USA-Russia Dual coming up

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » 16 Feb 2008, 19:01

From USA Boxing:

TEAM USA TO TAKE ON RUSSIA IN AN INTERNATIONAL DUAL EVENT FEBRUARY 24 AND 29

(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The United States Olympic Boxing Team will lead a team of the nation’s top boxers into top level competition, February 23-March 1 in Russia. The squad will compete in two duals while in Russia, beginning with a February 24 match-up in Magnitogrosk, Russia. The two nations will face off a second time on February 29 in Novosibirsk, Russia. The United States team will depart for Russia from Colorado Springs on Tuesday, February 19.

The 14-man squad is a joint-team of 2008 Olympians and national team members with light flyweight Olympian Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas); featherweight Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio); welterweight Olympian and 2007 World Champion Demetrius Andrade (Providence, R.I.); light heavyweight Olympian Christopher Downs (Fort Carson, Colo.); heavyweight Olympian Deontay Wilder (Tuscaloosa, Ala.); and super heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) all competing in the international dual. The six Olympic team members will be joined by flyweight Bruno Escalante (Waimanalo, Hawaii); bantamweight David Clark (San Diego, Calif.); lightweight Miguel Gonzalez (Cleveland, Ohio); light welterweight Daniel O’Connor (Framingham, Mass.); middleweight Dominic Wade (Largo, Md.); light heavyweight Siju Shabazz (Las Cruces, N.M.); heavyweight David Carey (Anchorage, Alaska); and super heavyweight Mike Wilson (Central Point, Ore.).

The International Dual will be the first trip to Russia for a United States senior men’s team since the 2005 AIBA World Cup. The event will feature a match-up between the top two amateur boxing nations from the 2007 AIBA World Championships in Chicago, Ill., and will provide important international experience for all 14 members of the United States team. The United States team participated in a preparatory training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs prior to departing for Russia. In the three heaviest weight divisions, there are two U.S. boxers traveling to Russia and each athlete will compete in one of the two duals. Downs, Wilder, and Hunter will all compete in the first dual event on February 24 with Shabazz, Carey and Wilson boxing in the second competition on February 29.

USA Boxing National Director of Coaching Dan Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and 2008 Olympic Coaches Robert Martin (Washington D.C.) and Willy Price (Peshtigo, Wis.) will lead the team in Russia. Mike Rosario (New York, N.Y.) and Kevin Franklin (McDonough, Ga.) will serve as the AIBA Officials with Richard Trindle (Mercer, Pa.) working as the Team Manager and Dr. Robin Goodfellow (Albion, Mich.) joining the delegation as the Team Physician.

The USA vs. Russia dual will be the final event for the U.S. Olympic Team prior to the second Olympic qualifier, March 12-18 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

And the Russian squad will be the #1 team, with to compete against the US alternated at 178, 201, and 201+:

48kg: Sergei Kazakov
51kg: Georgiy Balakshin
54kg: Sergei Vodopyanov
57kg: Albert Selimov
60kg: Aleksei Tischenko
64kg: Gennadiy Kovalev.
69kg: Dmitriy Ivanov
75kg: Matvei Korobov.
81kg: Artur Beterbiev.
81kg: Sergei Kovalev
91kg: Rakhim Chakhiev
91kg: Evgeniy Romanov
91+kg: Denis Sergeev
91+kg: Shamil' Gadzhiev.

Well, at the very least this will provide much needed international experience to half of our Olympians, with the others hopefully bringing that experience home to the OTC to use with the guys who didn't go. Why team members like Warren, Estrada, and Russel aren't going I don't know, though.

USABOX · Post by **USABOX** » 16 Feb 2008, 21:30

That's an extremely strong Russian team. USA in my opinion, is going to be overwhelmed by them. Especially with out Warren, Russell, and Estrada.

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » 17 Feb 2008, 02:01

USABOX wrote:That's an extremely strong Russian team. USA in my opinion, is going to be overwhelmed by them. Especially with out Warren, Russell, and Estrada.

I don't think Estrada not being there will hurt the team in terms of winning; he wouldn't beat Korobov anyway-but he needs to get experience against the best amateur Middleweight in the world before the Olympics and the Qualifiers, at least then he has that experience and that confidence of competing with someone of Korobov's caliber before then and he might be sharper before the qualifiers/Olympics. Why our entire Olympic team isn't going, I don't know; all of the Russian team is there.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 17 Feb 2008, 13:31

They look like the strongest amateur country in the world.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 20 Feb 2008, 17:17

It is possible some of our guys are injured or sick. I know Estrada had an injury so maybe that is the reason he isn't going. Russell and Warren would be some of our best hopes at wins, but if they aren't healthy it is better to not have them compete.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 20 Feb 2008, 17:18

Then it appears that most of our team is injured or sick - or whatever.

debc · Post by **debc** » 21 Feb 2008, 01:28

Just received word that the team just arrived in the first town they are fighting. Bruno and David have lost there luggage. First to Chicago, then to Germany, then to Moscow, then drive to another airport a 2.5 hour flight and then 2.5 hour drive to their location. David's ticket only went as far as Germany, bad booking. It always seems that the team members go through alot of BS to fight in other countries. Hope they can find their luggage or they will not have any gear or clothes. It took the team two days of traveling to get to Western Siberia.

squarering · Post by **squarering** » 21 Feb 2008, 22:33

It's called mental conditioning. If they can stay focused after all that. Word on another site was that middleweight Dominique Wade twisted an ankle and had to pull out. Do we have a middleweight in his place.

debc · Post by **debc** » 22 Feb 2008, 01:31

Don't know about Dominic, will ask when I have contact again. For now there seems to be no reception.

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » 22 Feb 2008, 03:20

No service in Novosibirsk or Magnitogrosk, there's a surprise.

I'll see if I can find out if Dominic got injured at the gym tomorrow or somehting.

debc · Post by **debc** » 22 Feb 2008, 10:46

I did have contact from my Son's cell phone to my computer until he got on the bus to go to Hotel in Magnitogrosk and have not heard anything since. Could be that he has no way to charge phone with lost luggage, we'll see!

debc · Post by **debc** » 22 Feb 2008, 13:30

Dominique Wade did not go, no replacement was sent in his place.

squarering · Post by **squarering** » 22 Feb 2008, 16:28

Probably the toughest duel and the biggest test and we don't have all the weight classes covered. We have 3 middle weights w/ Shawn Estrada, Shawn Porter and Dominique Wade. What we might learn from looking at their middleweights might be very valuable. I wish we had been able to send someone but those three would have been our best at this point in time. I don't know who has moved up from the JOs that could handle that level.

ELA · Post by **ELA** » 22 Feb 2008, 16:42

Dennis wrote:It is possible some of our guys are injured or sick. I know Estrada had an injury so maybe that is the reason he isn't going. Russell and Warren would be some of our best hopes at wins, but if they aren't healthy it is better to not have them compete.

Estrada is nursing a injury. His father is extremely ill as well. I hope everything turns out alright for him. He's a good kid.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 24 Feb 2008, 19:28

Demetrius Andrade, Deontay Wilder and Michael Hunter all won their bouts in the USA v Russia dual.

The link to the article about it is:
http://www.BS.com/?m=show&id=12788

jtyson · Post by **jtyson** » 24 Feb 2008, 19:47

WOW.. Wilder defeated Chakhiev, i wouldnt have expected that in a million years. He must really be improving.

Good to see Hunter avenging his loss to Sergeev as well

Povetkin · Post by **Povetkin** » 24 Feb 2008, 20:06

Wilder and Hunter both improve.

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 25 Feb 2008, 10:15

Coming out of the trials, Wilder was the weak link due to his lack of experience but when testing the power of the teams punches at the OTC, it turns out Wilder's jab has more power than most of the teams right/left cross. With his height and reach and some experience and the coaches getting him confident to use his skills, he is going to make some noise. He showed the most improvement at the worlds after the trials losing close to a good Polish boxer. He looked good in the duals in China and now beating a good Russian....watch out.

Roberts J · Post by **Roberts J** » 25 Feb 2008, 11:37

Roman Romanachuk vs Wilder would be a good bout.

galaxy · Post by **galaxy** » 25 Feb 2008, 14:41

Russia-USA 8:3
February 24, 2008
Magnitogorsk

48kg Sergey Kazakov RUS --- USA WO.
51kg Georgiy Balakshin RUS Bruno Escalante Jr USA 23:18
54kg Sergey Vodopyanov RUS David Clark USA RSCO 3
60kg Alexey Tishchenko RUS Miguel Gonzalez USA PTS
64kg Gennadiy Kovalev RUS Daniel O'Connor USA 16:8
69kg Demetrius Andrade USA Dmitriy Ivanov RUS 20:12
81kg Artur Beterbiyev RUS Christopher Downs USA 12:9
81kg Sergey Kovalev RUS Siju Shabazz USA 15:9
91kg Deontay Wilder USA Rakhim Chakhiyev RUS 11:10
91kg Evgeniy Romanov RUS David Carey USA AB 1
+91kg Michael Hunter USA Denis Sergeyev RUS 23:13

USABOX · Post by **USABOX** » 25 Feb 2008, 21:37

what happened to Luis Yanez? i thought he was scheduled to compete in this dual?

Povetkin · Post by **Povetkin** » 26 Feb 2008, 08:45

USABOX wrote:what happened to Luis Yanez? i thought he was scheduled to compete in this dual?

There is probably something wrong with him (injury?) as he sensationally lost a bout to a mediocre Mexican earlier this year.

debc · Post by **debc** » 26 Feb 2008, 09:30

what happened to Luis Yanez? i thought he was scheduled to compete in this dual?

Luis traveled as far as Chicago for this trip and had to go back because he was sick.

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » 27 Feb 2008, 21:50

squarering wrote:Probably the toughest duel and the biggest test and we don't have all the weight classes covered. We have 3 middle weights w/ Shawn Estrada, Shawn Porter and Dominique Wade. What we might learn from looking at their middleweights might be very valuable. I wish we had been able to send someone but those three would have been our best at this point in time. I don't know who has moved up from the JOs that could handle that level.

I'm back in MD (will see you at SRL's this weekend) and heard why Dominic didn't go-it made it kind of hard to find a last minute replacement too.

galaxy · Post by **galaxy** » 01 Mar 2008, 11:16

Russia-USA 8:2
February 29, 2008
Novosibirsk

51kg Georgiy Balakshin RUS Bruno Escalante Jr USA 35:14
54kg Sergey Vodopyanov RUS David Clark USA 28:8
60kg Miguel Gonzalez USA Maxim Ignatiev RUS 28:12
64kg Gennadiy Kovalev RUS Daniel O'Connor USA 20:11
69kg Dmitriy Ivanov RUS Demetrius Andrade USA 12:10
81kg Artur Beterbiyev RUS Siju Shabazz USA RSC 3
81kg Sergey Kovalev RUS Christopher Downs USA 24:6
91kg Rakhim Chakhiyev RUS David Carey USA RSCI 1
91kg Evgeniy Romanov RUS Deontay Wilder USA RSC 3
+91kg Michael Hunter USA Shamil Gadzhiev RUS 26:6