Erislandy Lara
The American Dream
Bio
Erislandy Lara is the reigning WBA middleweight champion, a Cuban southpaw nicknamed “The American Dream” and a 2005 world amateur champion. He has held the WBA middleweight title since 2021, has never been stopped in a long professional career, and is boxing’s oldest reigning world champion at 43.
A former WBA super welterweight champion, Lara is the definition of a slick, clever operator. He reads angles better than almost anyone, makes opponents miss from a range they thought was safe, and punishes anything lazy with a sharp counter left hand. If you know, you know: he is horrible to fight and brilliant to watch.
His last fight was a decision win in December 2025, the fourth successful defence of his title. Next up is a trip to Australia, where he will make a fifth defence against home favourite Tim Tszyu. Date and venue are still to be announced, but make no mistake, the old master is not coming to lose.