By Cliff Rold

With Team USA eliminated from the competition, even the most devoted American Boxing fans still watching the Olympic Games are left with the best of the rest of the world as the Gold Medal rounds play out.  The first day, and five divisions, of the closing aspect of Boxing’s marathon competition are in the books and, even with some more bizzaro scoring to weather at times, any fight fan can agree on one matter.

20-year old Ukrainian Featherweight Vasyl Lomachenko is outstanding TV. 

The Silver Medalist at the 2007 World championships now stands alone atop the world after absolutely annihilating France’s Khedafi Djelkhir on Saturday afternoon; more on that in a moment. 

Throughout these 2008 Beijing Games, report cards have been offered on the individual performances of members of Team USA.  For the last two days of the Games, grades for both winner and loser will be assessed along with an overall grade for the fight itself.  No matter the opinions on how some of the fights have gone, the hard work and heart each finalist has applied over the years to get to these, the biggest days of the amateur Boxing calendar, certainly merits respect around the globe. 

Love the fighters; feel free to hate the judges and referees.

Flyweight (112 lbs.): Somjit Jongjohor-Andris Laffita Hernandez

The 33-year old Thailander Jongjohor, a second-time Olympian, found the Gold Medal which eluded him in Athens at the expense of Cuba’s 30-year old Hernandez.  The fight was an awkward battle of southpaws from the outset with Jongjohor looking to stay well outside, potshot for points and tie up on the inside.  Slips, hip tosses and occasional punches worked for him as he built a lead of 6-0 through two rounds.  By the end, it was 8-2 and Gold as Hernandez continually walked into traps and had not plan B in trying to overcome a scoring deficit.  He continued to walk forward in straight lines, throwing the same unvaried collection of jabs and power attempts. 

Did it read awkward above?  Truth told the contest was really just ugly and bad.  Thailand has a robust professional scene and the fact that a man Jongjohor’s age is still rocking the headgear said to the world that fights with a lot of fighting just ain’t his thing.  The Olympics provides an alternative outlet and the victor gets credit for his mastery of style.

Grades: Jongjohor B+; Hernandez B-

Fight: C-

Light Welterweight (141 lbs.): Felix Diaz-Manus Boonjumnong

The 24-year old Diaz of the Dominican Republic, a second-time Olympian, has been one the best stories out of Beijing and one of the more watchable battlers.  His semi-finals win was an ugly, controversial affair, but for the most part his aggressive style has meant fights breaking out.  Unlike his Thai teammate Jongjohor, the defending Olympic Gold Medal winner Boonjumnong is willing to get in the trenches and went well to the body, but there is no aversion to holding and moving either.  Through four fights it worked, but in a fatal fifth, Diaz turned in a performance that would have made American greats Henry Armstrong and Aaron Pryor proud.  He moved his hands for most of eight minutes and would not be denied. 

A southpaw, both men did some great bodywork in the early going of the first without getting points for their work.  The first ended tied 1-1 but the story of the bout was set; Thai clinches would be met with violent escape flurries from Diaz.  Diaz’s assault continued in the second even if the scoring didn’t reflect it, ending tied at 2-2, but in the third Diaz blew the fight open so wide that even button mashers couldn’t avoid it, outscoring his man 8-1.  He closed in the final frame with two more points to Boonjumnong’s one, winning Gold by a mark of 12-4.  Diaz gets special notice here because of what the future could hold.  He may or may not be a future professional champion, but it’s certain that he’ll be worth paying to see if he decides to try.  Diaz should be an excellent new face in the moneyed Welterweight arena in the years to come.

Grades: Diaz A+; Boonjumnong B-

Fight: B+

Middleweight (165 lbs.): James Degale-Emilio Correa   

Cuba’s 22-year old Correa came into Beijing looking to match his father’s 1972 Gold Medal accolades.  He will have to wait for 2012 for another chance to do so as history went home with Britain’s 22-year old James Degale captured the island nation’s first Gold since 1968.  It wasn’t a pretty fight, and displayed a ton of the things everyone claims to hate about Olympic Boxing, but it was also entertaining in a mad science/chaos kind of way. 

Among the sights on display, besides decent punches, were a bite to the chest from Correa late in the first as Correa fell behind first 4-1 and then 6-1 on the ensuing foul penalty.  Degale did a good job of countering the pressuring Correa when he needed to early but the Cuban’s reaction to clinches actually made odd sense.  A tackle in the second round, headlocks…the litany of things Correa was willing to do to force a fight was endless.  It almost worked.  Degale, up 11-5 in the third, was penalized two points in the third and Correa began hooking his left arm around Degale on the side away from the referee and complaining of more holds to close the scoring gap further.  A beautiful idea as he received another two points to further tighten things before being near dropped by Degale rushing in.  The fight would finish 16-14, but both men worked their butts off towards victory, ugly or not.  Degale should be able to parlay his Medal into a boatload of cash in a booming British Boxing market, hot on the heels of 2004 amateur sensation Amir Khan and ready to replace aging stars Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe.

Grades: Degale B+; Correa B

Fight: B

Heavyweight (201 lbs.): Rakhim Chakiev-Clemente Russo

Chakhiev avenged his loss to Russo in last year’s world finals by a score of 4-2.  NBC didn’t even bother with what was a sluggish fight but acute viewers could have found it on Telemundo in full.  The Spanish commentary was more interesting than the awkward action.  Chakhiev comes to fight; Russo comes hoping not to.  Russo lost.  That’s the best can be said of this one.

Grades: Chakhiev B; Russo B-

Fight: D

Featherweight (125 lbs.): Lomachenko-Djelkhir

   

Though the second fight of the day, this corner saves the best for last.  For as long as it lasted, this was an all-out fist fight between two pressuring warriors.  France’s Djelkhir, who was fortunate to see the Medal rounds after a controversial second round two-point advance past America’s Raynell Williams where Williams received no credit for more than half-dozen clean blows, didn’t need to worry about the scores and didn’t come looking for them in the first place.  He might have been better off if he had.

The southpaw Djelkhir struck first, stalking and ripping to the ribs.  That was about it for him.  Lomachenko let loose a right hook up top, then a hurting left, a thudding right to the body and followed with a stream of offense leading to a standing eight from the referee.  It was rinse/repeat right away as Lomachenko went to work with rights and lefts, keeping Djelkhir hurt and forcing a second standing eight.  Another all-out fusillade of blows was punctuated by a vicious left to the chin along the ropes, standing the Frenchman up and bringing the referee in to stop the fight with less than twenty seconds to go in the first.  Lomachenko officially led 9-1 at the time of the stoppage and that was conservative.

Folks who have followed the Games closely have to be excited about the prospects of a professional Lomachenko.  If the brothers Klitschko were the Ukraine’s heavyweight crossover bridge, he may just be positioned to be his nation’s Ray Leonard and a legitimate global star.  Standing 5’7, he should grow quickly into Lightweight contention.  Through five Olympic bouts, he was an absolute machine.  His closest win was by seven points and he was reliably must-see throughout.  On Sunday, he will likely receive Val Barker honors as the Games best fighter.  Millions may await from there.

Grades: Lomachenko A+; Djelkhir B

Fight: A

And now it turns to the final day before the torch goes dark and the calendar looks four years ahead…

Falling behind on your Olympic boxing intake? Catch up by clicking on the following link for the complete archive of Boxingscene.com’s unmatched Olympic coverage:

BOXINGSCENE.COM 2008 OLYMPIC BOXING CATALOG

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com