By Jake Donovan
The boos from the London crowd wasn't an indication of poor scoring, simply poor sportsmanship on their part as Great Britain's Andrew Selby was eliminated from flyweight competition.
Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba proved too much to handle for the hosting nation's fighter, scoring a 16-11 win to advance to Friday's semifinals.
The irony of the boos raining down at the end of each round was that it was a rare bout that featured accurate scoring. Ramirez jumped out to an early lead, while Selby simply struggled to switch gears once it became obvious that Plan A wasn't working.
Ramirez proved to be too wise for the Welsh fighter, never slowing down in watching an early lead prove insurmountable. He will go on to face Michael Conlan of Ireland, who rode a late rally to barely outlast Nordine Oubaali of France in a 22-18 win.
Both fighters went tooth and nail through the first six minutes of action, battling to a 5-5 tie after one and 12-12 through two. The scoring was dead-on accurate, as neither fighter managed sustained momentum at any point during the first two rounds.
Conlan powered through in the third and final round, a little bit quicker to the punch as Oubaali tried and tried but came up just short.
The flyweight semifinals take place Friday, August 10. The winners advance to Sunday's finals; losers will share the bronze.
Defending World amateur champion Misha Aloyan became the first male fighter from Russia and third overall from the squad to advance to the medal round in the 2012 London Games. The journey was relatively easy, boxing his way to a 23-13 win over Puerto Rico's Jeyvier Cintron.
Aloyan was in control for the most part, though Cintron offered a far more competitive effort than was suggested in the final scores. A third round knockdown for Cintron was ruled a slip by the referee, who in turn issued a standing eight count to the Puerto Rican later in the frame, thus sealing his fate.
The loss by Cintron marks the end of the road for Team Puerto Rico, who has been shut out of medal competition for its fifth straight Olympics. The island's last medalist was Daniel Santos, who captured Olympic bronze in the 1996 Games.
Aloyan is now guaranteed a medal, joining female counterparts Sofiya Ochigava and Nadezjda Torlopova in the semifinals. He will next face Tugsttogt Nyambayar of Mongolia, who scored a minor upset in a 15-10 win over Uzbekistan's Jusurbek Lapitov.
Nyambayar proved to be a tough out even after barely trailing through the end of one. The Mongolian flyweight never wilted, claiming the lead after two and forcing a standing eight count in a dominant third round to secure his place in the semifinals.
Flyweight Quarterfinals (Tuesday, August 7):
Misha Aloyan (Russia) def. Jeyvier Cintron (Puerto Rico), 23-13
Tugstsogt Nyambayar (Mongolia) def.
Jasurbek Latipov (Uzbekistan), 15-10
Michael Conlan (Ireland) def. Nordine Oubaali, 22-18
Robeisy Ramirez (Cuba) def. Andrew Selby (Great Britain), 16-11
Flyweight Semifinals (Medal round - Friday, August 10)
Misha Aloyan (Russia) vs. Tugstsogt Nyambayar (Mongolia)
Michael Conlan (Ireland) vs. Robeisy Ramirez (Cuba)
Round of 16 Matchups (Friday, August 3):
Misha Aloyan (Russia) def. Samir Brahimi (Algeria), 14-9
Jeyvier Cintron (Puerto Rico) def. Juliao Henriques Neto (Brazil)
, 18-13
Jasurbek Latipov (Uzbekistan) def. Hesham Abdelaal (Egypt), 21-11
Tugstsogt Nyambayar (Mongolia) def. Vincenzo Picardi (Italy), 17-16
Nordine Oubaali (France) def. Rau'shee Warren (United States), 19-18
Michael Conlan (Ireland) def. Duke Michah (Ghana), 19-8
Robeisy Ramirez (Cuba) def. Chatchai Butdee (Thailand), 22-10
Andrew Selby (Great Britain) def. Ilyas Suleimenov (Kazakhstan), 19-15
Flyweight - Round of 32 Results (Monday, July 30):
Samir Brahimi (Algeria) def. Jackson Darren Woods (Australia), 14-12
Juliao Henriques Neto (Brazil) def. Jong Chol Pak (North Korea), 12-8
Jeyvier Cintron (Puerto Rico) def. Oteng Oteng (Botswana), 14-12
Hesham Abdelaal (Egypt) def. Benson Njangiru (Kenya), 19-16
Tugstsogt Nyambayar (Mongolia) def. Elvin Mamishzada (Azerbaijan), 18-11
Nordine Oubaali (France) def. Ajmal Faisal (Afghanistan), 22-9
Duke Micah (Ghana) def. Jason Lavigilante (Mauritius), 18-14
Chatchai Butdee (Thailand) def. Selcuk Eker (Turkey), 34-10
Robeisy Ramirez (Cuba) def. Katsuaki Susa (Japan), 19-7
Ilyas Suleimenov (Kazakhstan) def. Salomo Ntuve (Sweden),
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter:
@JakeNDaBox
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