Cuban Julio Cesar La Cruz (81 kg) became an Olympic monarch when won yesterday in the finals of his division in the boxing tournament of the Rio 2016 Games.

La Cruz, three-time world champion, beat 3-0 Kazakh Adilbek Niyasymbetov, London 2012 silver medalist, in a combat held at Riocentro Arena.

Thus, Cuba won its first gold medal in the boxing contest and expects increasing that booty next Saturday through the fists of Robeisy Ramirez (56) and Arlen Lopez (75 kg), who will face U.S. boxer Shakur Stevenson and Uzbek Bektemir Melikuziev, respectively, in the finals.

This was Cuba’s third gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as it previously won titles through Greco-Roman wrestlers Ismael Borrero and Mijain Lopez.