by Cliff Rold
For the first time as a participant in Olympic Boxing, the U.S. Men will leave without a single Medal. After a 2008 showing ending with a single Bronze at Heavyweight, the U.S. suffered its eighth and ninth losses in a row, the entire team exiting before the quarterfinals have even begun. It is, without hyperbole, the worst showing ever for Team USA. Flyweight Rau’shee Warren and Welterweight Errol Spence both fell on points on Friday at the London Games.
It shouldn’t have been that way. Middleweight Terrell Gausha lost a highly debatable nod on Thursday versus Vijender Singh of India. Welterweight Errol Spence topped any controversy there in suffering as despicable a verdict as this Games has seen short of the eventually overturned Satoshi Shimizu loss to Magomed Abdulhamidov at Bantamweight earlier this week.
Warren had no such complaint. The 25-year old out of Cincinnati, Ohio started strong but made the mistake of fighting not to lose against a 26-year old Nordine Oubaali of France who fought to win. The tactical difference made all the difference in the fight, Warren blowing an early lead and watching Oubaali move on the round of eight.
Oubaali and Warren went right to work at the opening bell, Warren the southpaw getting off early with some solid counters from the southpaw stance. The fellow southpaw Oubaali was shaken by a counter but collected himself and was quickly back to firing. Oubaali landed a nice lead right and was doing a good job working in the clinches. Warren did a good job slipping shots and closed with some quick, connecting blows to take a 9-6 lead.
Warren came out fast again in the second, his lead right touching. Oubaali landed a lacing left and Warren went to the back foot and clinch strategy, seeking counters. Warren showed nice defensive skills but wasn’t moving his hands as much as in the first while Oubaali was doing work to cut into his lead. Warren struck with a counter left just inside the last minute but Oubaali got the point back with a left in the final thirty seconds. Down the stretch, it was Oubaali doing the fighting and Warren’s lead shrunk to one in a 7-5 Oubaali round.
Oubaali caught Warren with a big left as the third got going, Warren having to adjust his headgear. Warren clinched to slow Oubaali but Oubaali was having none of it, busting Warren as he stepped out. Warren came back with two right hands but neither landed clean. Oubaali landed a short left inside as they headed past the halfway mark, a gritty determination carrying the Frenchman. Warren landed a big left and right in the final fifteen seconds but Oubaali answered with his own effort before the bell. Oubaali appeared to win the round by a healthy margin but managed only a 6-4 advantage.
It was enough and Oubaali earned it. Warren, losing in his Olympic debut bout for the third Games in a row, was understandably dejected. “He was a great fighter. He was hungry. He kept coming forward. The first round I felt like I was too hyper…I’m more upset with myself because I wasn’t controlling the tempo.” Warren explained he was trying to score one at a time and not fight in combination, a baffling assessment considering he won the first by three rounds.
Perhaps it is fair to say Warren thought himself out of the fight. It is fairer to say Oubaali fought him out of the tournament. Warren indicated a move to the pro ranks and can still hold his head high as a devoted member of Team USA for the last three Olympics.
The fate of 22-year old Errol Spence of Dallas, Texas was different. Spence rebounded from a first round deficit to lay a whooping on 20-year old Krishan Vikas of India. Vikas, being battered, used all manner of stall tactics to protect his lead and was rewarded by errant judging after three rounds by a score of 13-11 in a fight he simply did not lose. Team USA has filed an appeal.
Spence came out firing in a battle of southpaws, Vikas working the perimeter. Vikas launched a couple big lead rights, Spence blocking them. Spence missed a right off a double jab. Vikas landed a left to the ribs. Spence would answer with the same. The body work continued for Vikas and he blocked well upstairs as Spence pursued. Vikas kept his distance and then some, stepping in with quick punches. Vikas snuck in a left in the final seconds and went to the corner with a 4-2 lead.
It was an offensive explosion turning the tide in the second. Spence fought all out, scoring big shots and forcing Vikas to hold constantly. Early, Vikas let his hands go but he wasn’t landing and Spence started to find his range. Spence backed Vikas up with two slightly blocked overhand lefts and ripped clean shots to the body. Vikas came back to the body but in the final minute it was all Spence. Letting his hands go, Spence was landing in close and rocked Vikas with a right and left late. Vikas spit out his mouthpiece, one could argue intentionally, and Spence nailed him with a massive left when action resumed. It was a strong frame for the Dallas native but he was given only a 7-6 edge.
In the third, Vikas did everything but fight. With Spence literally holding his arms wide in multiple spots, the referee took his sweet time forcing breaks on blatant holds. Spence started with a big volley as Vikas covered. A left landed for Spence high on the head and he would add a left to the body out of a clinch. A clean left to the head landed with Vikas on the ropes and a big overhand landed at center ring at the halfway mark. A body shot landed in a three-punch combination as Spence did most of the fighting, Vikas cautioned for holding. A Spence right landed in a close exchange, and then a winging left to the body. Two muffled rights touched Vikas as he attempted to hold. Vikas closed on the run, rarely throwing much less landing in round three.
Somehow, the judges laughably saw Vikas outlanding Spence 4-3 in the final round. Vikas left the ring with a look of shame, shaking his head and staring at the floor. What else can one do when they win a decision without honor? The referee even seemed shocked, beginning to raise the arm of Spence before the ridiculous nod was announced.
It was, simply, a terrible call.
Spence kept his composure in the post-fight interviews, choking back tears. “I feel; like they took it from me…I’m just gonna’ come back even stronger.” Asked if he felt he won, Spence said, “I felt like I scored more shots than him but it’s been going that way…I gave it my all. I gave it everything.”
He did just that and they took it from him anyways.
After this tough showing, seven U.S. men can head home knowing they just lost. Two, Terrell Gausha and Errol Spence, will head home wondering what could have been. If there is justice, Errol Spence will join Shimizu in being rewarded a second chance to overcome an inarguable wrong. It is an unlikely outcome.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
