TEAM GB AND TEAM IRELAND OFF TO A FLIER IN OLYMPICS
By: Peter Mann UK & Eire Head Boxing Editor
It was to be the start that all fight fans of the home Olympic support wanted at London 2012. In front of a sell out home support in the Excel South Arena the competitors in the boxing tournament turned on the style to take the spoils as victory after victory was racked up in the opening round of 32 bouts.
The Bantamweights (56kg) and Middleweights (75kg) took centre stage on the opening day as six fighters in total would appear in the opening round. The remaining fighters, including the female entrants, were all granted byes into the next, round of 16.
Irishman John Joe Nevin, aged 23, took on that of Denmark’s Dennis Ceylan in the fourth bout of the opening Bantamweight session. Improving as the bout continued it was to be a strong and accomplished performance which turned destructive of sorts when, having taken the first round by three points, the next two were both 8-2 successes for Nevin. Ceylan though proved a threat throughout but didn’t quite have enough. The scores tallied and Nevin progressed to face Kazakhstan fighter, Kanat Abutalipov, courtesy of a 21-6 victory, and the first twenty pointer to boot.
The Middleweights would see one from both Team GB and Team Ireland come out in successive bouts. The first bout would see the stadium erupt as Team GB’s Anthony Ogogo came out to face Junior Castillo Martinez, of the Dominican Republic. Ogogo grew into the fight and although he only led by one after the first, took the remaining two rounds comfortably from what was a tight affair. Much to the delight of the home crowd, Ogogo, with scores of 3-2, 5-1, and 5-3, took the bout 13-6 and will face Ukrainian Ievgen Khytrov, who received a bye, in the next round.
Darren O’Neill of Ireland was next out and he took on a tall looking Nigerian, Muideen Akanji. The Irish Captain quickly made the fight his own and took all three rounds, making the Nigerian wobble for what was a good twenty second period at the start of the second round. With round by round scores of 4-3, 8-2 and 3-1 all in O’Neill’s favour, the bout was won 15-6. O’Neill will face the German, Stefan Hartel, in the round of 16.
On Day Two supporters had to wait until the end of the opening session, and that of the Welterweights (69kg) when 21 year old Welshman, Fred Evans made his debut against the younger Algerian southpaw Ilyas Abbadi. After a powerful start from both boxers, and with the Algerian being a good opponent, it would be the home fighter that would take the plaudits. In winning all three rounds; 7-5, 5-2, 6-3 for a bout success of 18-10 and set up a clash with the Lithuanian Egidijus Kavaliauskas, next time out.
The 21 year old Josh Taylor opened the evening session when the Team GB southpaw took on that of the Brazilian Robson Conceicao. Both fighters looked strong during the bout as Taylor took on a more experienced opponent and returned some good hooks and counter-punching. Conceicao was supplying a lot of body shots to Taylor and was even warned a few times for illegal hits. A good, hard battle from both boxers saw the Scotsman progress with round by round scores of 3-2, 6-4, 4-3, becoming the first Scottish fighter since Dick McTaggart to progress in the Olympics with a 13-9 score. Taylor finds himself opposing Italian Domenico Valentino in the round of 16.
Finally, completing the home-based fighters in the round of 32 was that of another Irishman, Adam Nolan, as he took on Carlos Sanchez Estacio of Ecuador, in the Welterweights division (69kg). As with his compatriots beforehand, Nolan took all three rounds; 6-3, 5-3, 3-2, Estacio working hard to overtake Nolan throughout the bout but Nolan had just enough in him to win 14-8. Nolan’s opponent in the next round will be the Russian Federations Andrey Zamkovoy.
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