An absolute firecracker got the action underway in the second
round of preliminaries in the Bantamweight (56kg) category as top seed
and reigning AIBA World Champion Lazaro Alvarez Estrada from Cuba faced teenage American prodigy Joseph Diaz Jr. The Cuban’s superior technique was a joy to watch as he edged the high
scoring first round by a single point, but the endeavour of the US
southpaw could not be faulted as he continued to move forward in the
second round. Even though he connected with a couple of sweet lefts,
Diaz Jr was leaving himself open to the counterpunch, which suited the
style of the 21-year-old Alvarez, who took the final two rounds to win
21:15 and confirm his status as the title favourite. There was huge
respect between the two boxers after the bout with Alvarez embracing the
hugely talented American who has a real bright future ahead of him.
Next up and trying to book their place for the quarter-finals were
Russia’s 23-year-old 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships silver
medallist Sergey Vodopiyanov and the exciting Brazilian southpaw, 2011 World Military Games winner Robenilson Vieira de Jesus.
It was a real clash of styles with the powerful Russian orthodox’s
classic approach against the dancing feet of the elusive Vieira de
Jesus. The movement and speed of the 23-year-old from Brazil had the
crowd in awe as he weaved his way around the ring, scoring vital points
on the counter in the first two rounds. Vodopiyanov tried hard to get to
grips with his opponent, hounding him down in the third but to no avail
as he failed to impose himself and overturn his deficit and as a result
suffered a 13:11 defeat. The Brazilian now faces Lazaro Alvarez Estrada
in the quarter-finals.
In the third bout of the day, it was an all-World Series of Boxing
(WSB) affair between two of the Bantamweight (56kg) category’s top
boxers as Irish record-breaker John Joe Nevinbattled 2011 WSB Individual Champion Kanat Abutalipov of Kazakhstan for a place in the last eight. Both fighters have speed
and agility in abundance but it was the calculating Nevin who took the
first round with some well placed shots. There was more slick movement
from the Irish 22-year-old who was using his height and reach advantage
to frustrate the onrushing Abutalipov, throwing good jabs and countering
with some solid left hooks. It was a classy performance from Nevin, his
clever game plan impressive as he cruised to a confidence boosting
15:10 victory as the crowd rose to its feet in applause.
"I am taking every fight as it comes. I am feeling relaxed and up
to the challenge, I would not be here if I did not think I could go all
the way", declared the Irishman. On life in the Olympic Park, he said,
"I am enjoying the experience, I met Ryan Giggs but I am hoping to meet
the Williams sisters".
Proving just how competitive this draw is, Mexican teenager Oscar Valdez Fierro created the sensation of the tournament so far by knocking out the fourth seed and world top ranked Bantamweight (56kg) Anvar Yunusov of Tajikistan. In typical Mexican style, Valdez Fierro went all out and
attacked the experienced 25-year-old Tajik, throwing punch after punch
to great effect as he stormed into an early lead. Buoyed by his
performance, the 21-year-old continued to apply the pressure, to which
Yunusov had no response. Valdez Fierro was completely dominant and moved
into the quarter-finals after this magnificent 13:7 victory.
The Heavyweights (91kg) then made their big entrance to the
competition with first up the showdown between hard-hitting American Michael Hunter II and European Champion Artur Beterbiev of Russia. The 22-year-old orthodox US fighter looked really positive
in the first using the jab well before throwing several vicious right
hands to take a narrow lead. An even second saw both fighters exchange
heavy blows but Hunter managed to maintain his slender single point
advantage coming into the final round. The third saw the boxers slug it
out in the middle of the ring with the American getting a bloody nose
for his troubles. It was the experience and lucidity of Beterbiev that
made the difference in the closing stages with some carefully crafted
uppercuts as he was awarded the win on count-back after the scores were
drawn 10:10. The experienced Russian will now battle Ukrainian top seed
and the reigning AIBA World Champion Oleksandr Usyk for a place in the
semi-finals.
Two-time European Championships silver medallist Tervel Pulev from Bulgaria, winner of the recent AIBA European Olympic Qualifying
Event Trabzon 2012, had too much for 22-year-old Chinese southpaw Xuanxuan Wang in their contest, sending him to the canvas with a hard right in the
first and then again with a carbon copy of that shot in the second. From
then on it was damage limitation from Wang, who was aiming to frustrate
his opponent, and unfortunately it did not make for an entertaining
fight but Pulev did enough to see himself through to the quarter-finals
with a 10:7 win.
The tall 21-year-old Yamil Peralta Jara from Argentina looked classy against the experienced Algerian WSB star Chouaib Bouloudinats.
The Panamerican Games bronze medallist looked hungry from the first
bell, using his height and throwing some ferocious one-two combinations
to completely dominate his rival. Orthodox Peralta Jara was faster and
more alert than his fourth seeded opponent and there were huge cheers
from the crowd when midway through the second he landed a succession of
hard rights flush on the jaw that sent Bouloudinats to the canvas. The
Algerian was running out of ideas on how to deal with the power of his
opposition and suffered a 13:5 defeat. The Argentinean will now face the
mighty Pulev in the next stage of the competition.
The packed crowd at the ExCeL cheered loudly as the Super
Heavyweights (91+kg) made their way into the ring with top seed and
reigning AIBA World Champion Magomedrasul Medzhidov from Azerbaijan opening up proceedings against Congo’s Meji Mwanba.
The action began with immediately one of the 25-year-old Azeri’s
trademark overhead rights landing hard on his opponents face with Mwanba
already having to take a standing eight count in the first. Medzhidov
stepped it up a gear in the second and was starting to connect with more
and more ferocious punches and after giving the Congolese a bloody nose
and sending his headguard flying with a powerful right, the referee
stepped in to stop the contest.
Dominic Breazeale from the United States of America then faced rising Russian star and European Champion Magomed Omarov in a real clash of titans. Deceptively fast and nimble, Omarov applied
the pressure right from the off, connecting with a flurry of punches
early on with the American having to take a standing eight count, then
hurting Breazeale again with a hard left to the body as he claimed the
first round in style. In the second, Omarov was unrelenting, landing
some precise punches, with an overhead right in particular hurting the
American. Breazeale gave a good account in himself in the third but was
caught again by a hard left as the Russian confirmed his dominance to
win with authority 19:8. Omarov versus Medzhidov will now be one to
relish.
A gripping all-African contest followed with Morocco’s Mohammed Arjaoui putting on a good show against the enthusiastic orthodox Cameroonian Blaise Yepmou Mendouo.
The Moroccan dominated each round with tight defences, the clever use
of the jab and quick counterpunches to record a solid 15:6 victory.
Defending Olympic Champion, 32-year-old Roberto Cammarelle from Italy came up against the rising star from Ecuador Ytalo Perea Castillo in the last bout of the afternoon session. In the face of the
redoubtable Italian, the teenager was keeping his defences tight,
looking to land that killer punch but Cammarelle, a two-time AIBA World
Champion, was just too good for him. The Italian’s superior technique
saw him dominate the first round. The young pretender, undaunted, was
still trying to find that big breakthrough by landing a heavy
counterpunch but Cammarelle showed his class, varying his approach to
cruise to 18:10 victory. The Italian fourth seed now faces Mohammed
Arjaoui.
When asked if he had felt the pressure of being defending champion,
Cammarelle replied, "I have not been thinking about that, I just
concentrated on the bout. I did not expect such resistance from Perea
Castillo but I am happy with the manner of the victory".
The evening session will see the Bantam (56kg), Heavy (91kg) and
Super Heavyweights (91+kg) once again. With two Brits amongst the boxers
on show, expect the atmosphere in the ExCeL arena to make the hairs on
the back of your neck stand up.
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