By Terence Dooley
Liverpool’s Anthony Fowler has admitted that he was soundly beaten by Kazakhstan’s Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in Rio and that he knew he had a tough task on his hands heading into the middleweight encounter.
Out-scored by margins of 30-26, twice, and 30-27, Fowler exits the Games after failing to overcome his first hurdle and will not head into the Round of 16. The 25-year-old emerged bloodied and bruised against the former World Champion, he will now have to consider his options.
“I knew when I saw the draw I was up against it,” admitted Fowler when speaking to The Guardian. “He was world champion a few years back.”
Fowler believed that the tide turned against him irrevocably following a second-round knockdown that he struggled to shrug off in the final stanza.
“I thought I won the first round, definitely, then he caught me with a shot,” he added. “I didn't see it. After that I was chasing the game. It wasn't meant to be. I've lost to a few southpaws the last few years.”
The winner heads into the Final 16 and will box again on Friday as he bids to make the showcase final.
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