When Felix Savon, the towering Cuban heavyweight who retired in January with three Olympic titles and six world championships, arrived to join the Cuban party for this week's World Championships at Belfast's Odyssey Arena, the inevitable question was posed: "Do you regret not even having sampled the pro game?"

Without any hesitation came the answer: "Ever since I began boxing it was always told and explained to me the difference between amateur and professional and that difference is: in professional boxing one is actually boxing as an item of merchandise and is exploited. It is a very dirty sport and you are not actually boxing for the ideals that I box for, to maintain the good of the people. "There are histories about the promoters of that type of boxing being related to mobs and the Mafia. They have no interest in the health of the athlete. The beauty of the sport is taken away by economics." Savon continued: "I would have to leave Cuba to become a professional and I would never do that." He said there were two boxers he admired, one amateur and one professional, Teofilio Stevenson and Muhammad Ali." Would he have beaten Stevenson had their paths crossed? "Yes, I believe I would have, but it was the character of the man, his style and that of Ali that encouraged me to box. I have no regrets over retirement, but of course I would love to be competing here this week. It is better for a champion to retire at the top than go into a ring and be shamefully beaten by very young athletes better prepared than me".

Although the championships have not yet reached the quarter-final stage, Savon predicts a good medal haul for Cuba.