Olympics 2020 boxing results: USA’s Richard Torrez Jr to fight for super heavyweight gold, more

Women’s flyweight (Semifinals)

• Buse Naz Cakiroglu (Turkey) def. Huang Hsiao-wen (Chinese Taipei), 5:0: Huang captures Chinese Taipei’s first-ever Olympic medal in boxing, going home with a bronze, and top seed Cakiroglu goes on to fight for gold. I was going to say the first round, which Huang lost 5-0, kind of doomed her, but then all five judges gave Cakiroglu the fifth round, too, so despite a 3-2 split in the second, it wound up a 5:0 tally for Cakiroglu. She managed to deal with Huang’s large height and reach advantages pretty well, though there was a fall you could have called a knockdown on Cakiroglu, which the ref did not.

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• Stoyka Krasteva (Bulgaria) def. Tsukimi Namiki (Japan), 5:0: Namiki, 22, had a terrific run in Tokyo, but she just couldn’t solve Krasteva. Namiki won one card in the first round, but everything else went to Krasteva, who was taller, physically stronger, and didn’t fall into trying to do too much against Namiki, who sort of taunts opponents bouncing around at range, fluttering her hands about. Krasteva, at 35, was just too experienced to get tricked into a fight that didn’t benefit her. So she’ll fight for gold, and the host country boxer settles for bronze, but with a good future.

Women’s welterweight (Semifinals)

• Busenaz Surmeneli (Turkey) def. Lovlina Borgohain (India), 5:0: Borgohain tried to come out and make clear that she wouldn’t let top seed Surmeneli, who has been dominant, bully her. That led to her hitting Surmeneli twice very late on breaks, and then Surmeneli got pissed and forced a standing eight late in the first round. She pretty much dominated again after that, and has to — at this point — be considered a leading contender for the Val Barker Trophy on the women’s side. Borgohain also was penalized a point late in the second.

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• Gu Hong (China) def. Oshae Jones (United States), 4:1: Figured to be a tough style matchup for the American, and it was. Gu is older, tremendously experienced, a longtime standout at major tournaments. Jones is a good pressure fighter but Gu was taller and just picked her off too many times, and I think Jones realized it as the fight went on. She kept trying, but Gu found the range she wanted and just kept it. Jones gave it a hard, real effort throughout, but the decision was as it should have been.

Men’s super heavyweight (Semifinals)

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• Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan) def. Frazer Clarke (Great Britain), RSC - Injury (Cut): Clarke gave everything he had here, and did catch Jalolov with a couple good rights in the first round, and another in the second that forced a standing eight. But between those right hands, Jalolov was his normal self, just the better fighter. He’s long, tall, powerful, skilled, and moves extremely well for his size. Clarke was stopped on a cut, and it wasn’t even one of the ones he got in his instantly infamous DQ win over Mourad Aliev in the quarterfinal, it was a new one on the forehead, over the eye, and it was pretty bad. Clarke showed no animosity about the doctor stopping it, and none toward Jalolov, either. The two displayed admiration and respect for one another after it was over. Clarke can leave Tokyo knowing he put everything he had into the competition, and leaves with a bronze medal.
• Richard Torrez Jr (United States) def. Kamshybek Kunkabayev (Kazakhstan), RSC - Injury (Cut): Kunkabayev’s skills and experience gave Torrez some trouble, but overall this was just another steamroller effort from the hard-hitting, all-motor American southpaw, who now advances to the super heavyweight gold medal bout. He’d already been the first American medalist in this division since Riddick Bowe’s silver in 1988, and obviously he’s the first American who will fight for gold in this division since the same year. The last American gold was Tyrell Biggs in 1984. Torrez rocked Kunkabayev in the first round, dropped him just before the bell to end the second, and crushed his nose, opening a huge gash on the bridge, which stopped the fight in the third. He’s had a remarkable run, and he’s earned his place.

Men’s light heavywweight (FINAL)

• Arlen Lopez (Cuba) def. Ben Whittaker (Great Britain), 4:1: Full recap here.