HAVANA – Cuba will feature three boxers on the opening day of competition this Thursday at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England. Jorge Cuéllar (70 kg), Nelson Williams (90 kg), and Luis Enrique Vinent (60 kg) will carry the nation's hopes in their respective debut bouts.

Cuéllar, a bronze medalist at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, will face Sweden's Kevin Scott. This match is part of the morning session, which features 26 bouts and will mark Cuéllar's second appearance at this level of competition.

His teammates will compete in the afternoon session, which comprises 28 duels. Nelson Williams, also with prior World Championships experience, is scheduled to fight Turkey's Emrah Yasar. Meanwhile, Luis Enrique Vinent will make his debut at this stage against Croatia's Vide Prkacin.

The spotlight will intensify on Friday with the debut of the team's standout star. Two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion Julio César La Cruz (+92 kg) will enter the ring against Azerbaijan's Mahammad Abdullayev. La Cruz is seeking his first world title in the super heavyweight division. His opponent is a formidable challenge, having earned bronze at both the 2021 and 2023 World Championships and silver at the European Games in Krakow two years ago.

Following the official draw, the national commissioner and head of the Cuban delegation, Robinson Poll, confirmed that Olympic champion Erislandy Álvarez (63.5 kg)—who finished second in the previous edition—and Alejandro Claro (51 kg), a bronze medalist at the last tournament, received number one seeds in their respective weight classes.

The full Cuban roster also includes Rolando Martínez (57 kg) and Jorge Soto (80 kg), forming a team that blends established stars with rising talents.

The tournament has drawn over 500 competitors from 65 nations. This event is historic as the first World Championships organized by World Boxing, the new international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee following the de-recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA).