Félix Savón

Félix Savón Fabre (born 22 September 1967) is a Cuban former amateur boxer who competed from 1980 to 2000. Considered one of the all-time greatest amateurs, he became three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the World Champion six times in a row, all in the heavyweight division. In 1988, when he was favored by many to win the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, the Cuban government boycotted the event. Savón is particularly known for having rejected numerous multimillion-dollar offers to defect and leave Cuba permanently to fight Mike Tyson as a professional.

Early life
He was born in San Vicente, in Guantánamo Province, Cuba. His ring debut occurred in 1980, in Guantánamo.

Savón's inspiration to become a boxer was his renowned countryman, three-time Olympic champion Teófilo Stevenson (he later was perceived by the Western media as Stevenson's successor )

Career
During his career, in which he did not turn professional, he managed a career record of 362–21, with the majority of his losses avenged. The only boxers, who got away with knockout victories over Savón unavenged were Soviet Usman Arsaliyev and North Korean Li Dal-Chen, whom he met only once.

He won his first important titles in 1985. At 19 he beat America's Michael Bentt on his way to win the 1987 Pan Am games. Besides winning the Cuban heavyweight title (which he would win each year until his retirement, except 1999 and 2000 when he lost to Odlanier Solís, who he would lose to twice and defeat once in their three meetings), he also won the Junior World Championships in 1985.

This set off his career, in which he would win six World Championships; his victory at the 1997 tournament was the result of the disqualification of an opponent, future professional world champion Ruslan Chagaev (whom Savón had previously beaten), who beat Savón in the final, but was later stripped of the gold medal for having two professional fights prior to the championships. Chagaev was reinstated as an amateur the following year when these fights were declared exhibitions, but did not regain the gold medal.

In 1998 during the Heavyweight final of the Goodwill Games from New York, Savón had an amazing knockout over U.S. Amateur Champion DaVarryl Williamson. At the 1999 tournament, he was to fight American Michael Bennett in the final, but the whole Cuban team retired from the competition to protest the result of another Cuban boxer in the tournament whom they considered had been "robbed" by the judges, meaning that Bennett won the final on default. In their bout at the 2000 Summer Olympics Bennett would lose 23–8 to Savón.

Savón won three Olympic gold medals, a feat shared with only two other boxers, László Papp and compatriot Teófilo Stevenson. He could have been a four-time Olympic gold medalist, had the Cuban government allowed its team to participate in the 1988 Seoul, South Korea.

Savón's critics said that he is a puncher instead of a boxer who is not satisfied with a decision, risking losses by going after knockouts even when he is far ahead on points. Roosevelt Sanders, a U.S. boxing coach, said Savon would have been immediately ranked between 5th and 10th in the world's professional boxing heavyweight division if he turned pro after the 1990 Goodwill Games. "Cuba, since 1974 has been the king of amateur boxing in the world", he said. "That is why the media of other countries keep asking why we don't box professionally. Professionalism will abolish humanism and society." Savon said amateur athletes are revered in Cuba. "Athletes are the most important thing in Cuba since Castro took over. We practice sports from the age of 8."

Highlights
Local match-up (71 kg), Guantánamo, Cuba, 1980 (debut): XVI National Cadet Games (71 kg), Cuba, July 1981: National Youth Championships (71 kg), Cuba, 1982: National Friendship Games (81 kg), Cuba, 1983: National Youth Championships (81 kg), Cuba, 1983: International Youth Tournament (91 kg), Berlin, East Germany, June 1984: XV Central America and the Caribbean Championships (91 kg), Managua, Nicaragua, 1984: XXIV Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Nueva Gerona, Cuba, January 1985: XXXVI Strandzha Cup (91 kg), Sofia, Bulgaria, February 1985: XIV Chemistry Cup (91 kg), Halle, East Germany, March 1985: Trofeo Italia (91 kg), Mestre, Venice, Italy, March 1985: XVIII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, March 1985: National Youth Championships (91 kg), Cuba, 1985: XVI Central America and the Caribbean Championships (91 kg), Maturín, Venezuela, September 1985: III Junior World Championships (91 kg), Bucharest, Romania, September 1985: XXV Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, January 1986: XXXVII Strandzha Cup (91 kg), Sofia, Bulgaria, February 1986: XVII Chemistry Cup (91 kg), Halle, East Germany, March 1986: Ústí Grand Prix (91 kg), Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, March 1986: XIX Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Camagüey, Cuba, May 1986: IV World Championships (91 kg), Reno, Nevada, May 1986: XV Central American and Caribbean Games (91 kg), Santiago, Dominican Republic, June–July 1986: National Team Championships (91 kg), Cuba, October 1986: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), New Orleans, Louisiana, December 1986: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Sacramento, California, December 1986: XXVI Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Holguín, Cuba, January 1987: XVIII Chemistry Cup (91 kg), Halle, East Germany, March 1987: Ústí Grand Prix (91 kg), Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, March 1987: XX Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Santa Clara, Cuba, June 1987: X Pan American Games (91 kg), Indianapolis, Indiana, August 1987: North American Championships (91 kg), Toronto, Canada, August 1987: V World Cup (91 kg), Belgrade, Yugoslavia, October 1987: Cuba–USA Duals (91 kg), Santa Clara, Cuba, December 1987: XXVII Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, January 1988: Ústí Grand Prix (91 kg), Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, March 1988: Gee-Bee Tournament (91 kg), Helsinki, Finland, April 1988: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, April 1988: XXI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Las Tunas, Cuba, June 1988: Leningrad International Tournament (91 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988: TSC Tournament (91 kg), Berlin, East Germany, July 1988: XIX Central America and the Caribbean Championships (91 kg), Guatemala City, Guatemala, October 1988: XXVIII Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Guantánamo, Cuba, January 1989: AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Casablanca, Morocco, February 1989: XXII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Pinar del Río, Cuba, June 1989: VII Military Spartakiad of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries (91 kg), Sliven, Bulgaria, June 1989:
 * Defeated (no data available) (Cuba) KO
 * Finals: Defeated Lino Famide (Cuba) KO
 * 1/2: Lost to (no data available) (Cuba) KO
 * (no data available)
 * (no data available)
 * Finals: Defeated Uli Klimm (East Germany) RSC 1
 * (no data available)
 * 1/2: Defeated Aurelio Toyo Pérez (Cuba) by decision
 * Finals: Defeated Hermenegildo Báez (Cuba) by decision
 * Finals: Defeated Deyan Kirilov (Bulgaria) by majority decision, 4–1
 * Finals: Defeated Michael Ernst (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Gyula Alvics (Hungary) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/2: Defeated Ramzan Sebiyev (Soviet Union)
 * Finals: Defeated Hermenegildo Báez (Cuba) RSC 2
 * (no data available)
 * Finals: Defeated H. Hidalgo (Venezuela) RSC 1
 * 1/8: Defeated Ilie Corbu (Romania) RSC 1
 * 1/4: Defeated Andrey Cholakin (Soviet Union) by majority decision, 4–1
 * 1/2: Defeated Attila Árvai (Hungary) by walkover
 * Finals: Defeated Andrzej Golota (Poland) RET 2
 * Finals: Defeated Roberto Balado (Cuba) KO 2
 * Finals: Defeated Rudolf Gavenčiak (Czechoslovakia) RSC 3
 * Finals: Defeated Sven Lange (East Germany) RET 3
 * Finals: Defeated Anatoliy Savkin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Renat Trishev (Soviet Union) by majority decision, 4–1
 * 1/8: Defeated Gyula Alvics (Hungary) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/4: Defeated Luis Castillo (Ecuador) KO 2 (the bout stopped for Castillo hitting below the belt; later ruled a knockout)
 * 1/2: Defeated Svilen Rusinov (Bulgaria) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Arnold Vanderlyde (Netherlands) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/4: Defeated Emilio Payne (Costa Rica) KO 1
 * 1/2: Defeated José Acosta (Venezuela) KO 1
 * Finals: Defeated Rodolfo Marín (Puerto Rico) RSCH 1
 * Lost to Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) KO
 * Defeated Orbit Pough (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Defeated Huland Copeland (United States) RSC 1
 * Finals: Defeated Roberto Balado (Cuba) by decision
 * Finals: Defeated Sven Lange (East Germany) RSC 2
 * 1/2: Lost to Usman Arsaliyev (Soviet Union) KO 3
 * Finals: Defeated Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/4: Defeated Julio Sanchez (Puerto Rico) RSC 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Michael Bentt (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Juan Antonio Díaz Nieves (Argentina) KO 2 (1:48)
 * Finals: Defeated Michael Bentt (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0 (Savón was given a standing eight count in the 1st rd)
 * 1/4: Defeated Fred Kaddu (Uganda) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/2: Defeated Ramzan Sebiyev (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Arnold Vanderlyde (Netherlands) by majority decision, 4–1
 * Defeated Jerry Goff (United States) RSC 1 (1:37)
 * Finals: Defeated Roberto Balado (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/2: Defeated Henrik Satyka (Poland) RET 1
 * Finals: Defeated Rudolf Gavenčiak (Czechoslovakia) RET 3
 * Finals: Defeated Yevgeni Sudakov (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Defeated Ray Mercer (United States) by split decision, 2–1
 * Finals: Defeated Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Ramzan Sebiyev (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Maik Heydeck (West Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Luis Godoy (Guatemala) RET 1
 * Finals: Defeated Roberto Balado (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Defeated Baik Hyun-man (South Korea) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Yuri Vaulin (Soviet Union) by walkover
 * Finals: Lost to Li Dal-Chen (North Korea) KO 1

V World Championships (91 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989: Cuba–USA Duals (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, 1989: Battle of Carabobo International Tournament (91 kg), Venezuela, 1989: XXIX Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Cienfuegos, Cuba, January 1990: AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), West Berlin, West Germany, March 1990: XXIII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Manzanillo, Cuba, June 1990: U.S. Olympic Cup, North America–Europe Duals (91 kg), Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1990: II Goodwill Games (91 kg), Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, July 1990: VI World Cup (91 kg), Dublin, Ireland, August 1990: Cuba–USA Duals (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, 1990: XVI Central American and Caribbean Games (91 kg), Mexico City, Mexico, December 1990: XXX Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Camagüey, Cuba, January 1991: King's Cup (91 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1991: XXIV Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, June 1991: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, August 1991: XI Pan American Games (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, August 1991: VI World Championships (91 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991: XXXI Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Pinar del Río, Cuba, January 1992: BOXAM Cup (91 kg), Barcelona, Spain, February 1992: AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Tampa, Florida, April 1992: XXV Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, May 1992: XXV Summer Olympics (91 kg), Barcelona, Spain, July 1992: XXXII Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Matanzas, Cuba, January 1993: AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Istanbul, Turkey, February 1993: Europe–North America Duals (91 kg), Berlin, Germany, March 1993: XXVI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, May 1993: VII World Championships (91 kg), Tampere, Finland, June 1993: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Biloxi, Mississippi, September 1993: XVII Central American and Caribbean Games (91 kg), Ponce, Puerto Rico, November 1993: XXXIII Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, January 1994: AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Dublin, Ireland, March 1994: XXVII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Cienfuegos, Cuba, May 1994: VIII World Cup (91 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, June 1994: III Goodwill Games (91 kg), Saint Petersburg, Russia, July–August 1994: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Ledyard, Connecticut, October 1994: XXXIV Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Manzanillo, Cuba, January 1995: XXVIII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Matanzas, Cuba, February 1995: XII Pan American Games (91 kg), Mar del Plata, Argentina, March 1995: World Championships (91 kg), Berlin, Germany, May 1995: National match-up (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1995: XXI Central America and the Caribbean Championships (91 kg), Mexico City, Mexico, September 1995:
 * 1/8: Defeated Arnold Vanderlyde (Netherlands) RSCH 1
 * 1/4: Defeated Hamayak Shabazian (Sweden) 32–1
 * 1/2: Defeated Axel Schulz (East Germany) by walkover
 * Finals: Defeated Yevgeni Sudakov (Soviet Union) 18–8
 * Defeated (no data available) (United States)
 * (no data available)
 * Finals: Defeated Alberto Almeida (Cuba) RSC 1
 * Defeated Bert Teuchert (West Germany) 52–12 (5 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) RET 1
 * Defeated Rafael Akopov (Soviet Union) RET 1 (Akopov's corner threw in the towel at 2:56)
 * 1/4: Defeated Javier Álvarez (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/2: Defeated Viktor Akshonov (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0 (Savón reportedly elbowed Akshonov the groin while rising from a crouch in the 2nd rd)
 * Finals: Defeated Yevgeniy Sudakov (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/4: Defeated Sean O'Regan (Ireland) RSC 1
 * 1/2: Defeated René Monse (East Germany) RET 1
 * Finals: Defeated Bert Teuchert (West Germany) 29–3 (5 rds)
 * Defeated (no data available) (United States)
 * 1/2: Defeated Víctor Alarcón (Colombia)
 * Finals: Defeated José Marrero (Puerto Rico)
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) on points
 * Finals: Defeated Bert Teuchert (Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * Finals: Defeated Joel Donatien (Cuba) RSCH 2
 * Defeated John Bray (United States) RSC 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Tom Glesby (Canada) RET 1 (2:15)
 * Finals: Defeated Shannon Briggs (United States) RSC 1 (Briggs knocked down at 2:08; referee stopped the contest at 2:45)
 * 1/4: Defeated Kirk Johnson (Canada) RET 2
 * 1/2: Defeated David Tua (New Zealand) KO 1 (0:22)
 * Finals: Defeated Arnold Vanderlyde (Netherlands) 39–15
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) on points
 * 1/2: Defeated Aleksey Chudinov (Russia) RET 2
 * Finals: Defeated Kirk Johnson (Canada) 14–5
 * Defeated Chae Sung-bae (South Korea) RSC 1
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) on points
 * 1/32: Defeated Krzysztof Rojek (Poland) RSC 2
 * 1/16: Defeated Bert Teuchert (Germany) 11–2
 * 1/4: Defeated Danell Nicholson (United States) 13–11
 * 1/2: Defeated Arnold Vanderlyde (Netherlands) 23–3
 * Finals: Defeated David Izonritei (Nigeria) 14–1
 * 1/16: Defeated Dagoberto Ordoñez (Cuba) RET 2
 * 1/8: Defeated Esteban Fuentes (Cuba) RET 1
 * 1/4: Defeated Alexis Echeverría (Cuba) RET 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Pedro Montalvo (Cuba) 20–6 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) RSC 1
 * Defeated Sergei Sakharov (Russia) RSC 4
 * Defeated Vojtěch Rückschloss (Czech) RSC 3
 * Finals: Defeated Diosdado Ortega (Cuba)
 * 1/8: Defeated Derrell Dixon (United States) KO 3
 * 1/4: Defeated Alexei Lezin (Russia) 13–7
 * 1/2: Defeated Stéphane Allouane (France) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Georgi Kandelaki (Georgia) by walkover
 * Defeated Derrell Dixon (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
 * 1/2: Defeated Julian Skeete (Guyana) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Edgardo Santos (Puerto Rico) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) on points
 * Defeated Georgios Stefanopoulos (Greece) RSCI 2
 * 1/2: Defeated Santiago Palavecino (Argentina) RSC 1
 * Finals: Lost to Freddy Rojas (Cuba) 8–9
 * 1/2: Defeated Georgi Kandelaki (Georgia) 19–4 (5 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated René Monse (Germany) RSC 4
 * 1/4: Defeated Christophe Mendy (France) 8–6
 * 1/2: Defeated Peter Müller (Germany) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Sergei Mochalov (Russia) KO 1
 * Defeated Robert Greer (United States) RSC 1 (1:40)
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba)
 * Finals: Defeated Luis Álvarez (Cuba) RSC
 * 1/4: Defeated Angus Lewis (US Virgin Islands) KO 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Santiago Palavecino (Argentina) RSCH 1
 * Finals: Defeated Lamon Brewster (United States) RET 2 (2:15)
 * 1/8: Defeated Joon Hyon Yoon (South Korea) RSC 1
 * 1/4: Defeated Georgi Kandelaki (Georgia) by walkover
 * 1/2: Defeated Christophe Mendy (France) 9–6
 * Finals: Defeated Luan Krasniqi (Germany) RSC 2 (9–0) (Krasniqi knocked down at 0:08 of the 1st rd; Krasniqi was given a standing eight count at 2:25 of the 1st rd, and at the 1:08 of the 2nd rd; Krasniqi disqualified for holding at 2:45 after being repeatedly warned by the referee)
 * Defeated Luis Álvarez (Cuba) RSC
 * 1/2: Defeated O. Vasquez (Venezuela) RET 1
 * Finals: Defeated Julio Pacheco (Mexico) RET 1

AIBA International Challenge (91 kg), Macon, Georgia, October 1995: USA–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Ledyard, Connecticut, November 1995: XXXV Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, January 1996: XLVII Strandzha Cup (91 kg), Sofia, Bulgaria, February 1996: Ústí Grand Prix (91 kg), Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, February 1996: XXVII Chemistry Cup (91 kg), Halle, Germany, February–March 1996: XXIX Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Camagüey, Cuba, April–May 1996: XXII Central America and the Caribbean Championships (91 kg), Guadalajara, Mexico, May 1996: XXVI Summer Olympics (91 kg), Atlanta, Georgia, July–August 1996: Copenhagen Cup (91 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, November 1996: XXXVI Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Holguín, Cuba, February 1997: XXX Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Pinar del Río, Cuba, June 1997: National match-up (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, August 1997: Pan American Tournament (91 kg), Medellín, Colombia, September 1997: World Championships (91 kg), Budapest, Hungary, October 1997:
 * Defeated Sinan Şamil Sam (Turkey) 11–2 (5 rds)
 * Defeated Nate Jones (United States) 6–2
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) on points
 * 1/4: Defeated Nedjadi Belahouel (Algeria) RET 3
 * 1/2: Defeated Gioacchino Mocerino (Italy) RET 2
 * Finals: Defeated Christophe Mendy (France) by walkover
 * 1/4: Defeated Peter Müller (Germany) RET 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Wojciech Bartnik (Poland) 14–0
 * Finals: Defeated Sergey Dychkov (Belarus) RET 2
 * 1/2: Defeated Oleg Belikov (Ukraine) RSC 1
 * Finals: Defeated Luan Krasniqi (Germany) RET 3
 * 1/4: Defeated Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) RSC 3
 * 1/2: Defeated Roberto Camilo (Cuba) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Michel López Núñez (Cuba) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Benjamín García (Mexico) RSC 1
 * 1/32: Defeated Andrey Kurnyavka (Kyrgyzstan) 9–3 (Kurnyavka was given a standing eight count at 0:48 of the 2nd rd)
 * 1/16: Defeated Kwamena Turkson (Sweden) RSC 1 (2:29)
 * 1/4: Defeated Georgi Kandelaki (Georgia) 20–4 (Kandelaki was given a standing eight count at 0:54 of the 3rd rd)
 * 1/2: Defeated Luan Krasniqi (Germany) by walkover
 * Finals: Defeated David Defiagbon (Canada) 20–2
 * 1/4: Defeated Sergei Volodin (Russia) KO 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Mark Simmons (Canada) by walkover
 * Finals: Defeated Rune Lillebuen (Norway) RET 2
 * 1/4: Lost to Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) KO 2 (1:35)
 * 1/4: Defeated Benjamín García (Mexico) RSC 2
 * 1/2: Defeated Mark Simmons (Canada) 12–8 (5 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) 14–4 (5 rds)
 * Defeated Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) on points (5 rds)
 * 1/2: Defeated Leo Simonis (Argentina) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated John Arroyo Escobar (Colombia) RSCH 1
 * 1/16: Defeated Kwamena Turkson (Norway) 4–2 (5 rds)
 * 1/8: Defeated Igor Kshinin (Russia) 25–4 (5 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Mark Simmons (Canada) 15–4 (5 rds)
 * 1/2: Defeated Tue Bjørn Thomsen (Denmark) RSC 3
 * Finals: Lost to Ruslan Chagaev (Uzbekistan) 4–14 (5 rds)
 * On 8 February 1998, the AIBA stripped the championship of Chagaev for having 2 professional bouts in the United States before the tournament.

XXXVI Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Villa Clara, Cuba, January–February 1998: Ahmet Cömert Memorial (91 kg), Istanbul, Turkey, February 1998: Beijing Open Tournament (91 kg), Beijing, China, March 1998 XXXI Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, June 1998: IX World Cup (91 kg), Chongqing, China, June 1998: IV Goodwill Games (91 kg), New York City, July 1998: XVIII Central American and Caribbean Games (91 kg), Maracaibo, Venezuela, August 1998: XXXVII Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, January 1999: Strandzha Cup (91 kg), Plovdiv, Bulgaria, February 1999: Ústí Grand Prix (91 kg), Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, March 1999: National Tournament of Champions (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, April 1999: XXXII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Villa Clara, Cuba, June 1999: X World Championships (91 kg), Houston, Texas, August 1999: XXXVIII Playa Girón National Championships (91 kg), Guantánamo, Cuba, January 2000: Ústí Grand Prix (91 kg), Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, March 2000: Ukraine–Cuba Duals (91 kg), Kiev, Ukraine, March 2000: National Olympic Trials (91 kg), Havana, Cuba, June 2000: XXXIII Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (91 kg), Las Tunas, Cuba, July 2000: XXVII Summer Olympics (91 kg), Sydney, Australia, September 2000:
 * 1/4: Defeated Michel López Núñez (Cuba) RET 3
 * 1/2: Defeated Yusmel García (Cuba) RSC 2
 * Finals: Defeated Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) 19–6 (5 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Zoltán Kiss (Hungary) RET
 * 1/2: Defeated Roman Sukhoterin (Kazakhstan) RSC 1
 * Finals: Defeated Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy) by walkover
 * Finals: Defeated Ma Jing Wei (China)
 * 1/4: Defeated José Gonzalez (Venezuela) RSC 1 (0:55)
 * 1/2: Defeated Leo Simonis (Argentina) RSC 1 (0:57)
 * Finals: Defeated Juan Delis Causse (Cuba) 19–2 (5 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Georges Akono (Cameroon) RSC 1
 * 1/2: Defeated Ma Jing Wei (China) RSC 1
 * Finals: Defeated Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy) by walkover
 * 1/4: Defeated Dmitry Gerasimov (Russia) RSCO (11–2)
 * 1/2: Defeated Malcolm Tann (United States) RET 3 (1:20)
 * Finals: Defeated DaVarryl Williamson (United States) KO 1 (0:55)
 * 1/2: Defeated Alejandro Virgen (Mexico) 26–8 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Jhony Molina (Venezuela) RSC 2 (1:00)
 * 1/8: Defeated Luis Ortíz (Cuba) RET 4
 * 1/4: Defeated Alexis Castillo (Cuba) RSC 4
 * 1/2: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) 17–2 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Lost to Odlanier Solís (Cuba) 2–4 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Lost to Ruslan Chagaev (Uzbekistan) 2–7 (4 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Zoltán Kiss (Hungary) RSC 2
 * 1/2: Lost to Radim Marovski (Czech) 2–4 (4 rds)
 * 1/4: Lost to Noel Pérez Bió (Cuba) KO 2
 * 1/2: Defeated Noel Pérez Bió (Cuba) 15–3 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Mohamed Azzaoui (Algeria) RSC 2
 * 1/16: Defeated Deividas Nekrašas (Lithuania) RSCH 3 (1:46)
 * 1/8: Defeated Andrei Kombarov (Russia) 7–5 (4 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Ruslan Chagaev (Kazakhstan) 9–1 (4 rds)
 * 1/2: Defeated Kevin Evans (Wales) RET 4 (0:51)
 * Finals: Lost to Michael Bennett (United States) due to boycotting the final
 * 1/8: Defeated Alexis Castillo (Cuba) RSC 1
 * 1/4: Defeated Freddy Rojas (Cuba) RSC 4
 * 1/2: Defeated Alberto Almeida (Cuba) RSC 1
 * Finals: Lost to Odlanier Solís (Cuba) 3–6 (4 rds)
 * 1/2: Defeated Sultan Ibragimov (Russia) 10–4 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Alexander Povernov (Germany) by walkover
 * Defeated Alexandr Yatsenko (Ukraine) (4 rds)
 * Defeated Vitali Nayasov (Ukraine) by unanimous decision, 3–0 (4 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Yusmel García (Cuba) RSCO 3
 * 1/2: Defeated Alexis Castillo (Cuba) RSC 3
 * Finals: Defeated Noel Pérez Bió (Cuba) 6–4 (4 rds)
 * 1/4: Defeated Yusmel García (Cuba) by walkover
 * 1/2: Defeated Mahomed Adamov (Kazakhstan) RSC 3 (1:10)
 * Finals: Defeated Odlanier Solís (Cuba) 4–3 (4 rds)
 * 1/16: Defeated Ojemaye Rasmus (Nigeria) RSCO 2 (18–3)
 * 1/4: Defeated Michael Bennett (United States) RSCO 3 (23–8)
 * 1/2: Defeated Sebastian Köber (Germany) 19–8 (4 rds)
 * Finals: Defeated Sultan Ibragimov (Russia) 21–13 (4 rds) (Savón suffered a deep cut under his left eye at 1:41 of the 4th rd)

Retirement
Savón announced his retirement from the ring, but helped train Cuba's fighters for the 2004 Athens Olympics. After winning his third Olympic gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Savón announced his retirement at age 33.

Later life
In February of the following year with Fidel Castro also present, Savón had the song "You Love Us" dedicated to him by the Manic Street Preachers, who became the first western rock band to play in Cuba.

In 2018, Savón was arrested amid accusations that he had raped an underage boy.