Tokyo 2020 boxing results (Day 4, Afternoon Session): Jones and Johnson win for Team USA, full recap

Men’s welterweights

• Roniel Iglesias (Cuba) def. Sewonrets Okazawa (Japan), 3:2: This was the closest fight we’ve seen so far; in fact, three of the five judges had this 28-28 on their final tally, with the other two having 29-27 cards for Okazawa. But the tiebreak went to Iglesias, who also forced a standing eight on Okazawa in the third. Iglesias is in his fourth Olympics. He won bronze in 2008 and gold in 2012 as a light welterweight, and lost in the quarterfinals in 2016 as a welterweight. He came very close to going out early here, as Okazawa won the first round across the board, but Iglesias got going a bit in the second and woke up fully in the third. It wasn’t a pretty fight. Iglesias has some pretty aspects to his game, floats on his feet, but he’s a crafty, rough veteran who knows all the tricks and uses them, and that combined with Okazawa’s energetic aggression made for a fair amount of holding and fouling. But it was a very tense fight, and Okazawa can go home knowing he pushed a top guy to the limit.
• Delante Johnson (United States) def. Ablaikhan Zhussupov (Kazakhstan), 4:1: Johnson was a lot better in this one than he was in his first fight in Tokyo, where I thought he was lucky to get the cards. The Kazakh felt Johnson was lucky to get this one, but I do think Delante earned the win here, looked sharper, more confident, more settled. He moves on to face Iglesias, which is a big task, but the Cuban — while very good — is not invincible. Johnson will have to be at his best, but it’s doable, though he’ll be the underdog and should be.

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• Eskerkhan Madiev (Georgia) def. Shadiri Bwogi (Uganda), 3:1:1: In a sense, as competitive as it seems. In another sense, kind of not, because the three judges who had it for Madiev all had it 30-26, which is maybe generous but also defensible, I think. But Bwogi definitely gave great effort and all, Madiev just won, and it’s his second straight solid win, after upsetting Lorenzo Sotomayor of Azerbaijan in the round of 32. Madiev moves on to the quarters.
• Andrey Zamkovoi (Russian Olympic Committee) def. Stephen Zimba (Zambia), 4:1: Competitive, but the right winner. Zimba did give this a great effort, but Zamkovoi landed the cleaner blows. Zamkovoi is a third-time Olympian, won bronze in London but was out early in Rio, and won gold at the World Championships in 2019 so still competing at a high level at age 34. Next round against Madiev could be very interesting, Madiev is fighting quite well right now.

Men’s heavyweights

• Hussein Iashaish (Jordan) def. Julio Cesar Castillo (Ecuador), 4:0:1: Not a good fight to watch. Castillo is a three-time Olympian and out early for the third time. This was just a little ugly is all, hard to see either of them being big threats even though Castillo was the No. 3 seed.
• Abner Teixeira (Brazil) def. Cheavon Clarke (Great Britain), 4:1: Teixeira trailed after the first so had to rally here. It was tight, could have gone the other way, but not a big controversy here. Teixeira moves on to face Iashaish in the quarterfinals.

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• Julio la Cruz (Cuba) def. Elly Ochoa (Kenya), 5:0: Ochoa tried but way out of his depth. The 38-year-old Cuban won gold at Rio 2016 as a light heavyweight, is a four-time Worlds gold medalist as a light heavyweight, and won bronze there in 2019, so he moved up. He’s not at his very best anymore, but still a strong technician and a tough out. A dominant win here, really.
• Enmanuel Reyes Pla (Spain) def. Vassiliy Levit (Kazakhstan), KO: First KO result we’ve seen so far; would be a TKO by pro rules, unless you’re in California where every stoppage is a “KO.” Reyes Pla caught Levit, the 2016 silver medalist, behind the ear with a right hand, popped him again with a good left, and then two shots put the Kazakh fighter down. He got up, but was not in great shape and the referee stopped it. This sets up a potentially fascinating matchup between Reyes Pla, a Cuban expat, and the Cuban la Cruz.

Women’s lightweights

• Shih-yi Wu (Chinese Taipei) def. Agnes Alexiusson (Sweden), 4:1: I thought Alexiusson arguably got the shaft a bit here, particularly in the second round, but also not at all hard to say Wu won two of the rounds, so life goes on. And even if I thought it were the greatest outrage of all time life would go on, at least until it doesn’t, I suppose.

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• Mira Potkonen (Finland) def. Maiva Hamadouche (France), 3:1:1: This was a hugely fun fight to watch. The 40-year-old Potkonen, who eliminated Katie Taylor in Rio and won bronze that year, deserves the win, but the pace of pro world champion Hamadouche (current IBF 130 lb titleholder) pushed her to the absolute limit. Potkonen had nothing left in the third and barely survived the round and the fight. I mean she was just stumbling and holding, poking out enough to keep Hamadouche a little bit at bay sometimes. Hamdouche is set to face Mikaela Mayer in her next pro bout, which will be fun, Hamadouche’s aggression is great. She was upset about the decision but I think it was fair. She definitely dominated the third but Potkonen won the first two, I thought. It’s fair. Potkonen has beaten Hamadouche a few times in the amateurs now.

Women’s welterweights

• Oshae Jones (United States) def. Brianda Cruz (Mexico), 3:2: Cruz could have won this fight. I think I might have scored it her way, but Jones had an argument, too, and she makes it through to the quarterfinals.
• Maria Moronta (Dominican Republic) def. Myriam da Silva (Canada), 5:0: Moronta definitely deserved this one, landing some really nice shots along the way and controlling the tempo. She won every round on four of the cards, won the other one 2-1.
• Alcinda Panguana (Mozambique) def. Elizabeth Akinyi (Kenya), RSC: Pretty dominant. Panguana clearly won the first, forced a couple standing eights, and got it stopped about halfway into the second. She was just clearly and notably better than Akinyi, who was doing her best but wasn’t on the same level. Panguana had great support from the Mozambique squad in the second level, too.
• Hong Gu (China) def. Baison Manikon (Thailand), 5:0: The No. 2 seed Gu was just too much for the 19-year-old Manikon, who won in the round of 32 but this is as far as she goes in Tokyo. I’d expect to see her back in Paris in three years, and there’s a lot to build on for her. The Gu-Panguana quarterfinal could be really good.