ENEWS 7
25 October 2004
Cuban boxing is back on first track!
Special report from Athens by ENEWS Cuban correspondent Laurent Perez
After the Pan-American results and World Championship in Bangkok, people perhaps thought that the Cuban School of Boxing was backing down. Nevertheless the just concluded XXVIII Olympic Games, proved that they still have all the magic left to show.
The skeptics said three, the optimists said four, but the reality was that Athens was to provide the Cubans with five titles.
The expected medal winners were Guillermo Rigondeaux (54 kilograms), Mario Kindelan (60 kg) and Odlanier Soil’s (91 kg) To the list were added those of Yan Bartelemy (48 kg) and Yuriolky Gamboa (51).
For Rigondo there was competition in the form of Agassi Mehmedov (AZE), the only one that would cause any trouble for Rigondo but Mehmedov was eliminated in the semis, selected for the best sportsman in the former Soviet Union. Worapoj Petchkoom (THA) surprisingly beat him.
Guillermo Rigondo (CUB) done well in the final match, the score in the end was (22-13) the difference between the quality of blows that connected and those that were received were much greater. It was a second Olympic title. The 24 year old has not yet fulfilled his amateur career with a real possibility of aspiring to a third medal in Beijing.
Kindelan, on the other hand had demonstrated once again that he belongs to another planet, not only boxing and winning, but offering an excellent spectacle to all those that went to the “Peristeri Hall”, and to crush any intentions to remove this sport from the Olympic program.
It was an art it demonstrated clearly that he deserved the garland in his crown the “Val Barker” cup. Those that saw his rival will not have any doubt that Amir Khan (ENG) will have his name printed in golden letters in the future of world boxing.
For Solis the stage was set high, for he was wearing the gloves of the legendary Felix Savon, the six times world champion and three times Olympic champ. The reason why he had no other goal, than that of the gold medal in his mind. After beating his first opponent Alexander Alexeev (RUS), he himself declared that he had overcome the most difficult stumbling block, although he would not take anyone lightly.
That was the reality; he won by a difference of 20 points in the next two following bouts, before conquering the title by a 22-13 against Victor Zuev (BLR).
But the greater joy arrived in the lower weights, because so many of them were not expected to do well, although they had excellent European tour weeks before the beginning of the Games.
Yan had three demanding opponents that of Suban Pannon (THA), Zou Shiming (CHA) and Atagun Yalcinkaya (TUR), but he dominated them all with relative ease, demonstrating that when the physical training and psychology is right, there are no opponents who cannot be overcome.
Finally, Gamboa had the most difficult draw of all the champions; he had to overcome several world championship medallists before reaching the final. Bronze from Sydney and Bangkok'03 and the world championship Monarch from 2001, Jerome Thomas (FRA), had arrived much more comfortable in the organizational chart. Over all it passed the cyclone guantanamero, shaking the “Peristeri hall” in each one of its exits and conquering the hearts of assistants and viewers.
Of our silver medals, we had the dissatisfaction of poor scoring Yudel Johnson (64kg) and Lorenzo Aragon were much better boxers than their opponents, but in the Ring the final result was right, some blows more or less. We cannot either be satisfied with the score for Michel Lopez (+ 91 kg), in spite of gaining a medal.
Luis Franko (57 kg), Yordanis Despaigne (75 kg) and Joan Pablo Hernandez (81 kg) gave everything but lost to the favorites in their respective categories, although in the end they also did not get to be the champions.
Credits: Laurent Peres and his edition (http://www.trabajadores.co.cu)
Viktor Rybakov: Russia needs Perestroika in boxing!
For the second time, ENEWS interviews the vice-president of the Russian boxing association Viktor Rybakov. The three times European champion and bronze medallist from Montreal’76 and Moscow’98, spoke with Russian journalist Natalia Kazanova, about the situation of the Russian team after this years Olympic Games in Athens.
- Kazanova- The Games finished almost two months ago. Some people expected better results from the Russian team; others were more satisfied with the performance. What are your thoughts about the presentation of Sbornaya? (Russian Teams nickname)
- Rybakov- it was very interesting with all the expectations before the Games. Just before the Olympics, Gennadi Golovkin (KAZ) had a tough bout with Dennis Tcarug and beat him. I told Gennadi, that, in the Olympics he would meet Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov he just smiled! So they met in the final of the middleweight division and Gaidarbekov was the winner of the bout. Four years ago in the Russian championships Alexander Povetkin had a fight with Alex Lezin and won. It was his first national championships title. Then I was told that Povetkin would become Olympic champion. I said it and forgot, but Sasha and his father remembered by words.
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- Kazanova- Your professional intuition didn’t mislead you. How do you judge the Olympic games at all?
- Rybakov- I personally am not satisfied by the presentation of Sbornaya. For our society three gold medals sounds good, but there we should have had five titles. Take a look at the Evgeny Makarenko loss. Evgeny was never the aggressor. His opponents were always on the attack and Genia met him with his left jab. Evgeny is not Povetkin, who is always going forward.
- In the match with the American (Andre Ward), Genia was the aggressor. His opponent moved around the ring, without moving back and this was very uncomfortable. In my opinion all Ward’s combinations finished with the left. Makarenko’s tactics for this match were wrong. It was strange because in his corner there were some very experienced people and they needed to change their plan during the fight. Hromov (head coach of Russian team Nikolay Hromov) was obliged to change the tactics, to force Makarenko to attack. It was Hromov’s job, but he didn’t complete it.
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- Kazanova- What’s the most important tactic in today’s amateur boxing?
- Rybakov- First of all it’s speed endurance. Go on the back foot, accelerate fast, then slow a little and then accelerate again. No one can resist such a rhythm. For example Tischenko (Alexey) threw 6-7 punches, and then went on the back foot, then again threw 6-7 punches. He was the only one from our team who had such a speed change. Maletin (Alexander) went forward with punch after punch. Balakshin (Georgi) threw 2-3 punches and instead of using his range, he started to wrestle. Look for example at the Cubans. Their style is entirely different - moving well around the ring, and then exploding with punches, then again using the range. This is the tactic of our times. We are going backward with the tactics starting to wrestle. It helped Gaidarbekov, but didn’t help Kovalev (Gennady), Balakshin, Alexeev (Alexander), and Makarenko. Murat Khrachev had a very tough opponent (Mario Kindelan), a much stronger boxer then him. He did not box to bad; the problem was that he wasn’t working well with the style. Khrachev has the potential. He’s fast and agile. The problem is that he throws three punches and stands up right. This is not a correct way to box. If he were to think about his body movement, it would be priceless for him. He has the potential, but why no one corrects this problem! I think that he need’s better preparations in training.
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- Kazanova- What’s the main work of a head coach?
- Rybakov- The main coach is the generator of ideas. He doesn’t train each boxer personally. He gives out general jobs: “Boxers speed endurance, Boxers leg work” and then with the boxers work the other coach. General tactics may be worked out. This is what we are lacking and must be worked on more. We stopped training with Cubans, but it must be done.
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- Kazanova- Why don’t we do it?
- Rybakov- Hromov doesn’t want to. I think this is wrong. In all sports come new ideas and new contenders. We need new ideas; new preparation and his ways are old. We need the Perestroika. I have praised Hromov in the past, but now we didn’t even cover the program minimum. I have a lot of questions for him. “Why Balakshin fought under his level. Why Kazakov didn’t work until the end? Tischenko took a Gold Medal and until the end Hromov didn’t want him. Alexey missed European championships. Hromov took Malakbekov. It was worrying not only for me, but up until the last day he still didn’t believe in Alexey, who is a significant fighter, who gives everything to boxing. The Korean boxed at a very high level, but Alexey out boxed him with a great series of punches and high endurance.
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- Kazanova- There is talk, that some of the Russian fighters will become professionals. What’s the level of relationships between amateur and professional boxing associations in Russia?
- Rybakov- There isn’t such a relationship. We do not have laws and regulations. If someone wants to become a pro he may. We give our Amateurs very good conditions and if you check current amateurs have much more than they would have if they had turned professional. They need to have more than 10 bouts and fight more than a year to start earning such money that they currently earn now. In professional boxing the rules are different – more rounds, less punches, but more powerful. You need a lot of power and strength, of course a lot of other skills too. A lot of people thought that Povetkin would turn pro, but I don’t think so. Yes, he’s Olympic champion, but however he must start everything from the beginning if he turns professional.
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- Kazanova- Why does professional boxing have more fans?
- Rybakov- Professional boxing is more exiting, they fight without head guards, fall on the canvas, and fight much crueller. Everyone thinks that professional fighting is the real fight. While amateur boxing – stepping into the ring is like a walk for him. But it’s not like that. Professional boxing is industry, finances and first of all a business.
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- Kazanova- What’s the future of amateur boxing? Why do TV channels show a lot of professional fights and very little amateur ones?
- Rybakov- Russian “RTR Sport” shows amateur boxing. And about the main channels, the question is right to be asked to their bosses. Why do they show the Klitchkos, but do not show Povetkin or Saitov? Several times I have made contact with the TV channels, but there is a market for professional boxing and it leads to more business and advertising than Amateur would.
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- Kazanova- But patriotism may be feeling better in amateur boxing?
- Rybakov- We have patriotism. People like Sasha Lebziak, Oleg Saitov, Genia Makarenko and Sasha Maletin – they are not only great fighters, but also great patriots. They had a chance to turn pro a long time ago, but they stay and said: “Who will box?” And if you think, there are only two occasions when the national anthem is sung – when the president is met and when the sportsmen are on the podium!
Credits: ENEWS Russian correspondent Natalia Kazanova
Manus Boonjumnong hugs for the first time his son Athens after the Games
Olympic champion Manus Boonjumnong named his second son Athens! The baby was born just before the Games. Athens came in to the world while the Thai fighter was away training in Bulgaria and Cuba in the lead up to the Olympics. The first time Manus had the chance to hold his 6-week old child was when he came back from Greece.
His older son’s name is Win! The four-year-old kid inspired Boonjumnong and told him to bring home the gold medal.
After coming back from Athens, the fighter spent the entire week visiting various sponsors with other Thai athletes that brought glory to the country. The amount of prizes he collect is around $500-600 000.
In fact, even without the bonus, he does not have to worry about his life financially. His wife Pojanee is daughter to a wealthy family. Who are big landowners and have apples orchards.
"I met her when I trained at the national training camp in Pak Chong around six years ago. My teammates envy me that I married a rich woman," he remembered how he met his wife.
During the entire competition Manis got phone calls from the Thailand King. In the final fight press conference Manus holding a framed picture of His Majesty, insisted his feet would remain firmly on the ground and said he was already thinking about the 2008 Beijing Games.
“Nothing will change. I will still practice hard and I look forward to defending my title in Beijing.
I received many telephone calls. He told me to keep on winning and was cheering me on. “Before I entered the ring I focused on the man I respect the most – the King of Thailand. This win is dedicated to him”, he said.
Boonjumnong got the first taste of boxing when he was a 9-year-old boy. A man who ran a boxing camp near his home offered Manus 10 baht for sparring with his son for three rounds. "Actually, it was not a sparring session. You can say that I was hired to be hit by the boy. I knew nothing about boxing at that time.,” he said.
At first, his father Mano, a bus driver, and mother Aree, a housewife, did not want their son to be a boxer for fear that he could get injured. But later they allowed him to practice the sport, which would make him one of the most famous athletes in Thailand.
Manus also persuaded his younger brothers Manon and Panthanin to enter boxing. Manon is his teammate in the national side but Panthanin has quit Boxing.
Shortly after being a part-time sparring partner, he fought his first Muay Thai bout for 100 baht when he was 10. After a very brief spell in Muay Thai, he switched to amateur boxing and represented his school at the National Youth Games in Songkhla eight years ago.
While he beat a Cuban for the biggest prize of his career, it was another Cuban, Thailand's coach Juan Fontanils, who saw the potential in the 16-year-old boy and asked him to train with his national team boxers.
At the national training camp, Somluck who later became Thailand’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist inspired him. "He was my idol and I tried to box like him. When I saw his gold medal, I wanted to win one for myself," said Manus.
He did it in Athens to join Somluck as the Kingdom's elite group of Olympic gold medallists. He vowed to continue his boxing career for a second Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. "I'm still young. If I quit now I don't know what job I would do," said Manus, a high school graduate.
Manus is an employee at the Army's Special Warfare Unit but he said he would not join the military if he were offered a position. "All I want is boxing. I don't want to become a military officer. Any vacancy should be given to another person who really wants to do the job for the benefit of the military," he said.
''For the future, I will still represent the national team but will only take part in the major tournaments like Asian Games, World Championships and Olympics.''
Credits: Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon (http://www.nationmultimedia.com) and “Bangkok post” daily newspaper (http://www.bangkokpost.co.th)
Alexey Tischenko was a ballet dancer
One of the most unexpected Olympic games gold medalists from Athens was Alexey Tischenko. The Featherweight missed first the European qualification for the biggest sports event in the world, because at featherweight the number one was former World and European champion and runner up from Sydney Raimkul Malakbekov. However young Tischenko managed to take a place given by a veteran, who failed to win a quota in Pula.
With a very attractive inside style Alexey became one of the fans favorites in Greece. His fast footwork was a product of his early years. During school time Tischenko took seriously to ballet dance lessons! The 20-year old talent had his first boxing experience from his father Viktor Genadievich Tischenko, who is a former Master of the sport. Leonid Kiselev had the tough task of working with the boxing diamond. Step by step he found the proper way to get into the Olympics.
Before the final bout Tischenko had received a very bad hand injury in the semifinal, but thanks to the miracle doctor of the Russian team Valery Nikolaev the pain was temporary removed during the magic eight minutes and Tischenko once again made a spectacular show.
Credits: “Soviestki sport” (sovsport.ru) daily newspaper’s editor Boris Valiev
Bakhtiyar Artayev wanted to retire before the Games
Val Barker cup winner Bakhtiyar Artayev was very close to retiring after suffering a loss in the first Asian qualification in Puerto Princesa (PHI). The 21-year old talent was beaten by Korean Kim Jung-Joo and failed to get a ticket to Athens.
“Right after the fight Bakhtiyar started to cry. This was the first time I ever saw tears from him. He didn’t have the power to change his shoes. I helped him and cried with him. When we went out he told the entire team that he will never get involved with boxing anymore”, said his coach Nurlan Akurpekov.
His family discussed it with him, trying to get him to change his decision. The future gave him one more chance, in the third and final qualification in Carachi and he didn’t miss it!
During the road to gold in the 69 kg division in Athens Artayev eliminated two of the greatest amateur fighters in our time. First it was two-time Olympic champion Oleg Saitov, then two times world champ Cuban legend Lorenzo Aragon, the only man who had won the Cuban national championships in five different weights.
After going back to his hometown of Taraz, he was met by the president. There were fireworks, music, several thousand people came out from their homes to congratulate the hero.
“You can’t imagine how happy I am for Bakhtiyar’s gold. He saved our team. His gold is very precious for Kazakhstan. He made a sensation, he glorified our country”, said two times Olympic games silver medalist Bulat Djumadilov.
Local government gave Artayev a prize! The keys to an apartment and new “Toyota”. A businessman presented to him another “Toyota”.
Credits: Kazakhstan newspaper “Hotline” (http://www.hotline.kz)
Yan Bartelemy: I dedicate the title to Fidel, my mother and my fiancé
“I sacrificed myself, but now I can enjoy the title", it was the first words of the new light-flyweight Olympic champion Yan Bartelemy. He was one of the five Cubans who won gold in Athens.
“I dedicate my win to Fidel, to my mother and my fiancée. This is the most significant medal of my boxing career because it was over all the Papers. The experts did not give me a chance to get to the final due to the bad draws I got. Turkey runner-up, Chinese Shiming Zou and the Thai boxer Raise Pannon.”
Now he can’t wait for the World championships in China next year, where he wants to get back the title he lost in Bangkok’03.
Credits: Juventud Rebelde (http://www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu)
Willy Blain turns pro; Jerome Thomas is soon to follow.
World super-lightweight champion Willy Blain turned professional after the Games, where he failed to get a medal. Previous titleholder Manus Boonjumnong who he met in the quarterfinals beat the Frenchman. The 26-year old fighter signed with German “Spotlight Box Promotion”. As the rumors go, another star of French boxing also is close to starting his professional career. It’s former world champion (Belfast’01) and twice medalist from Olympic games (silver at Athens, bronze at Sydney) Jerome Thomas. He was linked with the famous brothers and managers Accaries. According to talks in the French press, Thomas will start a pro career at the beginning of next year.
Other names, which will no more, enjoy the amateur boxing fans, are twice ECH runner up Lukas Wilashek (GER), Karoly Balzay (HUN) and Michele Di Rocco (ITA).
Credits: French boxing association (http://www.ffboxe.asso.fr) and L’Equipe sport newspaper (http://www.lequipe.fr)
Oleg Saitov will open boxing school
Two times Olympic champion Oleg Saitov will open his own boxing school in the region of Samara, The Russian welterweight, who hanged the gloves up after Athens, will locate his base at “Locomotiv” sporting complex. The training will be lead by Saitov and his long time coach Igor Utkin. The boxing school will start work from 1st January 2005. Good luck to Oleg from the entire ENEWS crew.
Credits: Russian sport newspapers “Soviestki sport” (http://www.sovsport.ru) and “Sport-express” (http://www.sport-express.ru)
False rumors for Povetkin retirement
In the Russian newspapers and Internet boxing forums there were false rumors that the Olympic Heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (RUS) will retire. The reason was that he would start a business with his friend in Moscow. However on the official web site of Sasha (http://www.povetkin.ru) the rumors were denied. There is noting official if Povetkin will stay amateur or will accept some of the professional boxing promoters’ propositions. He had passed some holidays with his family after the Games.
Credits The Russian boxing forum and official site of Povetkin (http://www.povetkin.ru).
EUROPEAN AMATEUR RANKINGS OCTOBER 2004
Editor of http://www.ababoxing.com Darren Stead handles the tough task by managing a very complicated system to determine the best fighters in Europe. Taking into count all the tournaments in the Old continent he presented unofficial European amateur rankings. Here is October top 5 from each weight!
Full list of top 15 at http://www.ababoxing.com
Light-fly weight (48kg)
Sergey Kazakov (RUS)
Atagun Yalcinkaya (TUR)
Alfonso Pinto (ITA)
Salim Salimov (BUL)
Aleksan Nalbandyan (ARM)
Fly-weight (51kg)
Jerome Thomas (FRA)
Georgy Balakshin (RUS)
Rustam Rachimov (GER)
Fuad Aslanov (AZE)
Rudolf Dydi (SVK)
Bantam weight (54kg)
Gennady Kovalyov (RUS)
Detelin Dalakiev (BUL)
Agasi Mamedov (AZE)
Ali Hallab (FRA)
Khavazhi Khatsigov (BLR)
Feather weight (57kg)
Aleksey Tishenko (RUS)
Vitlati Tajbert (GER)
Viorel Simion (ROM)
Khedafi Djelkhir (FRA)
Henrik Kertesz (HUN)
Light-weight (60kg)
Domenico Valentino (ITA)
Murat Khrachev (RUS)
Gyula Kate (HUN)
Amir Khan (ENG)
Dimitar Schtilianov (BUL)
Light-welter weight (64kg)
Willy Blain (FRA)
Alexander Maletin (RUS)
Boris Georgiev (BUL)
Ionut George (ROM)
Patrick Bogere (SWE)
Welter weight (69kg)
Oleg Saitov (RUS)
Ruslan Khairov (AZE)
Bulent Ulusoy (TUR)
Vitalie Gruschak (MDA)
Vilmos Balog (HUN)
Middle weight (75kg)
Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov (RUS)
Marian Simion (ROM)
Oleg Mashkin (UKR)
Nikola Sjiekloca (S&M)
Nikolai Galotshkin (RUS)
Light-heavy weight (81kg)
Magomed Aripgadzhiev (BLR)
Alexey Kuziemski (POL)
Yildirim Tarhan (TUR)
Yevgeniy Makarenko (RUS)
Rudolf Kraj (CZE)
Heavy weight (91kg)
Viktor Zuyev (BLR)
Alexander Alexeev (RUS)
Kubrat Pulev (BUL)
Vugar Alakparov (AZE)
Daniel Betti (ITA)
Super-heavy weight (+91kg)
Alexander Povetkin (RUS)
Roberto Camarelle (ITA)
Jaroslavas Jaksto (LTU)
Sergey Rozhnov (BUL)
Sebastian Kober (GER)
Credit UK Amateur Boxing News http://www.ababoxing.com
Report from 25th “Tammer” tournament
By Miika Forsström
The 25th Tammer tournament was fought in last weekend in Tampere, Finland. TVS [the boxing club of Tampere] succeeded again well in arranging the tournament, and the numerous spectators got to see amateur boxing at its best form. In the ring there was displays of top-class skills, exciting battles, hard punching and, most importantly, Finnish victors. The audience is not interested in tournaments where the Finnish fighters always lose and thus too many world-class teams were not accepted to participate in the tournament.
The tournament went well looking from the Finnish point of view. Triumphs in three weight classes and the victories scored by the youngsters Edis Tatli, Jani Tuulanniemi, Sampo Aunio and Anssi Korhonen all promise good for the future of Finnish boxing. It also has to be noted that our top-notch fighters Jani Rauhala and Pasi Silvennoinen return in next year. Speaking of the future it is also notable that women fighters are likely to participate in the next Olympics, at least as an exhibition event. One who is targeting there is Eva Wahlström, whose medal ceremonies where held in the press room of Tammer on Friday.
Koivula and Naskali victorious at hometown
The best Finnish fighter of the tournament Jussi Koivula demonstrated world-class skills in Tammer. Koivula pounded out overwhelming points victories both from Peter Ashton of Wales and Cyrus Farhadi of Sweden. In the finals the Ukrainian junior European championships medallist Denis Litvinenko was in lead after two rounds even though he had been once down. Koivula kept his cool, and with accurate punching he evened the scales in the third. The skilful Litvinenko became the aggressor in the fourth round and Koivula answered by capturing points effectively. In the end the margin was ten points, deservedly in Koivula’s favour. – This was the best bout I have ever fought, Koivula celebrated afterwards.
Jyri Naskali was pushed to the limits in his semi-final bout against a hard-punching Canadian Arash Ushmanee. The Tampere-based Finn won the opening round by 13-3, but in the second round Ushmanee made him take the count twice. – I was so dizzy that I couldn’t even hear the instructions by Aki [his trainer Sipilä], Naskali revealed afterwards. In the third round the Canadian continued his outburst and Naskali got a warning for holding. In the fourth round Naskali received one more eight-count even though he did fight back like a lion. Naskali’s lead held to the final bell.
- It was the hardest battle of my career, Naskali told afterwards. The Canadian was shocked because of Naskali’s victory. – I should have won the fight in three ways. He should have been disqualified for holding, he should have gotten a fourth count which would have led to an automatic stoppage or I should have won in on points, the Canadian listed his reasons. – Deep inside he [Naskali] surely knows too that he did not win the fight, believes Ushmanee, whose main goal is in the world championships held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in next summer.
In the finals Naskali was one step ahead of skilful Estonian Vjatseslav Molis and took home a clear victory by points of 16-5. This was the first time that Naskali finished first in a big Finnish tournament. – Jykä [Naskali] if anybody deserved this victory, the trainer Aki Sipilä cheered. The big favourite of the hometown crowd has now taken a long step forwards in his career.
Classy Class Of Super-heavyweights
The class of +91-kilos began with the most anticipated bout of the tournament: Jarno Rosberg versus Robert Helenius Helenius, debuting in the Swedish national team and also launching the new season, seemed to get some extra energy from the whistles of the audience. – I decided that I would knock him out, Helenius told afterwards. The big future hopeful fought in determined manner and landed his right cross continuously, and the fight ended in his favour on points already in the third round. Rosberg didn’t seem to have the tools to stop Helenius this time, but Aki Sipilä believes that in the future his fighter can challenge Helenius. – In the future we are looking to get training camps from outlands for Jarno, Sipilä told.
The scoring of the Helenius-Rosberg-bout followed the line of the tournament in where the fighter leading the bout seemed to get points too easily. In reality the points margin between Helenius and Rosberg should probably have been “only” about ten points. Also many other fights in the tournament were stopped too soon because of overwhelming points victories.
The next opponent of Helenius, Canadian Bermane Stiverne, turned out to be a world-class super-heavyweight. Stiverne punched very sharply and hard, protected himself well and fought in cool manner. The Canadian advanced in finals by narrowly edging Helenius 12-8. – I fought carefully, I hit to the body and waited for the openings to land counterpunches, Stiverne said. Interestingly enough, three judges had given Helenius more points and only two of them had Stiverne ahead, both of them by only one point. But the points given simultaneously are the deciding ones and Stiverne was correctly ruled as the winner.
Miika Forsström (webmaster BOXING.Fi) and superheavyweight Bermane Stiverne.
In the finals Stiverne stopped the 205-cm Commonwealth champion David Price in the third round. The Canadian was clearly ahead when he landed a big overhand right and the referee Pekka Ruokola wisely called it off right after the count. Stiverne is heading for a professional career, but probably only after the world championships. – My agent is Lennox Lewis, Stiverne revealed. Why wasn’t a fighter of this calibre in the Olympics? – In a qualifying tournament in Mexico I met a Mexican fighter in the semi-finals and I was robbed. I knocked him down three times but still they gave him the decision and the place in Olympics.
History was made in 69-kg
Never before in any weight-class have all the four medals been left in Finland. This time however Jari Fyhr (in picture), Aki Selesmaa, Matias Suni and Anssi Korhonen were able to leave the visitors from Wales, Estonia and Norway out of medals. From the Finns Jari Fyhr was overwhelming and easily took the gold medal.
Ukrainian, 75-kilo junior world champion Ismail Sillakh, who displayed world-class skill, was awarded the title of the best boxer of the tournament. There was no real challenge for him and all his fights ended in overwhelming points victories. Irish, 81-kg Kenneth Egan, who defeated three very good opponents in his class, was chosen as the most technical boxer of the tournament. Canadian +91-kilo Bermane Stiverne got the recognition of the hardest fighter or the tournament. Also the press awarded a price to Jyri Naskali and the Ringside Club gave their nod to Jussi Koivula.
Out of other boxer the ones who at least deserve a mention were brothers Darren (48kg) and Stewart (51kg) Langley out of England, also English Nicholas MacDonald (54kg) and hard-punching Canadian Kevin Bizier (64). The best bouts of the tournament were the 81-kilo-class final between Kenneth Egan and Babacar Kamana and the fore-mentioned 60-kilo final Jussi Koivula - Denis Litvinenko.
Credits: Editor of Finish boxing news Miika Forsström (http://www.boxing.fi), check the technical delegate report at http://www.eaba.org
ENEWS project aim is to try to improve the amateur boxing information stream in Europe and World wide. We have no precise period for publishing ENEWS, but hope in the future with common efforts to be in a position set some sort of time between editions. This Newsletter is sent to nearly 500 e-mail addresses, featuring national associations, officials, coaches, fighters, journalists, news agencies, fans, members of Olympic boxing forum (http://www.eaba.org/forum) etc .ENEWS is distributed via the Internet thanks to the president of Stockholm boxing association Lars Westerberg (http://www.boxopen.nu), British boxing publisher Leslie McCarthy (http://www.boxingaction.com) Martin Campen, editor of UK boxing TALK (http://www.warriorboxing.com) and Darren Stead, editor of UK amateur boxing news (http://www.ababoxing.com).
Please feel free to send news from your countries to [email protected] and they will become part of ENEWS.
Editorial crew:
Ognian Georgiev a.k.a. ogii3
Darren Stead a.k.a. ABA boxing (http://www.ababoxing.com)
Martin Campen a.k.a. Warrior (http://www.warriorboxing.com)
