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Day 11 of the Olympic Games: Cuban Erislandy Alvarez and Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzyniak win gold

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Erislandy Alvarez ensured that Cuba did not leave the Paris Olympics without a boxing gold medal, defeating Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha 3-2 on Wednesday to win the gold medal in the men’s 63.5 kg weight category at the Paris Games.

Cuba, long a powerhouse in Olympic boxing, has only left the Olympics without a boxing gold medal once since 1968, when it won four silver medals but no gold at the 2008 Beijing Games. To avoid a repeat performance, Alvarez would need to beat a local boxer eager to cap off his successful amateur career with the sport’s top prize.

Alvarez, 24, started the fight aggressively against the 29-year-old Oumiha, closing the distance and landing side hooks against the mobile Oumiha, whose defense helped him avoid some, but not all, of the ponderous punches. The robust start allowed Alvarez to win the first round on all five cards. Needing a tactical change to turn the tide of the fight, Oumiha began to stand his ground and counterattack. Alvarez also made adjustments, using a left hook to the middle to open up opportunities for left hooks around the guard. Oumiha responded by taking a step back from the exchanges and trying to fill the gap with left hooks. Oumiha was able to win the second round on three cards, giving him the smallest window to pull the match out before the third.

Alvarez won the final round 4-1 with his aggression, securing the victory and denying Oumiha the gold he had been chasing since winning silver at the 2016 Rio Games. Oumiha burst into tears after the decision, and Alvarez, a former gymnast, celebrated by doing a backflip in the middle of the ring.

Oleksandr Khyzyniak, silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, managed to exorcise the demons of three years ago by defeating Nurbek Oralbai of Kazakhstan and winning 3-2 on points in the men’s 80 kg final.

The constant aggression that is typical of Khyzniak’s style left Oralbay’s nose bleeding. Oralbay did his best to keep up the pace, looking for opportunities to counterattack, but Khyzniak’s deceptively good defense and unrealistic tempo made this a arduous task.

The fight was even in the third round, with each boxer leading by two cards, and the fifth was even. The pace began to take its toll on Oralbay, who began to give way and touch the ropes. Khyzniak took advantage of Oralbay’s exhaustion, mixing in a left hook as Oralbay faltered, stumbling from exhaustion at the final bell.

Khyzhniak, 29, from Poltava, Ukraine, had reached the gold-medal match three years earlier but was knocked out in the third round by Hebert Conceicao Sousa with seconds remaining in a fight he had dominated from the start.

Two gold medal matches are scheduled for Thursday’s session. In the women’s 54 kg final, China’s Chang Yuan will face Turkey’s Hatice Akbas, while in the men’s 51 kg final, Hasanboy Dusmatov from Uzbekistan will face France’s Billal Bennama.

Full results

Women 57 kg – semi-finals

Lin Yu Ting (TPE) 5:0 Esra Yildiz Kahraman (TUR)

Julia Szeremeta (POL) 4:1 Nesthy Petecio (PHI)

Men +92kg – semi-finals

Bakhodir Jalolov (UZB) 5-0 Nelvie Raman Tiafack (GER)

Ayoub Ghadfa Drissi El Aissaoui (ESP) Djamili-Dini Aboudou Moingze (FRA)

Men 63.5 kg – final

Erislandy Alvarez (Cuba) 3:2 Sofiane Oumiha (FRA)

Men 80kg – Final

Oleksandr Khyzhniak (UKR) 3-2 Nurbek Oralbay (KAZ)

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BrianNorman Jr. prepares his father for a shocking comeback after 14 years

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Norman vs Hackett

Undefeated twenty-four-year-old welterweight world champion Brian Norman Jr. he has been coached by his father, Brian Norman Sr., since he was seven years elderly. They changed course and Junior is now training Senior for his February 15 boxing match against Greg Hackett in Atlanta, Georgia.

The long-running feud between Brian Sr. and Hackett came to a head in November when the two participated on Coach Malachi’s Tru Media podcast. Things got heated when Norman told Hackett, “As an opponent, you were getting $400 to basically lose. You lose for a living.

Shortly thereafter, it was decided that they would lace them up and settle them in the ring. The event will be broadcast live on BLK Prime PPV.

Norman (17-11, 5 KO) from Atlanta and Greg Hackett (3-23) from Philadelphia will decide the result in a six-round lightweight heavyweight fight.

“I’m trained by a world champion who I trained to become that world champion,” Brian Sr. said. “He has the knowledge that I gave him. Now he can see this vision of what he is telling me, which is the same thing I was telling him. At the same time, he can visualize himself through me, observing how I respond to instructions. Ultimately, he helps himself as much, if not more, than he helps me.”

So, Junior, you’re getting him back after everything Dad’s been through all these years?

“Has it been a wonderful journey so far,” Brian Norman Jr. said. “I see a lot of similarities between me and him, mainly the drive for self-determination and the desire. It was a wonderful experience to witness. There were a few times when Dad got tired and wanted to stop and I shouted “no, two more rounds.” I have to push him, you know? We don’t like to lose – we’re both very competitive and I see that in him all day long.

“I like the way this fight turned out and it’s good for boxing,” Hackett said. “There’s no animosity here, but I’m going to hate him for eighteen minutes of our fight. There are many people who say they don’t want to go there, but we will go there. I’ve been training since the day it happened. It’s going to be a good fight. I think he’ll push it because he’s a bigger guy, but skill-wise I’m the better player. I just have to be prepared for whatever he brings to the table and make him pay for his mistakes. I will win this fight, whether by knockout or decision. I will win this fight.”

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Deontay Wilder: Warning against throwing in the towel on the fat suit myth

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Deontay Wilder is preparing to return to boxing this year and will face an opponent who has lost eleven times in Curtis Harper.

Wilder is on a losing streak, winning just once in his last five fights. The first of these four defeats remains a huge bone of contention. Wilder exploded with emotion after a one-sided rematch in February 2020 at the MGM Grand.

The “Brown Bomber” blamed everyone but himself for what happened when Fury beat him and put him through seven painful rounds. WBN witnessed the fight in the smoke-filled Garden Arena. Despite the sight, it was clear that Fury was the much better fighter that night.

Fury brought Steward SugarHill into his corner to make him more aggressive. The tactic paid off brilliantly as he regained the world heavyweight title. However, this was not what became the story of the event. Unfortunately, Deontay Wilder took that away from the “Gypsy King” with his post-fight accusations.

Wilder’s main target under his deal was Mark Breland. His longtime coach threw in the towel when the Tuscaloosa player came under massive fire and stared at his feet. But that’s not where Breland went wrong. Wilder’s problem was that the 1984 Olympic gold medalist ignored his previous instructions and never used a towel to end one of his fights.

That’s why Wilder was so irate, as he later told Brian Custer in “The Last Stand.”

“I have been preaching for five years. Never give up on Deontay Wilder,” said the former WBC champion.

The 36-year-old believed he could detonate on Fury at any time due to his one-punch KO skills.

“Deontay Wilder is never out until this is all over, because of my heart, my will and the strength I have. And yes, I really feel like he was part of it and it’s not my place to explain that to anyone. I said my peace and let out my emotions. I said it. People can believe what they want.”

Another story that got out of hand was the massive suit excuse. Wilder pointed out that he only mentioned something behind the scenes and someone in the media blew it up.

“They actually overheard something in the locker room,” Wilder explained. “I’m not justifying the costume. The costume was a bit massive. But it wasn’t enough to make me feel the way I felt in the ring. It wasn’t enough that I had no legs.

Strangely, however, Wilder blamed this part on someone who potentially gave him a demanding time. He will strive to ensure that the decision never falls on Malik Scott, who replaced Breland as coach.

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Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).

If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.

“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”

29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.

Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.

“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”

Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.

The next move is Badou Jack’s.

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