Nicknamed the "Cuban Assassin," he was a southpaw KO artist with a hammer of a left cross who won silver in the 1976 Olympics in the light welterweight competition and gold in the 1980 Olympics in welterweight competition.
His first recorded amateur bout was in February 1973 in Havana.
He won welterweight gold at the 1979 Pan American Games.
He grew up with his family in Cuba, where he learned to box.
He took silver in the 1976 Olympics after losing a decision to the slick Sugar Ray Leonard.
