The AIBA Men's World Championships is the signature event on the AIBA calendar going back 35 years to its beginnings in 1974 when the AIBA Men's World Championships made its debut in one of the heartlands of boxing - Havana, Cuba.
Boxers aged 17 to 34 are united every two years to compete against the best in their division from around the world. The athletes participate in the official 11 weight categories in accordance with the AIBA Technical and Competition Rules with hopes of claiming ultimate glory, becoming a world champion.
Having started as a quadrennial tournament, the AIBA World Championships became biennial in 1989. Now, after a ground-breaking AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007, which featured the most number of participating athletes and countries in AIBA history, we await the 15th edition to be held in Milan, Italy in September, 2009.
Five of the best AIBA World Championships boxers hail from Cuba with heavyweight Felix Savon leading the way with an astonishing six world championship titles (1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997) in addition to three Olympic Games gold medals and an AIBA World Junior Championship title in 1985 while super heavweight legend Teofilo Stevenson was a three-time world champion in 1974, 1978 and 1986. The 1982 AIBA World Championships in Munich, Germany were the only AIBA World Championships where Stevenson failed to claim gold after losing to current Italian Boxing federation coach Francesco Damiani in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Angel Herrera, Roberto Balado and Odlanier Solis are other three-time world champions having claimed titles in 1978 (57kg), 1982 and 1986 (both 60kg), 1989, 1991, and 1993 in the +91kg weight category and 2001, 2003 (both 91kg) and 2005 in the +91kg weight category respectively.
Other big names to have become world champions include Tyrell Biggs (USA) in 1982 and Aleksandr Lebziak (the current Boxing Federation of Russia head coach) in 1997.
The World Championships has developed into a tournament which demands high performance in the fight for medals and titles. Winning is achieved by skill, fitness, concentration and an astute use of the ring. Talent and determination is everything.