THE STORY OF CUBAN BOXER AND POLITICAL PARIAH GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX'S HARROWING DECISION TO DEFECT IN HOPES OF REAPING THE REWARDS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
"What is one million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans?"
This was the question posed by legendary boxer Teofilo Stevenson in the 1970s, crowned by many as the Muhammad Ali of Cuba, in response to an offer of five million dollars to leave his island to fight Ali. But, not all Cubans have come to the same conclusion, let alone with such apparent ease. Guillermo Rigondeaux, two-time Olympic champion and heir to Stevenson's throne, sacrificed everything he had in his home country-his wife, his son, his government-subsidized car and house, as well as universal reverence among his fellow citizens-to try to make it in the mecca of big-money boxing, the United States of America. But, has the chance to make good in America been worth the loss of his national identity and the love of his countrymen? And, to what extent has he been corrupted by the promise of untold riches? In A Cuban Boxer's Journey, author, filmmaker, and journalist Brin-Jonathan Butler chronicles the fascinating and tumultuous career of Rigondeaux-moody, driven, and almost mythically talented, as he attempts to capture the elusive and often punishing American dream. See how this athlete's most daunting challenge becomes how he can survive the complex forces outside of the ring.
"As fascinating as Rigondeaux's story is, and it is certainly fascinating, the book's merit is in its peephole into Cuban society and the discussion of moral obligation that Cuban athletes have when deciding to leave....You don't have to be a boxing fan to enjoy Butler's book. The discussion of sport takes a back seat to the fascinating cultural insight and comparisons to American culture."
