By Shawn Smith
With only one American boxer fighting in Sessions 1, Carlos Zenon Balderas Jr. did what was needed to take a 29-28 decision over Kazakstan’s Berik Abdrakhmanov in the opening round of the men’s lightweight (60kg.) division at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
After losing the first round on two of the three scorecards, Balderas bounced back in the second and third rounds to dominate the latter half of the fight, using his hand speed to trouble his Kazak opponent.
In the second round, Balderas will take on Japan’s Daisuke Narimatsu. The Japanese fighter defeated Venezuela’s Luis Cabrera in Session 1 to advance.
Balderas Jr’s next fight will take place on August 9.
Professional fighter Carmine Tommasone (15-0 as a professional), one of only three professional boxers to take part in the Olympics, advanced to the second round in the men’s lightweight division with a win over Mexico’s Lindolfo Delgado. Tommasone will face Cuba’s Jorge Lazaro Alvarez (ranked first) in the second round.
Session 2 begins today at 4 p.m. EST. United States fighter Nico Miguel Hernandez competes against Italy’s Manuel Cappai.
Quick results:
Men’s light-flyweight (49kg.): Yafai Galal (GBR) def. Simplice Fotsala (CMR)
Men’s light-flyweight (49kg.): Yurberjen Martinez (COL) def. Patrick Lourenco (BRA)
Men’s light-flyweight (49kg.): Samuel Carmona Heredia (ESP) def. Artur Hovhannisyan (ARM)
Men’s lightweight (60kg.): Carmine Tommasone (ITA) def. Lindolfo Delgado (MEX)
Men’s lightweight (60kg.): Daisuke Narimatsu (JPN) def. Luis Cabrera (VEN)
Men’s lightweight (60kg.): Carlos Zenon Balderas Jr.(USA) def. Berik Abdrakhmanov (KAZ)
Men’s light-heavyweight (81kg.): Mehmat Nadir Unal (TUR) def. Hassan Saada (MAR) via walkover.
Men’s light-heavyweight (81kg.): Hrjove Sep (CRO) def. Abdelrahman Salah Orabi (EGY)
Men’s light-heavyweight (81kg.): Joan Nogueira (BRA) def. Eric Jason Whateley (AUS)
