Here are my Olympic Boxing Semi-Final predictions for the welterweights, light heavyweights, and super heavyweights. These bouts will take place on Friday the 22nd at 8:30 a.m. EST (welter), 9:00 a.m. (light heavy) and 9:30 a.m. (super heavy). We’ll analyze how I did on Saturday. (Jabandgrapple picks in bold)

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Welterweight Semifinals

Carlos Banteaux (CUB) vs. Hanati Silamu (CHN)
Banteaux and Hanati are the top two ranked remaining competitors. I shudder to say fighters because the Chinese have done little fighting during this competition. This match could be 20-19 given the ease with which Cubans and Chinese have received points from the judges this tourney. I’m pulling for Banteaux because Hanati beat one of my favorites of the tourney: Bahama’s Toureano Johnson.

Bakhyt Sarsekbayev (KAZ) vs. Kim Jung-Joo (KOR)
For the love of boxing lets hope that the hug specialist that is Kim does not win. Kim beat terrific American prospect Demetrius Andrade with phantom-landing jabs and many embraces. Was his victory as egregious as the Korean’s win over Roy Jones, Jr. in 1988? Possibly. Go Sarsekbayev!

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Light Heavyweight Semifinals

Tony Jeffries (GBR) vs. Kenneth Egan (IRL)
It’s a battle of British Isle brutes. Both waltzed through their quarterfinal matchup - Jeffries 10-2 Egan 8-0 - and have clinched a rare boxing medal for the Anglophone world. Jeffries isn’t the most graceful fighter but he throws far more jabs than your average Olympian, which is refreshing because it makes the sport seem more like actual boxing. But Egan is a tough, strong, physical fighter and he’s our pick because we don’t understand a word of what he says in his post-fight interviews.

Zhang Xiaoping (CHN) vs. Yerkebuian Shynaliyev (KAZ)
Shynaliyev won his fight against Djakhon Kurbanov after the Tajik bit him in the neck. He’ll be too bothered by Zhang’s rough and tumble clutching style. Either that or the biased pro-Chinese judges with give Zhang the win.

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Super Heavyweight Semifinals

Vyacheslav Glazkov (UKR) vs. Zhang Zhilei (CHN)
Zhang is a ba-a-a-a-d man. Maybe you missed his destruction of Kazakh Ruslan Myrsatayev. I didn’t. Zhang doesn’t hold and grab as much as the other Chinese boxers and he’s my pick despite my Ukrainian blood.

Roberto Cammarelle (ITA) vs. David Price (GBR)
Price took out Russian Islam Timurziev in his first match and then lucked into a walkover against Jaroslav Jaksto in the quarters. Defending world champ Cammarelle has been less than impressive. I’m going for the upset.

Quick thoughts on the Super Heavyweight Olympic boxing draw.
Official Link to the Super Heavyweight Draw

Super Heavyweight (91+kg / 200+ lbs)
The super heavyweight and heavyweight divisions include only 16 fighters, while the other weight classes showcase 28. This means less fighting and a more elite roster. The super heavyweight draw separates the 2007 World Championship gold medal winner Italian Roberto Cammarelle and silver winner Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov on opposite sides of the bracket.

The draw takes an almost standard seeded approach as the two bronze winners China’s Zhang Zhilei and Russia’s Islam Timurziev would meet the gold and silver winners in the the semis if everyone holds form.

The wild card is Cuban Robert Alfonso who did not compete at the Worlds. He faces Glazkov in the first round and might even be considered the tourney’s favorite.

A dark horse is Great Britain’s David Price who earns a mention because he’s the only super heavyweight whose picture picapp.com carries.

Round of 16
Wednesday, August 13
8:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. EST

Quarterfinals
Monday, August 18
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. EST

Semifinals
Friday, August 22
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. EST

Final
Sunday, August 24
4:30 a.m. EST