The Story of Kid Tunero: Cuba’s Forgotten Pioneer
"Kid Tunero is for me the most complete athlete that Cuba has given. If there are still knights on Earth, Tunero is one of them,” Ernest Hemingway.
It's a name buried beneath time. Before Cuban greats such as Teofilo Stevenson, Felix Savon, Kid Gavilan and Jose Napoles arrived, Kid Tunero first laid national foundations for these future generations.
One of many great fighters of his era to be denied opportunities by the colour line, Tunero’s ring skills were undeniable, but his opportunities weren’t.
Born Evelio Mustelier in Santiago de Cuba in 1910, Tunero first embarked on his professional boxing journey at just 19 years of age.
His precision and rhythm would later define what has become regarded as the Cuban school of boxing - being patient, slick, and sharp enough to precisely dismantle those in front of him.
In the early 1930s, he left his home of Cuba for Europe, fighting across Spain, France, and the UK. Crowds would watch in disbelief as the quiet man from Santiago outclassed seasoned veterans with seemingly effortless timing.
Tunero went on to fight over 140 times in a prestigious career filled with discrimination, resilience, and success, to become a trailblazer who defined Cuban boxing and inspired a signature BOXRAW Collection.
Success in the face of Discrimination
Despite the constant racial obstacles placed in front of him, Tunero still carved out an illustrious career by facing an admirable array of esteemed opponents, many of whom were suffering from the same prejudices and political barriers as himself.
His most prominent triumph in the ring came against Hall of Famer Ezzard Charles, a heavyweight World Champion widely regarded as one of the top 10 greatest of all-time.
As well as that incredible victory over ‘The Cincinnati Cobra’, Tunero also notched a famous win over Holman Williams, one of the avoided greats among the formidable ‘Black Murderers’ Row’ of boxing.
Promoters steered clear of him. Most champions of the time looked the other way. Tunero wasn’t ‘marketable enough’ to warrant taking a risk in facing him.
This was often the excuse used to keep dangerous black fighters out of the title picture and away from white champions, sadly.
It was during a time when the sport was sickeningly divided by this invisible colour line, and Tunero was one of many elite names to find themselves on the wrong side of it.
Limited World Title Opportunities
Like the aforementioned 'Black Murderers’ Row’ contenders, Tunero was trapped in a frustrating cycle of brilliance without his deserved reward.
But he had truly earned his crack at the middleweight title during the incredibly competitive 1930s and 1940s, and his popularity among European fans helped finally grant him shots at the middleweight crown.
In 1933, Tunero had already secured an upset success on his travels to Paris by defeating French champion Marcel Thil in a non-title bout.
The defeated Frenchman ducked no one and later agreed to defend his belt twice against Tunero, gaining revenge in both contests to edge their trilogy.
Those would be the only title chances Tunero would receive in a career which warranted many more opportunities.
‘Ghost Teacher’ Guiding Future Generations
Those performances should’ve been his breakthrough at the top, but ironically, they marked the start of his further exclusion.
With any more desired and deserved world title tilts cut off from his reach, Tunero made Spain his home after retiring in 1948 with a record of 94-32-14 (33 KOs).
When his gloves came off, he became a teacher, passing down his Cuban philosophy of balance, precision, and patience to inspire future champions.
He guided the careers of future World Champions, Jose Legra and Angel ‘Robinson’ García, who carried his teachings onto the elite stage.
Tunero’s knowledge and expertise as a coach saw him dubbed ‘El Maestro Fantasma’ - ‘The Ghost Teacher’.
He wasn’t one for words, but every movement he taught pupils spoke to them with meaning and made a difference.
Tunero’s approach became the silent blueprint for generations of Cuban stars - an art built on calculated control, not chaos.
Lasting Legacy Without The Crown
Tunero never held a world title. Boxing history didn’t write his name in bold. But his fingerprints were left behind regardless.
Every Cuban fighter who came after him carried a piece of his legacy – moving with rhythm and grace, and treating boxing as an art form.
He was the prototype - the fighter who never got his full due, yet shaped the style that helped Cuba conquer decades of international success.
Tunero was a fighter forged by struggle and restricted by prejudice, but became immortal through influence, never grasping his rightful crown, but purposefully passing on his obsession to the craft.