When Istvan Levai of Hungary heard the final bell in the semi-final of the heavyweightb bout at the 1980 Olympic Games, he leapt for joy.

He was in fact the loser but in hearing the bell had become the only man to do survive three rounds against Teofilo Stevenson at the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Games, the Cuban being the only man to have won three successive boxing titles in the same division.

Stevenson, born in Jamaica and grew up in Las Tunas, Oriente, Cuba, had in fact knocked out nine of his previous opponents before Levai stood to fight another day. His first victory, in Munich, also won him the Val Barker Cup, awarded (in honour of the first general secretary of the International Amateur Boxing Association) to the boxer who displays the best style and technique.

In Montreal 1976, Stevenson took just 7mins 22sec to elimnate his first three opponents from the tournament. After each of Stevenson's victories, he was approached by boxing promoters, including Don King, carrying million-dollar incentives for him to turn professional.

He rejected every one, his view summed up in the few words he uttered on the subject after King had tried to lure him away from Cuba and his amateur status: "Professional boxing treats a fighter like a commodity to be bought and sold and discarded when he is no longer of use. I wouldn't exchange my piece of Cuba for all the money they could give me."

For holding such views was Stevenson compensated with houses and cars from the state and a regular wage as a boxing expert for Cuba's national sports institute. He was also rewarded in terms of the affection in which he is held in Cuba, where he is referred to as smply Teofilo.

In all the acres of copy written on the subject of Stevenson and his amateur status in the US media, it is clear that the Americans are both bewildered and irritated by his refusal to succumb to the mighty dollar. Stevenson stuck to his principals to the last, and in 1986, at the age of 34, became world amateur heavyweight champion for the final time before retiring.

CRAIG LORD
The Times