The 2009 AIBA President's Cup in Baku continued to captivate the Serhedchi Olympic Sport Complex crowd who witnessed  a thrilling climax to the bantamweight clash between two old rivals in this afternoon's third session.

Europe 1's Samir Mammadov of Azerbaijan, the 2007 AIBA World Championship flyweight bronze medalist, and Orzubek Shayimov of Asia 1, met during the 2006 AIBA World Junior Championships of 2006. On that occasion Shayimov came out on top. 

On home territory, however, Mammadov took the initiative and held a 3:2 lead after two rounds, moving well and varying the direction of his attacks. But in the final round, perhaps trying too hard to please the fans, he began trading punches with his Uzbekistani opponent and soon found himself 4:3 down.

By this stage both coaches had become so vociferous that both were asked by the referee to withdraw from their respective corners. Mammadov managed to draw level at 4:4 but it was not enough and Shayimov edged it, 12:11 on the judges' accepted scores.

Elsewhere, there was a terrific "battle of the body-snatchers" at featherweight where Dmitry Polyansky of Europe 1 and Luis Enrique Porozo Mina of America 2 swapped body punches like they were going out of fashion. Amazingly, neither man tired, but the Russian ran out a 10:2 winner  thanks to his marginally greater accuracy.

Olympic bronze medalist Vicenzo Picardi of Europe 1 and AIBA World Championship bronze medalist Botirjon Mahmudov of Asia 2, both lost unexpectedly, the Italian to the immensely impressive young Indian Singh Suranjoy of Asia 1 at 51kg and the Uzbekistani to the equally impressive Chiger Jaoid from Africa, who obliged Mahmudov to take two standing eight counts in their welterweight match.

Chiger will move forward to meet Europe 1's Suhrab Shidaev, who won a classic contest with Esquiva Florentino of America 1. Both men  "boxed and banged" in equal measure before Russia's Shidaev shaded the verdict 8:6 over the Brazilian.

Session 4

Europe moves into the ascendancy

The two European teams moved clear of the field after the fourth session of the AIBA President's Cup in Baku. AIBA World Championship super-heavyweight runner-up Roman Kapitonenko was among the winners for Europe 1, and John Joe Nevin, a world bantamweight bronze medalist, did likewise for Europe 2.

With nine wins apiece after the second day, Europe 1 (28 points) and Europe 2 (27) are separated only by the point picked up by Azerbaijan's Samir Mammadov for his 4:4 draw, won by Orzubek Shayimov for Asia 1 on accepted scores. America 1 and Asia 1 lie third and fourth on 19 and 18 points respectively, America 2 and Oceania are tied for fifth on 12, Asia 2 are seventh on 9 and Africa, with two wins, are on 6.

Kapitonenko, who lost to Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle of Italy in September's world final, moved through to the semi-finals by out-pointing Sardor Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in a low-scoring affair. With both boxers covering up at close quarters effective punches were at a premium, but gradually the Ukrainian asserted himself and ran out a 3:0 winner.

In the last four Kapitonenko will meet Australian champion Trent Rawlins, who saw off Damiam R Sealy of America 1 and Barbados with a mixture of raw talent and explosive power, forcing his opponent to take a standing eight-count in the first round before surging to an 11:5 victory with a series of heavy blows. 

Nevin, meanwhile, was too experienced for his Australian opponent Luke Boyd who nevertheless gave the Irishman a run for his money. After a tense opening round, with both men looking to take the initiative, Nevin dropped back and began to outbox the man from Oceania, taking a 6:4 lead after two rounds. He weathered quite a storm from Boyd in the final round but came through comfortably enough.

In other bouts Oscar Raphael Valdez of America 1 and Mexico knocked out the Mauritian Jean John Colin in the first round of their featherweight clash; the punches of Falcao Yamaguchi of Brazil and America 2 were too sharp for Jianting Zhang of Asia 2 and China; and another Azerbaijani, Elshan Ismailov, gave the locals plenty to shout about during his 11:6 win for Europe 2 over Hoorshid Todjibayev of Asia 1 and Uzbekistan.