By Alexey Sukachev
In a short pause on the eve of a frenetic boxing weekend, the 18th world amateur boxing championship has been taking place and finally ended yesterday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. 2015 WC was the biggest boxing event this year among unpaid fighters.
The tournament marked the long-awaited comeback of Cuban national team, which achieved top honours for the first time in ten years. Cuba’s driving force were two three-time world champions, who expressed their excellence during the tourney. Light heavyweight Julio Cesar De La Cruz was instrumental in the state’s superiority, easily walking through all of his opponents
Indomitable Lazaro Alvarez added his second world title at lightweight limit following a bantamweight triumph in 2011. He was the only one to score a stoppage in the finals, and he did that (albeit on cuts) against a very dangerous opponent – 2007 world champion Albert Selimov, who represented Russia previously and who is the only man to defeat amateur genius Vasyl Lomachenko in the unpaid ranks. Debutants Arlen Lopez and Yohannys Argylago took top honours for the first time.
Russian team continued its winning traditions in taking the second place in team rankings. Both Vitaliy Dunaytsev and Evgueny Tischenko won their first gold medals, while light flyweight Vasily Yegorov lost to Argylago in his final.
Central Asian republics were by far less successful. Kazakhstan got no top honours whatsoever, being limited to just two silver medals, an extremely poor result for the team, which finished first with four gold medals just two years ago – though on domestic soil.
Uzbekistan won no less than six medals, just one short of Cuba but got no top honours.
As for Team USA, it has probably reached its lowest point in decades. Just four boxers took part in the competitions. Two of them – light flyweight Nico Hernandez and light heavyweight Steve Nelson lost in round 32, while middleweight Anthony Campbell and heavyweight Joshua Temple were eliminated one round later.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Cuba – 4 (gold) – 2 (silver) – 1 (bronze)
2. Russia – 2 – 1 – 1
3. Azerbaijan – 1 – 1 – 2
4. Ireland – 1 – 1 – 1
5-6. Morocco and France – 1 – 0 – 0
7. Uzbekistan – 0 – 3 – 3
8. Kazakhstan – 0 – 2 – 0
9-10. Ukraine and China – 0 – 0 – 2
49 KG / 108 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Roger Ladon (PHI) – Dawid Jagodzinski (POL) – 3:0
2. Vasily Yegorov (RUS) – Gankhuyag Gan-Erdene (MGL) – 3:0
3. Yoahnys Argilago (CUB) – Brendan Irvine (IRL) – 3:0
4. Dmitro Zamotaev (UKR) – Rufat Huseynov (AZE) – 2:1
Semifinals
1. Vasily Yegorov (RUS) – Roger Ladon (PHI) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28 29:28)
2. Yoahnys Argilago (CUB) – Dmitro Zamotaev (UKR) – 3:0 (30:27, 29:28, 29:28)
Final
Yoahnys Argilago (CUB) – Vasily Yegorov (RUS) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28 29:28)
52 KG / 114 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Yosvany Veitia (CUB) – Ceiber Avila (COL) – 3:0
2. Hi Jianguan (CHN) – Olzhas Sattibayev (KAZ) – 3:0
3. Mohammed Flissi (ALG) – David Jimenez (CRC) – 3:0
4. Elvin Mamishzade (AZE) – Muhammad Ali (ENG) – TKO 2
Semifinals
1. Yosvany Veitia (CUB) – Hi Jianguan (CHN) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
2. Elvin Mamishzade (AZE) – Mohammed Flissi (ALG) – TKO 1 (1:50)
Final
Elvin Mamishzade (AZE) – Yosvany Veitia (CUB) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28, 29:28)
56 KG / 123 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Muradzhon Akhmadaliyev (UZB) – Chatchai Butdee (THA) – 3:0
2. Shiva Thapa (IND) – Hakan Erseker (QAT) – 3:0
3. Michael Conlon (IRL) – Tayfur Aliyev (AZE) – 3:0
4. Dmitry Asanov (BLR) – Andy Cruz (CUB) – 3:0
Semifinals
1. Muradzhon Akhmadaliyev (UZB) – Shiva Thapa (IND) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28, 29:28)
2. Michael Conlon (IRL) – Dmitry Asanov (BLR) – 3:0 (30:27, 29:28, 29:28)
Final
Michael Conlon (IRL) – Muradzhon Akhmadaliyev (UZB) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 29:28)
60 KG / 132 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Lazaro Alvarez (CUB) – Timur Belyak (UKR) – 3:0
2. Elnur Abdurakhimov (UZB) – Dorjnyambuu Otgondalai (MGL) – 3:0
3. Albert Selimov (AZE) – Sofiane Oumiha (FRA) – 3:0
4. Robson Conceicao (BRA) – Joseph Cordina (IRL) – 3:0
Semifinals
1. Lazaro Alvarez (CUB) – Elnur Abdurakhimov (UZB) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
2. Albert Selimov (AZE) – Robson Conceicao (BRA) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28, 29:28)
Final
Lazaro Alvarez (CUB) – Albert Selimov (AZE) – TKO 2 (2:52 – on cuts)
64 KG / 141 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Yasnier Toledo Lopez (CUB) – Hovhannes Bachkov (ARM) – 3:0
2. Vitaliy Dunaytsev (RUS) – Lorenzo Sotomayor (AZE) – 3:0
3. Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (UZB) – Vincenzo Magnicapre (ITA) – 3:0
4. Wuttichai Masuk (THA) – Danielito Zorilla (PUR) – 3:0
Semifinals
1. Vitaliy Dunaytsev (RUS) – Yasnier Toledo Lopez (CUB) – 2:1 (27:30, 29:28, 29:28)
2. Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (UZB) – Wuttichai Masuk (THA) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
Final
Vitaliy Dunaytsev (RUS) – Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (UZB) – 2:1 (27:30, 29:28, 29:28)
69 KG / 152 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Daniyar Yeleusinov (KAZ) – Eumir Marcial (PHI) – 3:0
2. Parviz Bagirov (AZE) – Rosniel Iglesias Sotolongo (CUB) – 2:1
3. Liu Wei (CHN) – Eimantas Stanionis (LTH) – 2:1
4. Mohammed Rabi (MOR) – Joshua Kelly (ENG) – 3:0
Semifinals
1. Daniyar Yeleusinov (KAZ) – Parviz Bagirov (AZE) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
2. Mohammed Rabi (MOR) – Liu Wei (CHN) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 29:28)
Final
Mohammed Rabi (MOR) – Daniyar Yeleusinov (KAZ) – 3:0 (30:27, 29:28, 29:28)
75 KG / 165 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Arlen Lopez (CUB) – Marlon Delgado (ECU) – 3:0
2. Hossam Bakr Abdin (EGY) – Vikas Krishan (IND) – 3:0
3. Bektemir Melikuziyev (UZB) – Petr Khamukov (RUS) – 2:1
4. Michael O’Reilly (IRL) – Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (KAZ) – 2:1
Semifinals
1. Arlen Lopez (CUB) – Hossam Bakr Abdin (EGY) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
2. Bektemir Melikuziyev (UZB) – Michael O’Reilly (IRL) – 2:1 (30:27, 29:28, 27:30)
Final
Arlen Lopez (CUB) – Bektemir Melikuziyev (UZB) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28, 29:28)
81 KG / 178 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Elshod Rasulov (UZB) – Adilbek Niyazimbetov (KAZ) – 3:0
2. Joe Ward (IRL) – Mikhail Dauglivets (BLR) – 3:0
3. Pavel Silyagin (RUS) – Peter Mullenberg (NED) – 3:0
4. Julio Cesar De la Cruz (CUB) – Jrvoje Sep (CRO) – 3:0
Semifinals
1. Joe Ward (IRL) – Elshod Rasulov (UZB) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28, 29:28)
2. Julio Cesar De la Cruz (CUB) – Pavel Silyagin (RUS) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
Final
Julio Cesar De la Cruz (CUB) – Joe Ward (IRL) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27)
91 KG / 201 LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Erislandy Savon (CUB) – Rustam Tulyaganov (UZB) – 3:0
2. Abdulkadir Abdullayev (AZE) – Yamil Peralta (ARG)
3. Evgueniy Tischenko (RUS) – Roy Korving (NED) – 3:0
4. Gevorg Manukyan (UKR) – Vasily Levit (KAZ) – 2:1
Semifinals
1. Erislandy Savon (CUB) – Abdulkadir Abdullayev (AZE) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 29:28)
2. Evgueniy Tischenko (RUS) – Gevorg Manukyan (UKR) – 3:0 (30:27, 29:28, 29:28)
Final
Evgueniy Tischenko (RUS) – Erislandy Savon (CUB) – 3:0 (30:27, 29:28, 29:28)
91+ KG / 201+ LBS
Quarterfinals
1. Ivan Dychko (KAZ) – Florian Schulz (GER) – 3:0
2. Bakhodyr Zhololov (UZB) – Hussein Eshaish Iashaish (JRD) – 3:0
3. Joseph Joyce (ENG) – Ali Eren Demirezen (TUR) – 3:0
4. Tony Yoka (FRA) – Filip Hrgovic (CRO) – 2:1
Semifinals
1. Ivan Dychko (KAZ) – Bakhodyr Zhololov (UZB) – 2:1 (30:27, 30:27, 28:29)
2. Tony Yoka (FRA) – Joseph Joyce (ENG) – 3:0 (30:27, 30:27, 29:28)
Final
Tony Yoka (FRA) – Ivan Dychko (KAZ) – 3:0 (29:28, 29:28, 29:28)