Boxing News

Reigning Olympic Champion and Chinese national hero Zou Shiming made a perfect start at the World Combat Games in Beijing yesterday.

The 29-year-old two-time World Champion triumphed over 17-year-old Dawid Jagodzinski of Poland before the end of his opening contest when the referee stopped the unequal light flyweight class fight in the third round.

Zou Shiming advanced to the semi-final where he will face 18-year-old talented Dominican youth boxer Juan Gabriel Medina who defeated Muhibullah of Pakistan in his quarter-final bout. The Chinese star is preparing with full speed for the Asian Games, which will be held in Guangzhou in November, where he is also the defending champion.

Boxers from each AIBA Confederation except Oceania are taking part in the 1st World Combat Games in Beijing, where other martial arts and sports are also fighting for medals. The men’s boxing event is being held using the official AIBA rules and the new weight classes valid from September 1: 49, 52, 56, 60, 64, 69, 75, 81, 91 and +91kg.

Olympic Games and World Championships quarter-finalist Anvar Yunusov of Tajikistan was unexpectedly defeated by local youngster Zhang Jiawei in a close bout. The final verdict was 2:2 but the Chinese boxer won the 56kg weight class contest by accepted scores.

Wales’s Commonwealth Games candidate 22-year-old Chris Jenkins celebrated his victory over Pakistan’s Amir Khan in the 64kg weight division by a large 14:4 margin.

Tajikistan’s newcomer at international level, Navruz Jafoyev, won his first quarter-final bout against Nisar Khan of Pakistan, while strong Vladimir Milevskij of Lithuania surprisingly defeated AIBA World Championships quarter-finalist Asadullo Boimuradov from Kyrgyzstan who went up from welterweight to middleweight this year due his loss in the Kyrgyz National Championships in February.

Milan World Championships competitor Ahmad Al-Teimat of Jordan also moved up a division into heavyweight and on his debut the 23-year-old boxer knocked out Lukas Viktora of the Czech Republic to secure at least a bronze medal in Beijing.

Olympic Games silver medalist and World Championships bronze medalist Zhang Zhilei of China also had a good start in the Games, hammering Aidas Petruskevicius of Lithuania en route to the gold medal.

Romanian boxers also had a perfect first day in Beijing, with experienced heavyweight Constantin Bejenaru advancing to the semi-final when his newcomer opponent Myktybek Mamasaliyev of Kyrgyzstan abandoned the fight in the second round, while super heavyweight Mihai Nistor also won his first bout.

Article & Photo: The AIBA