Olympics 2020 boxing results (Day 10, Morning): USA’s Duke Ragan to fight for gold, Keyshawn Davis also wins, Japan-Colombia controversy

Men’s flyweight (Quarterfinals)

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• Ryomei Tanaka (Japan) def. Yuberjen Martinez (Colombia), 4:1: I haven’t had as many complaints about the judging in Tokyo as I did for London or Rio. But you get along in the competition, and there is a pretty familiar thing where host country fighters get some breaks. Sena Irie, who fights for gold later at women’s featherweight, got a break against Great Britain’s Karris Artingstall in the semifinal. But I think it was defensible, at least. This one? Not so much. Martinez got the shaft here. He very clearly won the first round, only for the judge from Peru to give it to Tanaka. He clearly won the second round, only for the judges from Lithuania, Mongolia, and Algeria to give it to Tanaka. And then all five of them — including the Australian judge — went for Tanaka in the third, which was Tanaka’s best round, but still could have — and I’ll say should have — gone to Martinez. It got slow burned and Tanaka goes on to the semifinal. Tanaka didn’t seem — look, you can only read so much from body language, but he did not seem like he thought he won this fight. Martinez, who won silver at Rio as a light flyweight, should be getting another medal, but he won’t. This was a robbery. That’s my opinion.
• Carlo Paalam (Philippines) def. Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan), 4:0:1: This is a huge upset. Zoirov was the gold medalist at Rio 2016. This was also stopped in the second round because of a nasty cut on Zoirov, both had gotten cut on a clash of heads. Paalam had swept the first round, and four judges gave the bit of the second round we got to Paalam, so Zoirov goes home. He was, to say the least, not happy, but not Mourad Aliev level mad, either. He just straight up left.

Men’s featherweight (Semifinal)

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• Duke Ragan (United States) def. Samuel Takyi (Ghana), 4:1: The Cincinnati native moves on to fight for gold, and he deserves it. Takyi, who is 20 years old and looks to have a real boxing future as he matures, had a great run in Tokyo. I’d have given Ragan the first and third and Takyi the second, but three judges gave Takyi the first and four gave Ragan the second, so, I don’t know. Olympics. Ragan also won four of five in the third to take the win. He’s been terrific after a shaky first bout in Tokyo, and will now fight for gold. Reminder: The U.S. men’s side has not won a boxing gold medal since Andre Ward in 2004.

Men’s lightweight (Quarterfinals)

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• Keyshawn Davis (United States) def. Gabil Mamedov (Russian Olympic Committee), 4:1: Judges did their best to make this DRAMATIC and INTERESTING again, including the weirdo Peruvian judge giving Mamedov a first round he definitely didn’t win, and then four judges giving Mamedov a second round he probably didn’t win, but Davis left no room for debate by dominating the third, including rocking Mamedov bad and forcing a standing eight. So Keyshawn’s on to the semis, guaranteed at least a bronze medal.
• Hovhannes Bachkov (Armenia) def. Eldur Abduraimov (Uzbekistan), : Bachkov moves on to face Davis in the semifinal, and I’ll say it now, do not count out Bachkov. This guy has a special engine, brings hard pressure, and is very hard to deter. I think Davis should have the edge on skills, and I think he’s tough and mean enough to deal with Bachkov’s pressure, but you just never know. Bachkov is special in these terms for an Olympic boxer.

Men’s heavyweight (Semifinal)

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• Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russian Olympic Committee) def. David Nyika (New Zealand), 4:1: Nyika is a very promising cruiserweight pro prospect, has already had a pro fight, and he really impressed the Argentine judge here, winning all three rounds on that dude’s card. But this was Gadzhimagomedov showing his class once again, boxing like a true top seed, just the better man in there, and Nyika knew it. Nyika also made him work for it, the Russian couldn’t cruise and didn’t, and there was nice respect shown between the two after. Nyika gets a bronze, Gadzhimagomedov goes on to fight for gold.

Women’s lightweight (Quarterfinals)

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• Kellie Harrington (Ireland) def. Imane Khelif (Algeria), : It’s such an easy thing to go “the Irish lightweight is like Katie Taylor,” but the Irish lightweight was definitely inspired by Katie Taylor and while she’s not Katie Taylor, she is very good, very sound, sort of in that Katie Taylor mold. Harrington was just too strong all-around here for Khelif, who is awkward and can be good defensively, but was swimming upstream trying to land much of real note on Harrington.
• Sudaporn Seesondee (Thailand) def. Caroline Dubois (Great Britain), 3:2: Seesondee guaranteed bronze, as she just edges past Dubois to move on and meet Harrington in the semifinals. Every judge scored the second round differently than they did the first, resulting in 19-19 across the board going into the third and final round, which Seesondee nicked on three of five cards, so this was very, very close, yes. Tough way to go for Dubois, but not real controversy here other than you can argue for either side.

Women’s featherweight (Final)

• Sena Irie (Japan) def. Nesthy Petecio (Philippines), 5:0: Full recap here.