Erislandy Lara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erislandy Lara
Lara vs. Brewer, 2010
Statistics
Real name	Erislandy Lara Santoya
Nickname(s)	El Oro de Guantanamo The American Dream
Rated at	Light middleweight Middleweight
Height	5 ft 9 in
Reach	75+1/2 in
Nationality	Cuban (until 2017) American (since 2017)
Born	(1983-04-11) 11 April 1983 (age 42) Guantanamo, Cuba
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	37
Wins	31
Wins by KO	19
Losses	3
Draws	3
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  Cuba World Championships Gold 2005 Mianyang Welterweight Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2006 Cartagena Welterweight World Cup Silver 2005 Moscow Welterweight

Erislandy Lara Santoya (born April 11, 1983) is a professional boxer from Cuba and the United States. He has won many world championships in two different weight classes. Since 2023, he has held the World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight title. Before that, he held the WBA super welterweight title from 2014 to 2021.

Lara has been boxing for over 16 years. Many people think he is one of the most skilled boxers in the world. He was the captain of Cuba's national amateur boxing team. He won a gold medal in the welterweight division at the 2005 World Championships. He also won three Cuban national championships in a row from 2005 to 2007.

Lara's Amateur Boxing Career

In 2003 and 2004, Lara lost four times to a two-time world champion named Lorenzo Aragón.

In 2005, after Aragón stopped competing, Lara beat his countryman Yudel Jhonson Cedeno many times. This led to him being sent to the world championships. There, he won against Russian Andrey Balanov, American Boyd Melson, and Olympic champion Bakhtiyar Artayev. He then won the gold medal against Magomed Nurutdinov from Belarus.

Lara also lost twice to another boxer from Kazakhstan, Bakhyt Sarsekbayev. However, in their only fight, Lara beat American world champion Demetrius Andrade with a score of 9–4.

Highlights from Amateur Fights

Here are some results from the Boxing World Cup:

• 2005
  • Defeated Manon Boonjumnong (Thailand) 21–9
  • Defeated Stefan Dragomir (Romania) by referee stopping contest in round 3
  • Defeated Bakhyt Sarsekbayev (Kazakhstan) 39–33
  • Lost to Andrey Balanov (Russia) 21–36

Leaving Cuba: Lara's Defection

Lara was expected to win a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. But in 2007, Lara and Guillermo Rigondeaux left Cuba during the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were caught by Brazilian police a few weeks later and sent back to Cuba. There, Lara was not allowed to box anymore.

In 2008, Lara tried to leave Cuba again. This time, he used a speed boat to get to Mexico. Lara was successful and made his way to Hamburg, Germany. He joined other former Olympic champions like Odlanier Solis, Yan Bartelemí, and Yuriorkis Gamboa at a boxing company called Arena Box-Promotion.

Lara's Professional Boxing Career

Starting His Professional Journey

On January 1, 2009, Lara made his first appearance on ESPN. He won his fight against Rodrigo Aguiar by Technical knockout (TKO) in the very first round. In his next fight on February 20, 2009, he faced Keith Gross. Lara knocked Gross down, and the referee stopped the fight in the first round.

On May 2, 2009, Lara fought Chris Gray. This fight was part of the undercard for the big Pacquiao vs. Hatton match. Lara won this fight by a unanimous decision. On May 22, 2009, Lara fought Edwin Vazquez. Lara won that fight when the referee stopped it in the fourth round. After beating Edwin Vazquez, Lara won nine more fights in a row. Four of these wins were by knockout in the first round.

Climbing the Ranks in Boxing

Lara vs. Molina and Williams

On March 25, 2011, Lara fought Carlos Molina in Las Vegas. The fight lasted ten rounds and ended in a majority draw. This means two judges scored it a draw, and one judge scored it for Molina. Many people thought Lara landed cleaner punches, but Molina's constant pressure was favored by one judge.

Lara then fought former champion Paul Williams on July 9, 2011. Lara lost this fight by a majority decision. However, many boxing experts and fans believed that Lara clearly won the fight. They felt the judges made a mistake. Lara landed strong punches and had great defense. Williams threw many punches, but they didn't seem to hurt Lara much. Because of the controversy, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board suspended all three judges. This was Lara's first professional loss.

Lara vs. Hearns and Martirosyan

On April 20, 2012, Lara returned to the ring after nine months. He fought Ronald Hearns in Mississippi. The fight was supposed to go ten rounds, but Lara won by TKO in just one minute and 34 seconds of the first round. The referee stopped the fight after Lara knocked Hearns down twice.

On November 10, 2012, Lara faced Vanes Martirosyan in Las Vegas. Martirosyan was undefeated at the time. Lara landed more punches and was more accurate. In the ninth round, Martirosyan got a cut over his eye from an accidental clash of heads. The doctor stopped the fight. The judges then scored the fight based on the rounds completed, and it ended in a technical draw.

Becoming WBA Light Middleweight Champion

Lara vs. Angulo and Trout

On June 8, 2013, Lara fought Alfredo Angulo in California. Lara was knocked down twice in this fight, which was the first time in his career. However, Lara still won by TKO in the tenth round. Angulo stopped fighting because a punch from Lara caused swelling around his right eye. It was later found that Angulo had a broken bone around his eye. With this win, Lara earned the interim WBA super welterweight title.

On December 7, 2013, Lara fought Austin Trout in New York. Trout was considered the favorite because he had recently beaten Miguel Cotto. But Lara put on a very strong performance. He used his quick footwork and clean punches to stop Trout's attacks. Lara even knocked Trout down in the eleventh round. Lara won the fight by a unanimous decision and kept his WBA interim super welterweight title.

Lara vs. Álvarez

Lara fought Canelo Álvarez on July 12, 2014. This was a non-title fight, meaning Lara's WBA title was not on the line. The fight was very close and competitive. It went to a split decision, where two judges scored it for Álvarez and one for Lara. Many people thought the scoring was controversial. Lara landed more jabs and showed great defense and movement. Álvarez landed more power punches, especially to the body. Lara started the fight strong, but his punch output slowed down in the middle rounds. Álvarez cut Lara's eye in the seventh round. This fight was Lara's second professional loss.

Lara vs. Smith

On December 12, 2014, Lara fought Ishe Smith in Texas. Lara showed how well he could move in to punch and then quickly get away without being hit. He landed many straight left hands. Lara won the fight by unanimous decision, keeping his WBA (Regular) super welterweight title. The judges scored it 119–109, 119–109, and 117–111.

WBA and IBO Super Welterweight Champion

Lara vs. Rodríguez and Zaveck

On June 12, 2015, Lara defended his WBA (Regular) super welterweight title and won the vacant IBO title against Delvin Rodríguez in Chicago. Lara showed excellent timing and fast hands. He landed many more punches than Rodríguez and even knocked him down in the sixth round. Lara won by a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 120–107.

On November 25, 2015, Lara defended his WBA and IBO super welterweight titles against Jan Zaveck in Florida. Lara controlled the fight from the start. In the third round, Lara landed a strong left hand and other punches. Zaveck then put his hand out and stopped fighting. The fight was stopped just 41 seconds into the third round.

Lara vs. Martirosyan II

Lara had a rematch with Vanes Martirosyan on May 21, 2016, in Las Vegas. Their first fight in 2012 ended in a draw. Martirosyan tried to use his strength, but he landed several low blows and had a point taken away in the eleventh round. There were also many accidental head clashes, like in their first fight. Lara showed great movement and landed sharp punches. He outmaneuvered Martirosyan and landed many combinations. Lara won the fight by unanimous decision.

Lara vs. Foreman

On January 13, 2017, Lara defended his WBA and IBO titles against former champion Yuri Foreman. The fight took place in Miami, Florida. Foreman was knocked down in the third round. Lara won the fight by knockout in the fourth round with a left uppercut. Foreman tried to get up but was unsteady, so the referee stopped the fight. After the fight, Lara said he wanted to fight Gennady Golovkin and have a rematch with Canelo Álvarez.

Lara vs. Gausha

On October 14, 2017, Lara fought former Olympian Terrell Gausha in New York City. Lara knocked Gausha down in the fourth round. Lara used his accurate jab and left hand to win the fight by a 12-round unanimous decision. The judges scored it 116-111 and 117-110 twice for Lara. Lara landed a left hook followed by a straight left that put Gausha on the canvas. Lara praised Gausha after the fight, saying he was an Olympian and not a "stupid fighter."

Lara vs. Hurd

On April 7, 2018, Lara had a unification fight against Jarrett Hurd. Hurd was the IBF junior middleweight champion. This was a very close fight that many thought could be the "fight of the year." Hurd won by a split decision after knocking Lara down in the twelfth round. This knockdown was the deciding factor in the fight. Lara's right eye started to swell and was cut in the twelfth round. With this win, Hurd became a unified champion.

Lara believed he was winning the fight before the knockdown. He said that one punch shouldn't decide the whole fight and wanted a rematch. Hurd disagreed, saying he felt in control the whole fight. Even though the WBA ordered a rematch, Hurd decided to move on to other fights.

Later Career Fights

Lara vs. Castano

On March 2, 2019, Lara faced Brian Castaño for the WBA world super welterweight title. The fight ended in a split-decision draw. This means one judge scored it for Lara, one for Castano, and the third judge scored it a draw. Both boxing fans and experts agreed with this decision.

Lara vs. Alvarez

In his next fight, Lara fought Ramon Alvarez, who is the brother of Canelo Álvarez. This fight was for the vacant WBA super welterweight title. Lara said the fight was personal because of his history with the Alvarez family. Lara was dominant and stopped Alvarez in the second round, winning another title belt.

Lara vs. Vendetti

In his first defense of the title, Lara faced Greg Vendetti. Vendetti showed a lot of bravery, but Lara was too skilled for him. Lara outboxed Vendetti in almost every round. All three judges scored the fight for Lara, who won by unanimous decision. This was his second successful title defense.

Becoming WBA Middleweight Champion

Lara vs. Zerafa

On March 30, 2024, Lara fought Michael Zerafa in Las Vegas. Lara won by TKO in the second round. This was his second successful defense of his WBA middleweight title.

Lara vs. Garcia

Lara is scheduled to defend his WBA middleweight title for the third time against Danny Garcia. This fight will take place in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024.

Professional Boxing Record

Pay-Per-View Fights

See also

In Spanish: Erislandy Lara para niños

• List of world light-middleweight boxing champions
• List of world middleweight boxing champions