FanHouse Guillermo Rigondeaux

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Bantamweight boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux owns two Olympic gold medals. But it's his life out of the ring that could be made into a film. Rigondeaux is starting his professional career in the United States after escaping from Cuba in February. In 2007, he was banned from the Cuban national team for attempting to flee to Germany. Now, he is enjoying democracy and boxing. In this video, we talk to him about working out at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood alongside Freddie Roach.

Check out the video after the jump.

In 2004, the Cuban Olympic boxing team won gold medals in six of 11 weight classes. That's nothing new. Cuba has produced almost as many great fighters as great cigars, including two of the three three-time gold medalists in the history of the boxing competition.

The Cubans also have a list of defectors just as long. Three of those 2004 gold medalists have defected since Athens and it appeared as if Guillermo Rigondeaux joined them during the Pan American Games this summer in Brazil. Rigondeaux has won just about every amateur competition in the world since the late 90's, including the last two Olympic golds. He was a favorite to become the fourth triple winner.

He didn't show for a quarterfinal bout and appeared to be headed to Europe when he was caught and arrested by Brazilian authorities, at the request of his home island. Rigondeaux asked to return to Cuba but was met by a letter from Fidel Castro saying he'd passed the "point of no return" and would not be allowed to fight for the national team.

The VP of the Cuban Boxing Federation Teofilo Stevenson, three-time gold winner and a Cuban hero, wants him reinstated, however.

"In our country there is a system of re-education that can be applied to those who commit an error or have flaws. The only ones you can't pardon are traitors."

I'm not too familiar with the Cuban "re-education" process but I'm fairly certain that's a euphemism.