Bantam (56kg) Olympic Preview.

[donnellon]

The Bantam's at the Olympics;
Michael Conlon’s biggest rival won’t even be at the Games, Robeisy Ramirez from Cuba, the Olympic champion at 52 kg who gave young Michael a lesson in London has been surpassed by his compatriot Andy Cruz, Ramirez reputedly has dedication problems but in the WSB was undefeated in ten bouts from 2013-20016 beating Hamout, Yeraliyve, and Akhmadaliev, he also beat Cruz 2-1 in the 2014 Cuban championships
Michael Conlan (Ireland) World, Commonwealth and European champion. Beat Ashfaq, Thapa, DeJesus, Asanov and Akhmadaliyev. Losses to Nikitin when he first moved to 56 and a split decision to Eraliyev in the WSB. Man to beat.
Robenilson de Jesus (Brazil) (Host place) Brazil is going to get a gold medal and this is one of their most likely candidates. Conlon beat him 2-1 at the Worlds. In the last Olympics he beat a Russian World champ before losing to Alvarez from Cuba who then lost to Nevin. He has wins over Thapa, Chalabiyev and Melian and split a few decisions with Jiawei
Vladimir Nikitin (Russia) Beat Dec Geraghty back in 2012, also Avagyan. In 2013 Nevin beat him in the European semis but defeated Conlon later that year at the World championship where he lost in the final to Chalabayev. In the WSB since 2011, he has only a split decision loss to the Italian Picardi against sixteen wins, Vladimir is a formidable opponent for anybody.
Andy Cruz (Cuba) Cruz is no mug of course and beat Kenny Lally from Canada and Hector Luis Garcia to win the PanAmerican gold. Cruz beat Keith Flavin at the 2012 World youths but didn’t medal, and at the Worlds lost to Asanov after beating a Russian Nazirov. In 2015 in the WSB he won all his five fights.
Khedafi Djelkhir (France) Very interesting addition. Boxed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning Silver in 2008. Turned pro and is undefeated in 16 fights. Joined APB and has won and lost there to Melian. Defeated DeJesus but lost to Jiawei. Back in Dublin in 2007 he won the European Union gold, beating Carl Frampton 37-27 in the final! Maybe too long gone from the shorter contests to be a major factor.
Jiawei Zhang (China) The APB champion. In that code he defeated the Russian Vodopyanov, a former World champion and both won and lost against Melian and Robenilson DeJesus before defeating Djelkhir in the final. He won Silver at the 2014 Asian Games, defeating Akhmadkaliyev along the way before losing to Han Sang-Myeong from Korea. Ramirez beat him in the 2013 Worlds. He defeated the now Commonwealth Super-Bantam pro champion Gamal Yafai that same year.
Muradzhon Akhmadaliyev (Uzbekistan) Lost to Jiawei in 2014 and to Asanou in 2015. Won over Thapa and Han Sang-Myeong before losing to Butdee at the Asian championship of 2015. Gained revenge on Butdee at the 2015 Worlds before winning silver, dumping Conlon on to the seat of his pants in the final but losing 3-0. Kurt Walker took him to a split 2-1 in Sofia in 2015.
Dmitriy Asanou (Belarus) Garry Cully beat him 2-1 at the 2013 European Youths. Scored a win over Akhmadaliyev in 2014. Lost to Nazirov in the European final, defeating Ashfaq in the earlier rounds. He beat Avagan, Cruz and Thapa at the 2015 World championships, winning third place, Conlon the man that defeated him. He is an improving fighter.
Shakur Stevenson (USA) Great talent. World Junior and youth champion has burst on the senior scene with a WSB win over Hamout and an Olympic qualifier win over Melian. Underage wins include Colm Molloy (Ireland), Vargas (USA) amd Britain’s Muhammad Ali.
Alberto Melian (Argentina) APB wins over Gicharu, Djelkhir, Jiawei, and Chalabiyev were mixed with losses to Jaiwei and Djelkhir. A seasoned performer with the WSB he racked up a 8-1 record including a win over Avagyan. Lost to Vodopyanov in London in 2012 and to Thapa at the 2013 World champs. Lost to DeJesus in the PanAm’s but pulled off a major surprise, defeating Ramirez at the Olympic qualifiers before losing to Stevenson.
Bilel M’Hamdi (Tunisia) Decent enough but he won’t medal.
Suntele Inkulukeko (Lesotho) Out of his class.
Mohamed Hamout (Morocco) seems to have been replaced for some reason by Abdul Omar (Ghana), a much lesser threat.
Chatchai Butdee (Thailand) Asian champion.beat Akhmadaliyev and Eraliyev to win that and also defeated Thapa to win the Asian qualifier. Very experienced, boxed in the last Olymoics-lost to Ramirez-and in five world chanpionships. Won a bronze at the 2013 games at 52kg, losing to Aloian and moved up to 56 to beat Butsenko in the last championship before losing to Akhmadaliyev.
Shiva Thapa (India) 2013 Asian champion has wins over Eraliyev, M’Hamdi, Melian, Ashfaq, and always thereabouts but with losses to Conlon, Asanau, Butdee, Chalabiyev, and Akhmadaliyev suggest he won’t win gold.
Kairat Eraliyev (Kazakhstan) World military champion 2014 and world bronze medalist 2013 where he defeated Ramirez and lost to Chalabiyev. Wins over Avagyan, Thapa, Ashfaq, Kurt Walker(3-0) and a WSB win (2-1) over Conlon last year shows his pedigree. He had his losses too to Butdee, Thapa, Ramirez and Akhmadaliyev. Conlon handled him well in a recent test match in Dublin.
Javid Chalabiyev (Azerbaijan) 2013 World champion when he beat Nikitin, Eraliyev along the way. Boxed a lot in the APB with a surprising lack of success, Melian and DeJesus beat him as did lesser lights Gokcek and Gicharu. Returning to the traditional 3X3 this year he won the Great Silk Road tourney and then beat Avaqyan and Ashfaq to take the Euro qualifier.
Qais Ashfaq (Britain) Lost to Nazirov at the the WorldS IN Doha but gained his Olympic place in the Euro qualifier defeating Butsenko along the route. Lots of wins and losses against the usual suspects, scored over Avagan but dropped to Thapa, Avagan, Eraliyev, Jiawei, Conlon, Butsenko and Asanau.
Aram Avagyan (Armenia). Has boxed nearly them all, defeated Ashfaq, Chalabiyev, Gamal Yafai, and Butsenko but he has losses that include Nikitin, Butsenko, Akhmadaliyev, Ramirez, Melian, Chalabiyev, Asanov and Ashfaq. Will not to be a soft touch but won’t be winning.
Good fighters not yet qualified include from the Americas Lally (Canada), Ruiz (Columbia) Diaz (Venezuela) and Hector Luis Garcia from the Dominican Republic. Asia has the excellent Korean Han Sang-Myeong and from Europe Butsenko of the Ukraine who JJ Nevin beat in the 2013 European final.
This is one difficult weight class to call. Conlon deserves his position at the top but my top ten hasn’t got Djelkhir, Ashfaq, Eraliyev or Melian-all top class operators. Stevenson is young and classy if a bit untested at this level but I see him as Michael’s main danger with his speed. DeJesus is at home and the Chinese is consistent. I feel too much WSB/APB may prove a disadvantage to a lot of the fighters in this division. I may also be criminally underrating the Russian and the Cuban.

1-Conlon
2-Stevenson
3-Robenilson DeJesus
4-Jaiwei Zhang
5-Akhmadaliyev
6-Butdee
7-Nikitin
8-Asanou
9-Cruz
10-Chalabiyev

[DaveyMac]

Shakur Stevenson also won gold at Continentals including the KO of the tourney. He was never even seriously challenged in any of those fights.
Conlon may be better than him but it's hard to fathom how anyone could be right now.

[donnellon]

Stevenson has operated at a much lower level than any of the top ten, including Conlon. Indeed Melian is the only guy he has fought that's world class. All he has won is the Continental Olympic qualifier. I think he is a great talent but so far unproven.

[locoxelbox]

Great list as Always, donnellon . The cubans have replaced Andy Cruz, who doesn´t make the weight anymore (he is up at 64 kg), with Robeisy Ramirez, who failed to qualify in Buenos Aires but still has two more shots.

I also understand Khedafi Djelkhir gave up his Olympic spot due to lack of preparation. He is not allowed to fight in AOB and there have hardly been any APB shows this year. Sounds strange though.

[donnellon]

Thanks, Lecoxelbox. I had heard about Cruz. What happens their places now? Sang Myeong Ham should get a place, No? and Hamout back in? Ramirez should qualify no problem though.