2016 Rio Olympics boxing results: Day 3, evening session (August 8)

Day three of the boxing in Rio is complete. Here’s what we say in the evening session on Monday.

Men’s light flyweight (49kg)

Hasanboy Dusmatov (Uzbekistan) def. Joselito Velázquez (México)

• Scores: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28

The first round here showcased some nice skills from both guys, and then the fight really deteriorated into grappling, wrestling, rasslin, clinching, and holding, largely coming from Dusmatov, but fair being fair, he did deserve the win.

Birzhan Zhakypov (Kazakhstan) def. Mathias Hamunyela (Namibia)

• Scores: 29-28, 30-27, 30-27

Hamunyela was really entertaining in the round of 32, and gave this the best effort he had against a better fighter, coming out very aggressively and just throwing everything he could. Zhakypov was just a better fighter, landed some good counter shows, clever defensively, and moves on to face Dusmatov in the quarterfinals.

Carlos Quipo (Ecuador) def. Gankhuyagiin Gan-Erdene (Mongolia)

• Scores: 30-27, 30-27, 29-28

Quipo took the first two rounds on all three cards, and Gan-Erdene got a card in the third round. This was a very good showing from Quipo, who was bounced in this round in London, losing to eventual silver medalist Kaeo Pongprayoon.

Nico Hernandez (United States) def. Vasily Egorov (Russia)

• Scores: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28

This is a big upset, as Egorov was the European champion last year, was seeded into a bye in Rio, and was the very heavy favorite. But Hernandez showed a lot of poise and a lot of class, catching the Russian southpaw repeatedly with a left hook. The American took the first two rounds on two of three scorecards, so the third was just about hanging on, really, and he did. This is very big for the U.S. boxing program, the first male quarterfinalist since Deontay Wilder in 2008, and a genuinely strong win.

Men’s welterweight (69kg)

Vincenzo Mangiacapre (Italy) def. Juan Pablo Romero (México)

• Scores: 29-28, 29-28, 27-30

A very debatable outcome here. Very. Very. This is the first fight I’ve seen that I’d consider to be an actual robbery a little bit. I thought Romero was the better fighter here, connected more, did better work, and one of the judges saw all three rounds for him. But Mangiacapre, who won bronze in London, got two rounds on the other two cards, and he advances to the round of 16.

Joshua Kelly (Great Britain) def. Walid Sedik Mohamed (Egypt)

• Scores: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

A pretty strong showing and outclassing for Kelly, a part-time model whose web site advertises “strong looks and quick hooks.” He’s an intriguing young fighter, a real talent whose dedication to boxing has been questionable at times, but he looked really sharp here.

Men’s middleweight (75kg)

Marlo Javier Delgado (Ecuador) def. Endry Saavedra (Venezuela)

• Scores: 29-28, 30-27, 30-27

This is another one where I forgot to write the immediate recap and have already kind of forgotten what I saw, but I remember I was impressed with Delgado, so there’s that, at least. Information! Professional!

Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (Kazakhstan) def. Antony Fowler (Great Britain)

• Scores: 30-27, 30-26, 30-26

You can’t get much more outclassed than Fowler was here, and to be fair, Alimkhanuly looked great. But to be just as fair, I was less than enthused by the tactics of Fowler, as he grew frustrated and threw clear and purposeful rabbit punches repeatedly. Just a bad showing all around from Fowler.

Men’s heavyweight (91kg)

Vassiliy Levit (Kazakhstan) def. Yu Fengkai (China)

• TKO-3

This was wisely stopped after the second round, so I think technically into the third, or else a TKO/RTD-3, whatever, the point is, Levitt gave Fengkai a real beating in this one, and it was probably smart to just end the fight. There wasn’t much to gain — Fengkai wasn’t going to win, and another three minutes of punishment served no real purpose.

Kennedy St-Pierre (Mauritius) def. Chouaib Bouloudinats (Algeria)

• Scores: 29-28, 28-29, 29-28

The Azerbaijan judge who had it 2-1 for Bouloudinats scored every round differently than the other two. St-Pierre is one of just two boxers and 12 overall athletes in Rio for Mauritius

Yamil Peralta (Argentina) def. David Graf (Germany)

• Scores: 29-28, 27-30, 29-28

Some debate about this outcome, at least that I saw, but TV was very confident in Peralta’s victory. Graf a bit slow, which may have been the difference to the judges who went against him.

Erislandy Savón (Cuba) def. Lawrence Okolie (Great Britain)

• Scores: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

Never really close. The last time they met, Savón dominated, dropping Okolie three times. He did so again in the first round here. Okolie has only been boxing a few years, only took up the sport because he wasn’t happy with his weight, and he’s got real potential and some nice talent. But Savón is, like, very good, and he’s been well schooled in the Cuban system for years now. The level of experience is just too much.