GOLDEN FINISH TO A GREAT GAMES FOR GB AND IRELAND’S BOXING FRATERNITY – PART II

GOLDEN FINISH TO A GREAT GAMES FOR GB AND IRELAND’S BOXING FRATERNITY – PART II
By: Peter Mann, Head UK & Eire Editor

With the semi-finals having been successfully traversed there was to be three fighters from Team GB and one from Ireland, in the boxing finals, in three weight divisions. This meant that the Irishman, John Joe Nevin, would be facing Team GB’s Luke Campbell, in the 56kg Bantamweight final. The other two finals would see that of Freddie Evans face Serick Sapilyev in the 69kg Welterweight final, and Anthony Joshua face Roberto Cammarelle in the 91+kg Super Heavyweight finale, the 272nd and last bout of an amazing tournament.

With legends of the ilk of Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Audley Harrison spectating, the first final would be the one between John Joe Nevin and Luke Campbell, Ireland against Great Britain, for the Gold. Both had comfortable semi-final successes, over Estrada and Shimzu respectively. Nevin gave his all in an intriguing final clash and would take the middle of the three rounds with a 5-4 score. However, Campbell won both the first and last rounds by a 5-3 score to take the bout 14-11.

Success for Campbell would mean he would become the first British boxer to win an Olympic Gold in the Bantamweight division in over a hundred years (1908), coincidentally, also in London. Nevin would claim the Silver medal after completing a fifth bout of the 2012 Games. It was to be Campbell’s best career performance after a much-publicised exile from family and friends for up to a month prior to the Games. It was to be a performance that would cause the tears to flow, and uncontrollably, by Campbell and those around him.

The second of three finals would see that of the Welshman Freddie Evans, surpassing countryman Ralph Evans, who claimed a Bronze medal at the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany, facing Kazakhstan’s Serick Sapilyev. Sapilyev went into the bout as a two World Champion from 2005 and 2007, Evans being the reigning World Champion. The Welshman though was not seeded for the Games even though he was the world number two ranked fighter.

Sapilyev however was stronger throughout the bout and was never really on the back foot in any of the three rounds. Evans, with credit where it is due, worked hard throughout the bout, but his defence was seemingly rather minimal against the Kazakhstani as he was helpless in preventing Sapilyev claiming his third successive Olympic Gold medal following on from Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).

The last final was to be that of Team GB’s powerhouse, Anthony Joshua, in the Super Heavyweight division, facing the Italian southpaw, Roberto Cammarelle. Cammarelle arrived at the 2012 Games as the defending Olympic champion and was to be a rematch of the Worlds quarterfinal bout that was won by Joshua en-route to Silver. Cammarelle proved to be a strong opponent for Joshua and by the time the result of the second was announced, the outcome was in doubt.

Joshua trailed by one at the end of the first (6-5) and then by two at the end of the three (7-5) at the end of the second as, although he was effective from a distance, the close range work was poor and gave Cammarelle the opportunity to engage more. It was to be the third round that mattered most though and, at the midway point of the round, Joshua finally opened up. Taking the bout to his opponent Joshua began to claw back the three point deficit and finished the round with an effective flourish.

That final round would go to Joshua, deficit overturned, with an 8-5 third round success. However, that outcome meant that the bout was tied at 18-18 and the inevitable count-back outcome. Cue delirium in the Excel Arena as the judges’ final decision went in the favour of Anthony Joshua and he emulated those that went before him in claiming Heavyweight Gold at an Olympic Games.

What happens next for the Olympians will no doubt be surfaced over the coming months but one thing is for sure, they put in an awesome display throughout the tournament. Man and woman alike.

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