Cuba, one of the few remaining communist countries, does not allow professional athletes. That means the athlete can not profit from their sport. In fact the country profits, and gives the athletes many extra benefits that common people can not get or earn.
This is why many baseball players have defected, not just for the money, but for freedom to play and live as they wish.
If they defect their families are punished.
This is also true for non athletes who risk their lives to get out of this island prison camp.
well first off i'm going there next monday so i'll ask one of the locals when i'm lying on the beach ...lol
being a communist country they aren't allowed to as it's putting yourself before that of the country ,i've seen a documentary where a amateur boxer said it would bring to much shame to his family if he left and went pro so they don't. no one would be killed but it would be considered an act against cuba just like if an american went to live in russia when the cold war was going .
@i shook up the world i've been hammering the gym before i go so i look good on the beach but that 24 hour free bar is gonna get it...lol
During Fidel Castro's regin of power he outlawed participation in professional sports for monetary compensation. Professional sports in general aren't outlawed in Cuba not just Boxing, prior to the Cuban revolution of the 1950's pro sports were legal, but after Castro took over he changed that.
Cubans not boxing professional is more of a political issue than anything having to deal with the sport it's self. Over the years a number of great Cuban amateurs were offered lucrative amounts of money to turn professional, but those who were loyal to Castro decided to remain amateurs.
During the 1970's Don King offered Teófilo Stevenson a professional contract which would've matched arguably the greatest Heavyweight amateur against a prime Muhammad Ali. From what I understand Stevenson wanted to fight three fights all consisting of five rounds which would've been more like an amateur fight and Ali wanted just one fifteen round bout.
Because their government is a dictatorship. If they were to go pro most likely they would be killed or have to be very good at escaping Cuba
What happens if they do?
