2008 Olympic Games Beijing 8.8.08-8.24.08 (with spoilers)

[zorndeslammes]

48KG: Hernandez G, Shiming S. Hernandez has the perfect style for the way things have been scored. I think Shiming/Paddy will be a 9-5/10-6 type win similar to what Shiming had in his last bout.

51KG: Jongjohor G, Balakshin S. I agree totally on your pick. Jongjohor looks tight and well prepared.

54KG: Badar-Uugan G, Leon S. I have no idea why, but I'm just not feeling Leon. He isn't bad but Badar-Uugan's clean punching and varied attack in addition to far superior international experience tells me he gets the gold.

57KG: Lomachenko G, Imranov S. I like Imranov to use that right hand all day on the french fighter, but I can't see him beating Lomachenko right now. Lomachenko also deserves outstanding fighter awards should he get gold.

60KG: Tishchenko G, Ugas S.

64KG: Boonjumnong G, Vastine S. The Thai is a million sorts of ugly but he's already beaten the best in the field and I don't know what anyone can do to counter that octopus style.

69KG: Sarsekbayev G, Banteaux S.

75KG: Correa G, Degale S

81KG: Shynaliyev G, Egan S

91KG: Chakhkiev G, Russo S. This could go to any of the final 4 though, even Wilder.

91KG+: Cammarelle G, Zhilei S. Again, could go to anyone, even Price, but I gotta pick experience here.

[emile]

Thanks zorn, interesting comments. Glad to have your input here.

[boxmel]

It's not India's first ever medal ever ever,

Thanks for the correction. I either need to clean my glasses or someone wrote the wrong info somewhere. On the AIBA page, I think.

I generally like Teddy, and his catchphrases, just not in the Olympics.

You are more than welcome to him, catchphrases and all!!!!!!

[Canada]

I have been very impressed with Zhang Zhilei, hes got power,reach and for a guy his size is pretty quick. He has completly dominated his opponents (outlanding them 27-2, 2 knockdowns in his last fight). At the start of the tournament I ruled him out of Gold because of how he got beaten by Glaskov at the worlds, but with they way rematches are going at the olympics, I think Gold is a possibility.

201 Looks to me like all of the reamining guys except Wilder are pretty evenly matched. Acosta has wins over Russo and Wilder, so he will be my pick. I think he can outbox Chakiev,who is strong but slow.

[Mr Gunn]

Im English,but i do do think the two Irish boxers will beat them in the semis..Sutherland&Egan to go on to both win the Gold......

[El Raincoat]

Im English,but i do do think the two Irish boxers will beat them in the semis..Sutherland&Egan to go on to both win the Gold......

Egan def will beat Jeffries not so sure about Sutherland though Degale has doen very well so far.

My prediction's for gold are

Cammarelle
Chakhkiev
Egan
Degale
Banteaux Suarez
Manus Boonjumnong
Tischenko
Lomachenko
Enkhbat
Laffita Hernandez
Zou

[Dennis]

I have not been impressed with Chakhkiev. I don't like Russo's style, but it has been effective. I think Wilder can beat Russo if he uses his reach, but that is a big IF. I haven't seen the Cuban, but he must be pretty good. I will watch the bouts tomorrow and see.

[Kolya]

Bob Papa is an idiot. Now he's whining about headgear "watering down the sport" along with the scoring system. What a freaking moron. Yeah, there's a good idea, lets lose the headgear and just make it like the pros, right? They need to ditch these two buffoons and get someone who knows what the hell they're talking about.

[geenolv]

Amateur boxing was much more exciting without the headgear and bigger gloves.
It doesn't have to be scored like pro boxing, but when you eliminate the chance of a one punch knockout you take a lot of the drama and excitement out of it.

[boxmel]

Amateur boxing was much more exciting without the headgear and bigger gloves.
It doesn't have to be scored like pro boxing, but when you eliminate the chance of a one punch knockout you take a lot of the drama and excitement out of it.

That was semi-pro boxing, not amateur. 8)

[Kolya]

Amateur boxing was much more exciting without the headgear and bigger gloves.
It doesn't have to be scored like pro boxing, but when you eliminate the chance of a one punch knockout you take a lot of the drama and excitement out of it.

Yeah, and guys also got hurt a lot easier. The headgear stops the cuts and cauliflower ears; it doesn't stop you from getting hurt (the chin is perfectly exposed). If anything the construction of the gloves is what has to do with stoppages. That and the fact that most of these guys have decent defense and aren't going to get caught that flush. Amateurs aren't being paid; I don't see why we should be expected to risk our health for other people's entertainment,

[zorndeslammes]

Plenty of fights at the World Championships were stopped, but they were stopped on RSCO. If the scoring was like it was then, the Atlases and Papas wouldn't have as much to say because points would be appearing with great frequency. My only guess is that someone wants the fights to be closer than they should be.

[Roberts J]

I agree that the excitment is gone if you are watching it. I like 3x3 min rounds. I think it will make it more like it was in the past. Gloves are really padded in the front for international competition. I trained in europe, i dislike the gloves we have to use. What's wrong with having amatuer boxing more like the pros? I think nothing. I think head gear should stay, but boxing is boxing, you go to fight, enough with all the high matienece.

[boxmel]

What's wrong with having amatuer boxing more like the pros? I think nothing. I think head gear should stay, but boxing is boxing, you go to fight, enough with all the high matienece.

Because amateur is amateur and pro - isn't. 8)

[Kolya]

What's wrong with having amatuer boxing more like the pros? I think nothing. I think head gear should stay, but boxing is boxing, you go to fight, enough with all the high matienece.

Because amateur is amateur and pro - isn't. 8)

I tend to agree with you on this. Now, I know in the end, boxing is boxing and in the end overall the skills are the same; but the thing is the rules are different for a reason. Do I like all the rules? Not necessarily, and I do like the idea of loosening up a bit and letting the guys fight as long as there aren't flagrant fouls going on; but at the same time this is the amateurs. We're not being paid and a lot of us have futures and careers we want to have; if you were to change it to a system where there's a lot more damage being inflicted; it'll mess up the tournament schedule for one; and drive people away I think, especially parents who don't want their kids getting hurt.

[geenolv]

People are being driven away from the sport right now.
I remember when the New York Golden Gloves would sell out Madison Square Garden and now barely can get 2000 people to watch the finals.
There are also a lot less boxers today even though it is "safer".
It used to take 4 fights just to reach the quartefinals in some weights and now it's probaly 2 fights
It didn't seem to bother the fighters then to fight without headgear either.
I don't remember anyone asking us if we we afraid for our health. That's why you have a ref to stop the fight if someone is hurt.
I speak from experience so don't think that I'm just some guy who wants kids to get beat up.
I'm all for saftey especially for juinor boxers but the Olympics are not for kids.
The fighters there are pretty much grown men fighting for a gold medal.
If they are afraid of getting hurt they picked the wrong sport.

[gensu3k1]

Bob Papa and Teddy Atlas have been repetitive and obnoxious because the judging has been repetitively obnoxious. It would be silly to ask them to ignore the blatant incompetence/fraud that is occuring.

When a fighter lands a glaringly obvious bodyshot and then doesn't get a point for it, what are they supposed to do?

[Kolya]

Russo sucks. And it looks like Russo's glancing blows are worth more than Deontay's.

[ogii3]

Two very bad refering today. 64 Iglesias - Manus.... The Thai all the time holds and runs nad they didnt give him warning. The other was also at 64 - Vastine - Diaz.... No comments on that, two official for French guy, and the Dominican didn;t get noting, despite the fact that he was the one who holds more.! And even they give him some points specially in the forth for noting.
It was all in the front of IOC president, who was at the hall and entire hall was boooming the decision.

[therealPunchDrunk]

Vastine was robbed so badly, I wanted to throw stuff at the screen! Oh man, that fight has me pissed off! That referee needs a good asswhupping.

[ricky_old]

That referee in the Diaz -Vastine fight stinks and the judges in the Iglesias-Boonjuwhatever should be trown out of the game. It's a shame how a bad referee can destroy the dreams of an athlete and just walk away like nothing happened. :( Shame on them.

[Dennis]

Amateur boxing was much more exciting without the headgear and bigger gloves.
It doesn't have to be scored like pro boxing, but when you eliminate the chance of a one punch knockout you take a lot of the drama and excitement out of it.

That was semi-pro boxing, not amateur. 8)

With AIBA's proposed boxing league there won't be much of a distinction in the future.

[boxmel]

With AIBA's proposed boxing league there won't be much of a distinction in the future.

Providing there is still an AIBA - my guess is they will continue to use headgear, tank tops, and the current rules.

[Dennis]

This is really bad when people who love boxing (those that routinely post on forums like this one) say that the Olympic boxing was boring or not as exciting as it was in the past. They also have made lots of comments about poor officiating and ridiculous scoring. Something has to be done when big time boxing fans see a problem.

[Kolya]

I agree with you, Dennis. I know you love amateur boxing, the same way I do, you've been around it a long time and have seen a lot. I typically find the top level amateur bouts in the US very enjoyable to watch, with good skills being shown by the boxers and less of a concern for the computers, even at Nationals where they use the ESS. But the Olympics has been ridiculous. These are supposed to be the best amateurs in the world-theoretically, they should be even better to watch than our top guys in the US, but it's not, and it's because the judging and officiating has been so out there that the guys can't just box.