In order to get to Cuba, I fly from New York City to Miami. I meet up with U.S. National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser, one of the legends of our sport. It’s been a while since I went down to South Beach, so we head down to grab a bite on the strip and talk wrestling. The next morning we meet in the lobby at 7:30 to catch a charter flight to Havana, Cuba.

We run into some minor issues with ticketing at the airport. I negotiate with the charter attendant to let us get on the plane. After tough bargaining, he pulled me aside and asked, “What is that on your ears?” So gave him a 101 lesson in cauliflower ear. He nods in appreciation.

On our charter flight to Havana, its Fraser, U.S. Army Coach Shon Lewis, World champion Dremiel Byers, Robbie Smith, Glenn Garrison, Jeremiah Davis, Marco Lara and Jose Delgado.

We drop our luggage off, and it cost $2 per pound north of 40 lbs. My luggage cost me $145. I brought a lot of basic necessities for the Cuban people to show goodwill from the USA.

In New York, there are dollar stores all over the city. I spent $400 on different basic necessities. I bought razors, boxers, socks, pens, mini-flash lights, NYC key chains, and candy for the kids. I also brought lipstick and lip gloss. It was tough to convince my fiance as to why I would need that. The reason is behind every man there is a great woman. By giving the men of Cuba this gift they will be heroes to the women in their lives. Happy wife, happy life. Lipstick is hard to come by as it’s a chemical-based product so most likely is shipped from outside the country and will be costly for the people who need the basics.

I sit next to Shon and Rob Smith on the flight over. The flight is about 45 minutes from Miami. As we fly over Cuba, it reminds me of the old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Commando” with green helicopters on the ground. As we land, the passengers clap in appreciation of the pilot doing a great job.

We exit the charter and walk towards customs. I see a lady with an interesting pin – it had a Cuban and American Flag together on the pin. I ask her if I could buy it. She said no, but nodded in approval and gave it to me as a gift. It was a gracious gesture. I gave her a T-shirt and she was elated. She was so happy that she became our passport through the airport. She treated us as VIPs. She got our Visas together. Each Cuban Visa cost $20, and we spent a total of $200. When we walked through customs, they took our pictures. Cuba was the first place I’ve ever been to where you have to enter a metal detector to enter the country as they worry about what you are bringing into the country. As our friendly Cuban lady assists Team USA through the airport she makes sure our bags were taken care of. We leave the airport and we see a man with a Cuban National Team Jacket. He is our guide from the airport.

As we wait for the vans to arrive, I'm chatting with Dremiel – aka "chocolate chrome"

Dremiel is amazingly funny. I'm in tears as he rips on the guys, especially John Wechter. Dremiel calls him "No Water John" since John never brings his own water and his sole mission is to drink yours.

As I stand outside, it feels like I'm in a nostalgic time warp as I see cars from the 1950s and 60s. Imagine if New York stood still and never changed and the rest of the World began to have technological advances and grow. It’s like Cuba as stood still after the Cold War. It’s a novelty.

We drive through the countryside and we are reminded that the people of Cuba don't have much. It was like déjà vu for me as the place I was born was of similar shanty type structures built out of cinder blocks and tin roofs in Kingston, Jamaica. You are also reminded that this is a Communist country as we approach the different Embassies. The biggest and tallest Embassy in Havana is the Russian Embassy – this massive structure is as tall as a watch tower and is the shape of a key. In Cuba, if you work you make a fixed amount. If you don’t work, you make the same fixed amount.

We arrive at Hotel Meli Habana, which is a very nice hotel as compared with the rest on the strip. We are across the street from the Venezualan Embassy. The hotel has a great sauna and a decent workout facility.

I hang by the bar in the pool as our rooms overlook the ocean. I meet Luis, who is a worker at the hotel and speaks English. We talk about many things.

The air is crisp, the food is delicious and the people are friendly. We have arrived in Cuba.

   
Wrestling is an economic gateway for the Cubans. Athletes wrestle in Cuba in order to provide a better life for themselves. The athletes are part of various sport schools which focus on certain styles and techniques. The Soviets developed the sport schools in Cuba. When you put a regimented program together with natural athletes you develop a wrestling powerhouse.

In Cuba, wrestling is a way of life. They eat, sleep, and breathe it, outside of baseball and soccer. They call wrestling Lucha Libre. The athletes here wrestle because they have to – not because they want to. It’s their job.

We head down to the national training center in Havana to go through our first Greco-Roman workout. The building is massive – it has four full-size Olympic mats. The building is in bad shape with broken windows and a leaky ceiling. As compared to the Junior National training facility it’s a step up. As the National facility, it also has dorm rooms and you get three square meals a day. The Juniors scratch and claw and fight for the opportunity to make it to the National training facility to get a better life.

Justin Ruiz looks great in the organized Cuban workouts. Robbie Smith, Cheney Haight, Bo Beckman and Faruk Sahin also got in a great workout.

After practice, U.S. Coach Steve Fraser talks with the team and tells them about the legends of the sport who would grab any opponent to work out with. You have to think long-term how the opportunity to work out with a wrestler of that caliber will benefit you. It’s a great lesson from a great coach.

The tournament is going to bigger and tougher than expected. A number of countries are here. France, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, India, and of course, Cuba. We come here to face off against the World’s best.

Later in the evening, I head down to Old Havana. There is a massive Basilica in the heart of the city. There are bands playing music outside on the cobblestone streets. We sit down and eat Ropa Veja, a Cuban staple. As we drive back, the Ocean waves are starting to come over La Malecon. La Malecón is a broad promenade, roadway and seawall which stretches for 8 km along the coast in Havana.

The night is winding down. Tomorrow, the athletes weigh-in. We are 48 hours away from Show time.