Here are my Olympic Boxing Semi-Final predictions for the light flyweights, bantamweights, and lightweights. These bouts will take place on Friday the 22nd at 7:00 a.m. EST (light fly), 7:30 a.m. (bantam) and 8:00 a.m. (light). We’ll analyze how I did on Saturday.

Light Flyweight Semifinals

Paddy Barnes (IRL) vs. Zou Shiming (CHN)
Paddy Barnes has yet to face especially formidable competition. That changes against two-time world champion and home crowd favorite Zou Shiming. Zou’s awkward punch-and-grab style might be harsh on the eyes and he may have rightly lost his second round bout against Nordine Oubaali but there is zero chance he loses to Barnes.

Purevdori Serdamba (MGL) vs. Yampier Hernandez (CUB)
Yampier has been dominant in Beijing winning his last to bouts 21-6 and 21-3. That’s right, the judges actually gave someone 20 points in this tourney. Unbelievable. Mongolia’s Purevdori Serdamba unfairly squeaked by American Luis Yanez and his style is more suited to wrestling. If the boxing gods are in Beijing (and it’s doubtful that they are) then Hernandez wins big again.

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Bantamweight Semifinals

Yankiel Leon (CUB) vs. Bruno Julie (MRI)
Julie might be the only African boxing medalist. Odds are it’s going to be a bronze. Leon has been a lot tidier in his matches and should dominate the Indian Ocean islander. The gold is Leon’s to lose.

Veaceslav Gojan (MDA) vs. Enkhbat Badar-Uugan (MGL)
Moldova vs. Mongolia. Only in Olympic boxing. Gojan won his first round match 1-1. One to One! How much holding do you think happened in that match. I can’t abide by that. Go Badar-Uugan.

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Lightweight Semifinals

Hrachik Javakhyan (ARM) vs. Alexey Tishchenko (RUS)
Javakhyan has yet to have a point scored against him. How’s that possible? First round bye. Second round 12-0 against the very inexperienced Nigerian Rasheed Lawal. Third round walkover. His astounding streak will end against Tishchenko who has been one of the more attractive (conventional) boxers in this stinker of an Olympic tournament. Alexey fights as if he is in a boxing match. Mercy me!

Yordenis Ugas (CUB) vs. Daouda Sow (FRA)
Both Ugas and Sow faced tough competition in the quarters and both emerged with close wins. Ugas is a smooth, confident fighter, Sow is an octopus-like grabber. Let’s hope Ugas can outsmart Sow’s awkwardness. If Ugas wins boxing fans will be the victor.

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

Lightweight (60kg / 132 lbs)
The big story in the lightweight draw is the failure of 2007 World Champion Frankie Gavin to make weight. Flashy young American fighter Sadam Ali has a great chance to quarters where he could be matched up against the one of the draw’s two remaining favorites, Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas and Italy’s Domenico Valentino, who would meet in the Round of 16 if they win their opening matches.

The boxer to emerge from the other side of the bracket could come from a 2007 bronze medalist, Russia’s Alexey Tishchenko, or one of three worlds quarterfinalists: Thailand’s Pichai Sayotha, Armenian Hrachik Javakhyan, or Columbian Darley Perez.

Saturday July 5, 2008 Boxing Results

Here are last night’s boxing results which involved Top Ten Ring Magazine fighters in the respective weight classes

Felix Sturm vs. Randy Griffin

#3 RM middleweight Felix Sturm (30-2-1) def. #6 RM middleweight Randy Griffin (24-2-3) by unanimous decision (116-112, 116-113, 118-110) in Halle, Germany to retain WBA middleweight title.

Round Three of Sturm vs. Griffin II:

**

Kendall Holt vs. Ricardo Torres

Unranked light welterweight Kendall Holt (24-2) def. #6 RM light welterweight Ricardo Torres (32-2) by First Round KO in Las Vegas, Nevada to win the WBO light welterweight title.

Three knockdowns in the first minute of this one! Below is the wild and amazing first round action. After going down twice Holt appeared to out but he exploded with a powerful knockout of Torres which left the Colombian shivering and shaking on the canvas.

**

Ali Funeka vs. Zahir Raheem

Unranked lightweight Ali Funeka (30-1-2) def. #10 RM lightweight Zahir Raheem (29-2) by Fourth Round KO in East London, South Africa to win IBF Super Featherweight Title Eliminator.

Also Notable:

boxrec.com’s #7 light middleweight Jamie Moore (30-3) def. Ciaran Healy (8-8-1) by Third Round TKO in Dublin, Ireland to win the Irish light middleweight title.

boxrec.com’s #9 middleweight Enrique Ornelas (28-4) def. Daryl Salmon (16-3) by Second Round TKO in Hidalgo, Texas.

The news that 21-year-old English lightweight phenom Amir Khan might be relocating to the States ranks as a wonderful unexpected charm. The lanky Lancashire lightweight is 17-0 and has been widely hyped in Britain as the next big thing, the diamond in the island nation’s boxing resurgence.

Khan has the hype and the talent of Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton but his stated aim to train across the pond and fight under the tutelage of a Mayweather or Buddy McGirt shows that he does not share their isolationist ambitions. His dismissal of Oliver Harrison, his trainer for all 17 of his professional fights, demonstrates that his American intentions are real. His thoughtful face in the accompanying picture (taken five days ago) is evidence that his decision didn’t come lightly.

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Image details: Paul Spadafora served by picapp.com

Last week here at jabandgrapple.com we remembered the “Pittsburgh Kid” Paul Spadafora and wished him luck on his second comeback to the ring. His Friday bout in Erie versus punching bag Shad Howard went well.

Spadafora, now sporting longer hair, many more tattoos and, according to the Meadville Tribune, a torn knee ligament destroyed his overmatched opponent outscoring Howard 80-72 on all three judges scorecards in the eight round bout. Click here for a snazzy audio slideshow of the fight.

Sadly Spaddy didn’t have much time to enjoy his victory. Four days later he was arrested in Erie.

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Image details: Paul Spadafora served by picapp.com

Paul Spadafora begins his second return to boxing Friday night at Erie, Pennsylvania’s Avalon Hotel against journeyman Shad Howard. Since relinquishing his IBF lightweight title in 2003 Spadafora has been in and out of prison, emerging in 2006 to begin a comeback but swiftly violating parole and sinking further into despair and anonymity.

Just five years ago, at 28, the awkward southpaw was on top of the world. He had held a world title from the time he was 23. He had fought two fights on HBO. He was a likely big money opponent for Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He was the next great white hope. His triumph over tragedy story (he was confusingly shot in the Achilles tendon by police after a routine traffic stop) elicited sympathy and gave him a distinctive peg-legged-walk boxing style.

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