At the end of a victorious 2019 Cologne Boxing World Cup, Cuba’s Osleys Iglesias (12-0, 11 KOs) made a last-minute risky decision to defect to Germany. Knowing the likelihood of returning home would never happen, his teammates flew back to Cuba without him.
“I was just chilling in my room when I first thought about it and made the decision, “Iglesias said exclusively to FightsATW. “It was last minute; none of it was planned. The first thing on my mind was to win the gold medal there because it was a very important qualification tournament. I told nobody apart from my uncle. He had told me not to tell anyone because you never know what they are talking about back home. I finished my tournament, called my uncle, and just stayed. It was quite easy.
Looking Forward And Never Turning Back
“I made the decision to stay in Germany to pursue my professional career. I was never on my own out there because my aunt and uncle were already living there. Since moving to Germany, I’ve built a great team, so I’ve never felt lonely. It was all my decision; it was all for me. I had never been to Germany before that tournament. It took about eight months to find my team, but it was all done step by step. I went to a random gym, and I met my coach, Georg Bramowski, who was there with the famous German coach Ulli Wegner. Nothing was planned. I just turned up at a gym. They thought I had talent and gave me a chance, and until this day, we are still together.”
Iglesias has made a home in Bispingen, 30 miles south of Germany’s boxing epicentre of Hamburg.
“In the beginning, it was very difficult because of the new language,” Iglesias explained. “I couldn’t speak German very well, but it has all worked out. I have a lot of friends in Germany, and I met my wife here, who is German, and we have a kid now. I’ve always been very happy in Germany. The language is still difficult, but everything else is good. There are a few Cuban fighters in Germany, but I hadn’t met any of them since I came to Germany. It was never about that though. I’ve always been focused on myself and what I can achieve in boxing. I’m a low-profile guy and keep myself to myself.”
Iglesias had defeated Angel Roque, Andrej Mersljakov, Gleb Bakshi, and Artur Ohanyan Beck by unanimous decision shortly before his life-changing moment outside the ring. His professional career kicked off in his adopted nation with three separate fights before a five-fight run in neighbouring Poland.
“I started to fight in Poland because it was easier to get the papers to fight compared to Germany,” Iglesias explained. “It’s the only reason. I didn’t really care which country I would fight in; I just wanted to fight.”
Iglesias Now Has The “Eye Of The Tiger”
It ultimately led to Iglesias joining Montreal-based Eye of the Tiger Management. Since fighting in Canada, the 26-year-old Cuban has racked up three consecutive early knockout victories over Marcelo Coceres, Evgeny Shevdenko, and Sena Agbeko.
“Eye of the Tiger had me on their radar for quite some time,” Iglesias added. “We have a mutual friend, a promoter in Germany, who has a good relationship with my new promoter. From there, they gave me a big chance and offered me a contract. I liked what that contract had in it, so I signed [it]. To this day, we have a very good relationship. I appreciate all the nice words about performances, but I’m staying focused on my career and keeping my attention on my next opponent. I’m focused and humble. I can’t let the fame and the good words go to my head. I just want to be number one. I want to keep winning to be a champion.”
Osleys Iglesias vs. Petro Ivanov Headlines An ESPN+ Card In November
On November 7, Iglesias takes the headline slot at the Montreal Casino live on ESPN+. Ukraine’s Petro Ivanov (18-0-2, 13 KOs) will come over to challenge for the IBO super middleweight title. He comes off a six-fight knockout streak, and all those wins come from Germany.
“He’s a good rival,” Iglesias said. “I never underestimate any of my rivals. May the best man win, but I would always put your money on me. I’m expecting a good fight, but it’s all about how I perform. I’ll have to come into this fight sharp. I’ve enjoyed fighting in Montreal. It’s always very emotional after all my fights because the people and the fans are down with me. It’s been a real pleasure to fight there.”
The super middleweight world titles have begun to disperse as Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez overlooks mandatory obligations following his reign as undisputed champion. Fellow German-based Cuban William Scull snatched the vacant IBF belt over Vladimir Shishkin, with Iglesias being ranked in seventh place for the same title.
“It doesn’t really matter to me who has the title,” Iglesias added. “It’s all about being the best. If I want to be number one, I will have to go through all these guys. If I have to go through my friend Scull to be at the top, then I’ll have to do it. If I have to go through Canelo to be number one, then I’ll just have to do it. It’s all about fighting the top guys.”
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