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.

Post from: EveryJoe

Olympic Boxing Draw: Lightweights

Yáñez has his own side of the story. He says that he was tending to his sister who was in drug rehab and couldn’t be bothered to report his whereabouts to his coach for an entire month. Yáñez is appealing his ban.

USA Boxing coach Dan Campbell has struck first in what may prove to be a vicious war of words. The Dallas Morning News again quotes Campbell as calling Yáñez “one of the biggest liars I’ve ever met.”

On www.fightbeat.com, however, Yáñez’s Dallas-based personal coach went into great deal about Campbell’s poor coaching especially in reference to Luis. “I feel like Luis gets a better workout in Dallas than he does in Colorado Springs.”

The article details how Campbell stifles the team’s more flamboyant personalities – Yáñez, Sadam Ali, and Javier Molina - forcing them to be vanilla, bland, and straight-forward. What happened to the America’s Olympic heritage of flashy boxers? Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammed Ali? What if they had been told to tone it down? Would they have trained elsewhere?

Luis’ former Olympic teammate Molina concurred “I’d rather be home getting ready for Beijing. I’m really not sure how much Dan knows about boxing. (H)e tries to make all of us fight in the same exact style. I don’t have confidence in him and I don’t trust him.”

We wonder how a coach so reviled and inexperienced could have landed the position of USA Boxing head trainer? Why couldn’t more money have been spent on a viable coach? If Yáñez is let back then Campbell’s authority will surely have been undermined, and he sounds like a fellow who WILL NOT BE UNDERMINED! Will Yáñez’ dismissal be a precursor to more dismissals? Perhaps the Draconian arm of USA Boxing law should be focused elsewhere and away from its athletes.

Below is a youtube of Yáñez’ fight against April 26 fight against Puerto Rican amateur Ryan Aquino. It might be the last time you see Yáñez as an amateur.

Post from: EveryJoe

Luis Yáñez Removed From U.S. Olympic Boxing Team

Image details: Olympic Test Event – 2007 International Boxing Invitational served by picapp.com

Sunday was a good day for the United States Olympic Boxing Team. Both Shawn Estrada and Michael Hunter II won their bouts in the Guatemala City second Americas Olympic Qualifiers tourney while the rest of the team marched to a decisive 9-2 dual meet victory against the Puerto Rican amateur team in Philadelphia.

Shawn Estrada won his second match of the tourney with a controlling 13-2 against Colombia’s Alexander Brand. Estrada rode to an early 8-2 lead through the second round and held his adversary scoreless the rest of the way. Estrada will face Brazilian Yamaguchi Florentino on Tuesday; that fight’s winner will go to Beijing.

Super heavyweight Michael Hunter II pulled out a gutsy 4-3 win late Sunday night against Canadian Dilier Bence. He will face Venezuelan Jose Payares on Tuesday for the Beijing berth. At last month’s first America’s Qualifiers in Trinidad both Hunter and Payares lost to eventual champion Cuban Alfonso Acea. Hunter fell in the finals 9-1 while Payares lost in the semis 9-3.

Four already-qualified future Olympians competed in the Philly meet, all four recording dominating victories. Light flyweight Luis Yanez, flyweight Rau’shee Warren, and light welterweight Javier Molina all had their bouts stopped in the third round because they had opened twenty-point leads on their opponent.

Lightweight Sadam Ali went the full four but managed his own 20 point spread defeating his adversary 40-20 with the help of a boisterous Liacouras Center crowd.

On Wednesday jabandgrabble.com will list and provide profile links for the entire Olympic squad as well as update you on Hunter and Estrada’s quest. Hopefully we will have good news.

Post from: EveryJoe

United States Olympic Boxing Team Has Good Sunday

The Philadelphia event is being held at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. Tickets range from $17 to $67. There are both group and Temple student discounts. The card features a bout in all eleven weight classes and is headlined by future American stars including the flashy lightweight Sadam “World Kid” Ali, 2004 Olympian and current flyweight world champ Rau’shee Warren, and Pan Am Games gold medalist light flyweight Luis Yanez.

The event is also being advertised as streaming live online at www.gofightlive.tv

2,000 miles south of Philly middleweight Shawn Estrada, light heavyweight Christopher Downs, and super heavyweight Michael Hunter II are fighting to join their teammates in Beijing. Sadly, Guatemala City has not been kind to Christopher Downs. The 6′4″ 33-year-old U.S. Army sergeant first class lost on Friday 5-3 to Ecuador’s Cesar Castillo Torres and been knocked out of the tourney.

Downs was battling to become the oldest ever U.S. boxing Olympian but in the end a slipped disk in his back and a severely twisted ankle hindered his ability to compete against the young amateurs. Downs, an Iraq War veteran, had impressed early at last month’s first America qualifiers but his Beijing quest was not to be.

Estrada kept his dream alive with an opening bout win on Friday and Hunter begins his journey tomorrow.

Post from: EveryJoe

United States Olympic Boxing Team Battles This Weekend