Americas Qualifier

[T Duquette]

I want to wish everybody on the US Team luck out in Brazil. Im optimistic and I don't see why we cant get everybody out there qualified. I would especially like to see the person from my weight class, Jamel, qualify.

Easy work!!

[emile]

With just the single qualifier, the draw is going to be massive, and will likely help the US in a few weights and hurt them in a few others. With so many slots available, we are likely to see some smaller countries with a better than usual chance of getting some spots.

Good news for the US in re the Olympics is that NBC is going to live stream every event in their entirety - they've always been good about showing boxing, but it's good to know that every match will be available. Maybe it will be a raw feed, with no Teddy.

[mike222]

And still the AIBA have not released details of the participants let alone the draw.

[emile]

http://www.aiba.org/en-US/news/ozqsp/ne ... /news.aspx

Some info there. 177 fighters entered from 33 nations, fighting for 38 spots.

Cuba sends Iglesias, Correa, and Arisnolde Despaigne instead of Banteur at welterweight.

Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, and Venezuela all have full teams, and Argentina, Colombia, DR, PR, and T&T have 9 coming.

Quite a big tournament - hope it goes off well.

[boxmel]

Maybe it will be a raw feed, with no Teddy.

YEAH! I sincerely hope so.

[NYAmateur90]

Good luck to everyone on the team!

[emile]

Draw Saturday morning at 11am EST.

[emile]

Still no draw up, but they have added the fighter bios.

Number of entrants at each weight (plus number of open spots)
49kg - 16 (3)
52kg - 15 (2)
56kg - 20 (4)
60kg - 21 (4)
64kg - 19 (5)
69kg - 20 (5)
75kg - 18 (5)
81kg - 18 (4)
91kg - 16 (3)
91+ kg - 14 (3)

[T Duquette]

Just heard that Michael Hunter grabbed a first round victory. That kid can box!

[emile]

Herring also won, by decision over the Bolivian. All the draws are now up on AIBA website.

Check that, still lots of gaps in the brackets and results. Oh well.

[mike222]

Jamal won his first bout by a comfortable 16-0 margin.
Just looking at the draw,my views are
108 Santos has a tough opener against a useful Jantony Ortiz and I think the winner can get to the final and you have to reach the final to qualify.In the bottom half of the draw Mexican Joselito Velasquez faces off against the Dominican Juan Medina.The winner should make the final.
114 Only the finalists qualify and they could be Dagoberto Aguero and possibly Braulio Avila
123 The semi-finalists qualify and that could be Oscar Valdez,Robenilson De Jesus,Alberto Melian and William Encarcaration
132 As before you have to reach the semis to qualify.
I expect Jose Ramirez to do this and he may be joined by Luis Porozo,Felix Verdeju and Eduard Marriaga
141 Five to qualify and they should be Jamal,Rosniel Iglesias,Valentino Knowles,Ricardo Garcia and a best loser who should be Valentino Knowles.
152 Also five to qualify,possibly Brian Castano,Gabriel Maestre.Arinoides Despaigne,Carlos Sanchez and Myke Carvalho
165 My five qualifiers are Marcus Mendez,Terrell Gausha,Andrew Fermin,Emilio Correa and Junior Castillo
178 My four are Jonathan Savard,Yamaguchi Falcao,Marcus Browne and Carlos Congora.
201 Just three here,for me Deivis Julio,Michael Hunter and Julio Castillo
+201 My three are Italo Perea,Isiah Mena Jose Payares.Tough draw for Dominic Breazale,he has to fight Payares first and if successful will have to get by the Brazilian Oliveira
For once most of the Americans have good draws.

[T Duquette]

Good stuff, I thought I read that he stopped him. Is there going to be any live stream of this event.

[emile]

I'd agree that the draws went well for the US. Santos Vasquez has a fairly tough task, and Brezeale didn't get any favors. I'm yet to understand why AIBA always loads all the byes into the same side of the bracket. But they avoided the Cubans and most of the Brazilians, so the spots are there for the taking. Gausha and Herring had the potentially toughest draws and did extremely well. Jose Ramirez' semifinal draw has Trinidad, Barbados, and Canada - he did the best.

T - I believe the semis and finals will be live streamed. Herring did win by stoppage in 2 rounds with a 16-0 lead. He's up next against Lester Martinez of Guatemala.

[T Duquette]

Thanks emile. Where can I find this stream, on the AIBA site?

And how is this Guatemalen. Its not a particularly popular sport there from my understanding?

[emile]

Yes, on the AIBA site. Guatemala typically has fairly weak entrants. Lester Martinez did win the 2011 Central American championship, but is only 16 years old.

[T Duquette]

Sounds like a good draw.

[mike222]

The boxer from Guatemala has little real experience and won his first bout on a walkover.What you want to do here is avoid the three cubans and the Brazilians.The host nations have done far too well in the other qualifiers.Morocco (7) Turkey (6)Australia(10) and Kazakhstan(3 from 4)

[emile]

Good start for Canada as well, went 3-0, including Custio Clayton beating Vivas from Colombia, although Vivas is not one of the more experienced Colombians.

Yves Ulysse opens against Lexton Bates, who he beat for the Canadian championship and who is now fighting for T&T. There are a bunch of US based fighters fighting for other nations, and a few Brits as well.

[T Duquette]

Ive seen Yves Ulysees fight on youtube and wasnt the least bit impressed. He looked a lot like the caliber of fighter that I would have to have beaten just to get through my region.

As for the US fighters fighting for other nations, ive got my boy Frankie Tejada from Boston out there fighting for El Salvador. Not sure how he did tonight, any word? Hopefully he won, #TeamBoston

And I wish I could have fought for some other nation, the dudes in Guetemala said that I didnt look Guetemalan, lol.

[emile]

Sorry to make so many posts! Here are my picks:

49kg - Juan Medina (DR), Jantony Ortiz (PR), Junior Zarate (ARG)
52kg - Dagoberto Aguero (DR), Braulio Avila (MEX)
56kg - Robenilson Vieira (BRA), Alberto Melian (ARG), Oscar Valdez (MEX), Jaime Arboleda (PAN)
60kg - Jose Ramirez (USA), Felix Verdejo (PR), Luis Porozo (ECU), Eduard Marriaga (COL)
64kg - Roniel Iglesias (CUB), Juan Romero (MEX), Yves Ulysse (CAN), Yoelvis Hernandez (VEN), Valentino Knowles (BAH)
69kg - Gabriel Maestre (VEN), Myke Carvalho (BRA), Carlos Castano (ARG), Carlos Sanchez (ECU), Carl Hield (BAH)
75kg - Emilio Correa (CUB), Terrell Gausha (USA), Jose Espinoza (VEN), Marlon Delgado (ECU), Brody Blair (CAN)
81kg - Yamaguchi Falcao (BRA), Carlos Gongora (ECU), Miguel Larrosa (URU), Marcus Browne (USA)
91kg - Julio Castillo (ECU), Julio Deivis (COL), Michael Hunter (USA)
91+kg - Italo Perea (ECU), Geraldo Bisbal (PR), Simon Kean (CAN)

[T Duquette]

No, keep it coming emile. You seem to really know your stuff with regards to the amateur game. Where does all this knowledge come from, are you from the US?

[emile]

Thanks Tom. Nice of you to say, although I'm just a fan in the US.

The day is under way and Jantony Ortiz of Puerto Rico has beaten the USA's Santos Vasquez 15-8, in what was one of the expected closer bouts of the day

[emile]

To prove my point, I've already got all sorts of missed predictions

Jamal Herring in the ring now. Peru is having a great day - 3-for-3 and quite a decent chance of getting one or more fighters through to the Olympics. I think the biggest upset would be Puerto Rico's Francisco Vargas, an inexperienced 18-year-old beating Mexico's Juan Pablo Romero on countback at 64kg.

And Herring wins 15-9 and next fights Yoelvis Hernandez of Venezuela for a spot in London. Looks like a very close bout.

[emile]

At 81kg, the USA's Marcus Browne won by 1st round stoppage and will face Felix Valera of the Dominican Republic for a place in London. Like the Herring fight, this seems very close based on resumes (both have fairly recent victories over Jeffrey Spencer).

Also at 81, the draw has guaranteed an Olympic spot for either Jamaica or Nicaragua, which is nice for them. I believe the last Jamaican olympic boxers were in 1996, and the last for Nicaragua in 1992.

[lap]

Massive amount of good fortune in the draw for Canada, which is 6-1 in the first two days and could have up to 6 or 7 fighters in the quarters. From then on, though, a bit of help or an upset or two will be needed, though several guys seem to have real shot at qualifying outright or by being lucky loser. I'm thinking of Ulysse (64), Blair (75 - he'll need to win today's fight, and then for Emilio Correa to win the whole thing) and Kean (91+)

Anybody know the Mexican at 49?