Olympic champion Julio Cesar La Cruz was among the winners for the Cuba Domadores ©Getty Images

Cuba Domadores and Colombia Heroicos each produced superb home performance to overturn first leg deficits and set-up a pulsating World Series of Boxing (WSB) semi-final.

The Cuban team, the defending champions after winning in 2016, were beaten 3-2 by the Uzbek Tigers in Samarkand last week.

But they showed rampant form in winning all five bouts at the Coliseo Ciudad Deportiva in Havana.

A squad packed with Olympic and World Championship medallists were simply too good in overpowering their rivals in five unanimous points wins. 

Yosbany Veitia began the rout with an under 52 kilograms points success of Jasurbek Latipov.

Three-time world champion Lazaro Álvarez then beat Elnur Abduraimov in the under 60kg contest before London 2012 gold medallist Roniel Oglesias overcame Shakhran Giyasov at under 69kg.

Rio Olympic winner Julio Cesar La Cruz defeated Bektemir Melikuziev at under 81kg. 

Jose Angel Larduet then completed the clean sweep with a win over Bakhodir Jalolov in the over 91kg heavyweight contest.

Lazaro Álvarez, pictured celebrating winning a world title in 2015, was another star for the Cuba Domadores ©Getty Images
Lazaro Álvarez, pictured celebrating winning a world title in 2015, was another star for the Cuba Domadores ©Getty Images

Italia Thunder won their first leg 3-1 over their Colombian opponents in Rome, but were similarly outclassed at the Coliseo Cubierto Ramón Elías in Palmira.

Nistor Mihai secured the only win for the visitors by beating Cristian Salcedo Codazzi in the final heavyweight bout.

By that stage, Ceiber Avila Segura had beaten Gianmario Serra at under 52kg and Eccehomo Romero Preciado had won over Guadalupe Acosta Rodriguez at under 60kg.

Rohan Emiliano Polanca also overpowered Arison Dos Santos Tavares at under 69kg and Carlos Mina Caicedo defeated Gianluca Rosciglione at under 81kg.

The Colombian and Cuba sides will now resume a rivalry which has already seen each team claim a group stage win apiece in this season's WSB.

Two other quarter-final matches are scheduled for today.

Two-time champions Astana Arlans Kazakhstan will begin their contest with Russia's Patriot Boxing Team in Karaganda City in front, after claiming a 3-2 away win in Kemerovo last week.

The British Lionhearts will also be hoping to overturn a 3-2 deficit on home soil in London after the France Fighting Roosters claimed a narrow success at the Salle Wagram in Paris in the first meeting between the two sides.