IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 2 ENGLISH | Page 67

Chocolate was about to start his second season in Havana, knocking gloves with Chick Suggs. Marco highlighted that Chocolate was “another example of one of those people whose early years after birth were couched in poverty until they found a way to use their talent in the difficult art of blows. His debut took place in a youth championship thought up by Miguel Hernández Bauzá (Miguelito). That began his life in the ring.” In addition, he had words of praise for his manager, Pincho Gutiérrez, who “treated his star pupil as a brother, father, friend and teacher would—all at once.”6 From that point on, a professional boxer is nothing without his owner or manager, who has a dual function: trainer and promoter. Currently, changes that have been made reflect areas of specialization. Nowadays a cohort of trainers, promoters, a manager, representatives, an image consultant and others, all of which constitute an inviolable hierarchy, back a boxer. This is important when we talk about sports as a business. Marco was right when he said: “to win, the quality deployed was not enough, because you needed to get a chance and, in addition, for a guide to show to support the pupil, to make that chance a reality.” 67