WEEKS out from the 2012 London Olympics, an 11-year-old Kane Tucker and younger brother Jake stood awestruck in Banbridge leisure centre as they posed for pictures with light-heavyweight sensation Julio Cesar la Cruz.
The Cubans used the north as their training base ahead of the Games, with fight fans of all ages forming orderly queues to catch a glimpse of the men wearing that famous red vest.
Brought along by dad Barry, the Tucker boys were no different. La Cruz was just 22 at the time, but had already made his mark at the very top level by claiming World and Pan-American gold medals.
Among a sea of stars from Cuba’s renowned conveyor belt of amateur boxing talent, he shone brightest heading towards the 2012 Games.
Little did Kane Tucker know that, seven years later, he would be sharing the same ring as the Cuban maestro – but that is what has happened in the past week.
Tucker is the Irish light-heavyweight pick for the forthcoming World Elite Championships, which get under way on Monday, and sparred La Cruz at a pre-tournament training camp in Germany before heading to Yekaterinburg in Russia.
“It was probably a bit of a dream come true for him,” said coach Harry Hawkins.
“What a great experience for an 18-year-old kid heading to his first World Championships. It’s a great story.”
La Cruz has gone on to stockpile gold medals, confirming his status as the top 81 kilo fighter on the planet over the past decade – a position coveted by Ireland’s Joe Ward for so long, only for the Cuban to become his nemesis.
Ward has since moved on to the pro ranks, handing over the baton to the likes of Tucker, and La Cruz remains the daddy of the division.
Despite bowing out at the quarter-final stage in London weeks after posing with the Tucker boys, he would go on to top the podium at the Rio Olympics four years later, and now boasts four World golds.
He begins his bid for a fifth next week and, depending on tomorrow’s draw, he could find himself facing fan turned potential foe Tucker over the course of the next fortnight.
MEANWHILE, younger brother Jake is also on international duty, and yesterday advanced to the last 16 of the European Youth Championships in Bulgaria.
The 17-year-old, who currently campaigns at middleweight, was always in control against Germany’s Vladimir Bezdenezznyich as he claimed a 401 split decision win. He will face Georgia’s Georgi Gutsav tomorrow, with a quarter-final spot up for grabs.
Welterweight William Hayden is also in last 16 action today when he comes up against Russia’s Dmitry Zakharov.
Nicole Clyde, Niamh Fay and Lisa O’Rourke - whose sister Aoife claimed European elite gold in Madrid last week - all advanced to the last eight yesterday, beating Dutch flyweight Juna Schop, Italian bantam Sharon Prisco and Croatian middle Ivona Drnic respectively.
However, Evelyn Igharo bowed out after a tough encounter with England’s Paige Richardson.
Clyde goes on to face England’s Simran Kaur today, with Fay taking on Turkey’s Gudagi Aycan and O’Rourke up against Georgina Schinte (Romania).
Also in action today are light-fly Daina Moorehouse, who boxes France’s Rim Bannama, with Lauren Dempsey-Fitzmaurice against Bulgaria’s Anna Maria Petrova, Donegal’s Leah Gallen aiming for the semis when she takes on Gulcan Arga (Turkey) and light-heavy Bethany Doocey going toe-to-toe with England’s Emily Asquith.
