival in the midst of Quebec’s winter. “I’ve never been to Canada, but from what I’ve seen, it’s a beautiful country with diverse culture and beautiful landscapes… The climate is, of course, different from that of Cuba, but I’ve already managed to get used to winter and snow in Germany,” he described in the cultural part of the interview.
The Cuban Swiss Army Knife
Returning to the sport, when asked about his strength, he talks about his abilities and also his warrior instinct, which allows him to do whatever he wishes once he’s in the ring with his opponents.
“For me, fights are decided at the mental level. So, I carefully think about what I do in the ring. That’s actually what allows me to be aggressive from the very first second and constantly ready to exploit any loophole in my opponent’s game. I combine my excellent technique with power and precision. I can box at any distance, so my strength is really my versatility,” he analyzed.
A young veteran
Blowing out 26 candles on December 14th, Iglesias wasted no time since turning professional in the fall of 2019. After winning his first pro fight in less than a round, he took only a total of five rounds (across three fights) before moving on to the 8-round stage. The following five fights, the last five in 2022-2023, have all been scheduled for 10 or 12 rounds since then.
When asked about the defining moment of his career, it’s neither his lightning-fast KOs nor acquiring his first world title that comes to mind… “The fight against Chilemba was very important for me. I won many fights in the first or second round, but against Chilemba, I dominated the fight for 12 rounds and clearly won on points,” said the one who defeated the former world title challenger in May 2022, crediting his coach Georg Bramowski for his impeccable physical conditioning.
Valuable amateur experience
Regarding his meteoric rise, he owes it notably to his extensive amateur background, where the Havana native fought nearly 200 times.
“I was already very interested in boxing as a child. I was inspired by Osniel Iglesias. First, because we share the same name, and then his boxing style really inspired me and led me to start training at the age of 7,” he recounted.
“I joined the national team at the age of 15 and constantly fought world-class boxers. At 18, I had already challenged the Olympic champion, Arlen Lopez. I then defeated David Morrell Jr [now the WBA regular champion at 168 pounds]. In 200 fights, I’ve only lost 16,” he continued, particularly cherishing his gold medal won at the Cologne World Cup in 2019, a victory that allowed him to leave the amateur ranks with his head held high.
The four women in his life
Nearly 20 years after putting on gloves for the first time, Osleys Iglesias Estrada – his full name – dreams of holding all the titles at 168 pounds. Whether by defeating Canelo Alvarez, David Benavidez, reuniting with David Morrell Jr, today or tomorrow, it doesn’t matter: “I fight to achieve my goals, and I know they will be fulfilled.”
In pursuit of the four missing belts in his collection, he now also fights for four people, the four women in his life.
“The most important thing in my life is my family. I am very close to my mother and sister. We talk on the phone every day. And now, I have my own family: my wife, Lucy, and soon I will be able to hold my daughter in my arms. So, I fight for four women. And it’s also for them that I want to achieve my goals,” concluded the determined athlete from Havana, Berlin, and now Montreal.
