Felix Savon, a heavyweight boxer who won three Olympic gold medals and six consecutive world amateur championships, is one of the greatest amateur boxers in history. He brought tremendous honor to his native Cuba, a country whose leaders have always been eager to use sports to showcase the strength of the regime and the nation.
Savon was a loyal citizen, fiercely devoted to his homeland and communist ideology. He received dozens of offers to defect, turn professional and face opponents such as Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. He turned them all down. No one could buy him, not even for tens of millions of dollars. According to several reports, legendary boxing promoter Don King offered Savon an eight-figure sum to turn professional, but Savon remained loyal to Fidel Castro.
But in recent months, reports have mounted about Savon's deteriorating health and personal hygiene. He has appeared abandoned, dirty and unkempt. Last week, a 17-second video surfaced online showing a man said to be Savon rummaging through garbage bins. The man filming recognized him and asked what he was doing. Savon replied that he was looking for food. It should be noted, however, that despite the video's millions of views, the man's identity has not been conclusively verified, nor is there clear documentation of when the footage was recorded.
The images of Savon apparently searching for food in garbage bins sparked outrage among Cubans. Some collected food, clothing and Bibles to provide immediate assistance. Others expressed anger that the Cuban authorities were no longer looking after an athlete who had brought so much honor to the country and resisted the temptation to leave.
Before shedding any tears, however, it is worth remembering who Savon is. In 2018, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual assaults involving at least one child under the age of 12. He was released on parole in 2024.
Turned down millions and remained loyal to Cuba. Felix Savon with Fidel Castro
(Photo: AP Photo/Jose Goitia)
When the spotlight fades
Savon, nicknamed "Ninote" ("the big kid") by his fans, celebrated his 59th birthday last month. He is one of only three boxers in history to win three Olympic gold medals, claiming his titles in 1992, 1996 and 2000. The other two are Hungary's Laszlo Papp and fellow Cuban Teofilo Stevenson, whom Savon idolized.
Savon was also a clear contender for gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but Cuba decided to boycott those Games. He finished his career with a record of 362 wins and 21 losses, having managed to avenge his defeats against all but two of the boxers who beat him.
In 2001, the Manic Street Preachers became the first Western rock band to perform in Cuba. With Fidel Castro in the audience, the band dedicated its song "You Love Us" to Savon, who had recently retired from boxing.
Savon is not the only famous Cuban athlete facing severe poverty and hunger. As long as he and other athletes were useful to the government, they received generous stipends and housing. But once they were no longer of use, their financial support dwindled to a pittance — around $25 a month, an amount insufficient to cover even two weeks of living expenses, particularly given U.S. sanctions and the rising cost of living.
Savon holds a university degree awarded to him by the regime, but he cannot even write his own name. The only work he is qualified to do to earn a living is coaching children, an option that is clearly no longer available to him in light of the crimes for which he was convicted. From there, the descent into hunger and destitution is a short one.
One of only three boxers in history to win three Olympic gold medals
(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The trophy cabinet at Felix Savon's home
(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It is hardly unusual to find athletes who earned hundreds of millions of dollars only to lose their entire fortunes after retirement. The reasons vary. Athletes financially support their entourages and families, fall prey to bad business deals and fail to hire professionals to guide their financial decisions. They also continue living the same lifestyles they enjoyed at the height of their careers.
That means extravagant spending on homes, cars, restaurants, entertainment and vacations, both for themselves and their entourages. The difference is that millions of dollars are no longer flowing into their bank accounts every month.
Usually, however, the outcome is bankruptcy, financial hardship, the need to find new employment and a major adjustment in lifestyle. The case of a legendary boxer searching for food in the trash is an extreme one.
It is true that Savon never earned millions, but the government took care of him — and also ensured he received a remarkably short period of imprisonment for the crimes he committed. Nevertheless, the video was shocking. And even in this respect, he is not alone.
The video that sparked an outcry:
Unlike athletes such as Michael Oher, Dennis Rodman, Jimmy Butler and even Kurt Warner, who experienced homelessness at one point or another before overcoming the odds to become professional athletes and earn millions, there are plenty of athletes whose lives have followed the opposite trajectory.
Former NBA player Delonte West earned more than $16 million during his career in the league. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while still playing professionally and has also said he suffers from clinical depression. He attributed some of his struggles to the pressures of competing in a demanding professional sports league.
After his career ended, West, who had been involved in drug and weapons offenses since his teenage years, was seen on several occasions wandering the streets, dressed like a homeless man. Those painful images of West were also among the reasons the NBA decided to introduce programs and seminars designed to help players dealing with psychological distress.
Boxers Mike Tyson and Iran Barkley also lost their fortunes, were evicted from their homes and were forced to sleep in homeless shelters or even subway stations.
Former football player Kevin Johnson lost the millions he had earned during his career and spent an extended period homeless. He was eventually murdered at a homeless encampment earlier this year, at just 55 years old.
Savon, as noted, is a different case. His loyalty to his country "cost" him tens of millions of dollars. After all, this was a boxer who once claimed that Mike Tyson would not have stood a chance against him.
He did not lose a fortune he had accumulated. Rather, the country to which he had been so fiercely loyal simply failed to show him the same loyalty in return.