Félix Savón once turned down a reported $25 million offer from Don King to fight Mike Tyson. Decades later, the Cuban boxing legend has been filmed collecting discarded food to eat, having spent approximately six years in prison for a sexual offense involving a minor.
The contrast is extraordinary for a man who could have earned millions in the professional ranks but chose to remain in Cuba.
Savón, now 59, won three Olympic gold medals and six world amateur championships without ever accepting the enormous purses reportedly offered to him.
His decision was celebrated as an act of loyalty to his country. Today, the circumstances surrounding his apparent hardship present a very different picture.
Don King’s $25 Million Offer
Former Guardian sportswriter John Duncan documented King’s unsuccessful attempt to secure Savón for a professional heavyweight showdown with Tyson in his book In the Red Corner.
Duncan also recalled in The Observer in 2000 that King had approached the Cuban with a reported $25 million contract.
There was also interest from British promoter Frank Warren in bringing the Cuban into professional boxing.
The proposed contest would have matched one of the greatest amateur heavyweights against the most recognizable professional heavyweight of his generation, but Savón never made the transition.
Professional boxing had been prohibited in Cuba for decades, and Savón repeatedly expressed his determination to remain within the country’s amateur system.
In March 1995, when asked about the possibility of facing Tyson, Savón told United Press International that he would welcome the opportunity but drew the line at turning professional.
However, he drew the line at turning professional.
“I don’t want to be a professional and make money,” Savón said.
The $25 million was a reported offer rather than money Savón had earned, and whether the fight could have taken place under Cuba’s restrictions remains unclear.
Money Was Never Everything
Savón’s refusal was not simply about Tyson or Don King.
The Cuban repeatedly spoke about his attachment to his homeland and the value he placed on public affection over financial wealth.
In a 1999 interview reported by Argentine newspaper La Nación, Savón said money did not interest him because it was not everything in life.
He believed the love and recognition he received in Cuba were worth more than the financial rewards available elsewhere.
Those comments now stand in stark contrast to the footage circulating in October 2026.
In the recording, Savón approaches a vehicle after being questioned about what he is doing near a garbage container.
He explains that he is collecting food to eat.
Parole and a Troubled Legacy
Savón was convicted of a sexual offense involving a minor after his arrest in 2018 and reportedly spent approximately six years in prison before being released on parole in late 2024.
His achievements in boxing do not diminish the seriousness of that offense or the harm suffered by the victim.
The footage of Savón searching for food does not establish whether his current circumstances are a direct consequence of his imprisonment.
Cuban comedian Limay Blanco subsequently located Savón and provided food, money and a Bible through assistance associated with his church, Cristo Cambia Vidas.
Blanco’s intervention offered immediate help without erasing Savón’s criminal history.
There was a time when Don King reportedly had $25 million available to tempt Savón into a fight with Mike Tyson. The Cuban chose to stay in his homeland, where he believed he already had something more valuable than money.
Now, after his conviction and imprisonment, the former champion has been recorded searching through discarded food for something to eat.
The millions he refused remain part of boxing history. His criminal conviction remains part of his legacy.
Neither can be separated from the troubling images that have brought Félix Savón back into the headlines.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
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