Luis “Cuba” Arias was born on June 12, 1990 in the fifth largest midwestern city of Milwaukee. Arias’ Cuban father and Nicaraguan mother chose Milwaukee, Wisconsin to settle for different reasons, but met one another and decided to raise a family together in what was once a renaissance for boxing. Luis’s father moved to Milwaukee to be trained by Israel “Shorty” Acosta at United Community Center before resigning to support Arias’ mother Blanca during her pregnancy.
Naturally, Arias developed an interest in the sweet science at the ripe age of 7. Arias went looking for a hobby that would fill the void when he wasn’t playing baseball in the spring. Arias visited the United Community Center with his mother in hopes of signing up for football but was too young to play. Upstairs, Israel Acosta, former coach of his father and current inspiration to many boxing prospects, was spearheading the amateur program that caught Arias’ eye. Arias asked his mother to sign him up for boxing and the connection was instant.
As an amateur, Arias’ career involved winning many state and national titles including three-time Wisconsin Golden Gloves Champion, two-time US National Champion, National PAL Champion, and the Under-19 National Champion while boasting an amateur record of 140-25. At 21, his five fight sweep at the USA Boxing Last Chance Qualifier earned him a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but Arias’ dreams of becoming an Olympic gold medalist were cut short when he was suspended one day before the trials began.
Looking toward the future, Arias signed a promotional contract with Mayweather Promotions ahead of his pro debut. In November 2012, Luis Arias experienced his first taste of victory as a professional, with a unanimous decision win over Josh Thorpe that ignited a 17-fight win streak. Although Arias and Mayweather Promotions parted ways after his tenth victory, the pair have reunited, having re-signed Arias to a roster full of budding prospects, talented contenders, and world champions in February 2021.
Arias, now 30, is a nine-year pro and is 18-2-1 with nine knockouts who’s looking forward to making his return to the square circle having last fought in August of 2019. Since his last fight, Arias has fine-tuned his craft serving as a sparring partner for Gervonta Davis and Demetrius Andrade while also staying sharp and ready for what lies ahead. When Arias isn’t training (Delray Beach Boxing in Florida and Mayweather Boxing Club in Nevada), he’s spending time with his children, family, and friends. Arias aims to make a name for himself as the top contender in one of boxing’s most prominent divisions at junior middleweight before fulfilling his dream of becoming the first boxing world champion out of Milwaukee and Hall of Famer.