LIVERPOOL, England – Today marked the end of the quarters and the beginning of the semi-finals at the World Boxing Championships.
It was again an action packed day at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, with some of the best Olympic style boxers from around the world competing. The fight of the day has to go to the super heavyweight semi-final between Cuba’s two-time Olympic gold medalist Julio Cesar La Cruz and Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay. The great Cuban found himself a round down after the first and was forced to uncharacteristically push the pace in the second. La Cruz displayed some beautiful work in the session, fighting with his hands down but still dominating the action. Strangely, La Cruz again found himself down on the cards after the second and was forced to go for the kill in the third.
It was vintage La Cruz, slipping, sliding, and planting his right hand into the face of Oralbay who had no answers. A count was awarded after a one sided round and there was a chance La Cruz could be awarded the session 10-8, enough to take the win. Unfortunately he was out of luck and Kazakhstan’s Oralbay was awarded the contest by split-decision. The fans did not take to the decision too kindly, and the boos started to bellow around the arena. The crowd felt they had been robbed of a cracking super heavyweight final between La Cruz and Uzbekistan’s Jakhongir Zokirov, who won the other semi-final. Zokirov looked dangerous, as he has all tournament, and gave China’s Danabieke Bayikewuzi two counts on his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Zokirov wasn’t the only fighter from Uzbekistan to secure their place in the finals. Turabek Khabibullaev booked his place with a dominant win over Spain’s Enmanuel Reyes Pla at 90kg. In fact it was an undefeated day for the Uzbeks, with Fazliddin Erkinboev (75kg), Abdumalik Khalokov (60kg), Navbakhor Khamidova (Women’s 65kg), Akmaljon Isroilov (85kg) and Sabina Bobokulova (Women’s 48kg) all advancing in their respective categories. One of the tournament’s best performers, Brazil’s Luiz Gabriel De Oliveira, booked himself a spot in the 60kg final with a hard fought win over Bulgaria’s Radoslav Rosenov.
It wasn’t all bad news for Bulgaria, with Rami Kiwan defeating local favorite Callum Makin in a close fight in the 75kg semi-final. He will now face Erkinboev in the final tomorrow. England’s Teagan Stott advanced to tomorrow’s 85kg semi final with a stoppage win over Bulgaria’s Semion Boldirev. It wasn’t to be for England’s Alice Pumphrey who fell to India’s Minakshi Minakshi in the Women’s 48kg quarter finals.
Full list of results from Day 8:
Session 1: https://www.worldboxingliverpool.com/_files/ugd/8876a4_d2e4795a78df41ec9c42303dde5823d3.pdf
