Black eye for US boxing

If there was gnashing of teeth after the elimination of the Philippines’ lone boxing entry Mark Anthony Barriga in the lightflyweight round-of-16 at the recent London Olympics, imagine the anguish felt by the nine-man US boxing team that went home without a single medal.

The probability of bagging a medal with just one candidate was nowhere near the chances of the US squad snatching at least one from nine hopefuls. But alas, the Americans were humbled in agonizing fashion as seven were beaten by fighters who didn’t even make it to the semifinals. How painful was that?

The US had high hopes of unveiling boxers in the class of Olympic legends Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Patterson, Pernell Whitaker, Leon and Michael Spinks, Howard Davis, Oscar de la Hoya and Meldrick Taylor. Surely, at least one would bring back a medal, never mind if only a bronze. Like a curse, the US was hexed and came up empty-handed. Freddie Roach had spent a month with the fighters in training camp at Colorado Springs but didn’t get along with coach Joe Zanders who was eventually replaced by Basheer Abdullah. The petty politics that divided the US team turned off Roach who had planned to join the fighters in London.

The US has collected 109 US Olympic boxing medals so far but in 2008, only heavyweight Deontay Wilder went up the podium to pick up a bronze. Since 1992, the harvest has been extremely lean with only three golds, a silver and 10 bronzes. The turnaround was supposed to happen this year with Roach contributing to the effort. Abdullah was named head coach a month before the Olympics, an indication that things were in disarray in the boxing camp.

In 1976, the US was hailed as the world’s No. 1 Olympic boxing power with five gold medals at the Montreal Games. The reputation was upheld in 1984 when the US claimed nine gold medals, a silver and a bronze. It would’ve been 10 golds if only Evander Holyfield wasn’t disqualified for hitting on the break in the lightheavyweight semifinals.

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In London, the US squad pinned its medal hopes on flyweight Rau’shee Warren, the first American boxer to compete in three Olympics. He won a world title in 2007 and bagged a bronze at the Olympic world qualifiers in Azerbaijan last year. But the 25-year-old father of two was luckless in London. He drew a bye in the round-of-32 then lost a 19-18 decision to France’s Nordine Oubaali in his only outing. Warren was one of five American bets who fought just once in the Olympics – the others were lightwelterweight Jamel Herring (trounced by Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yeieussinov, 19-9), lightheavyweight Marcus Browne (lost to Australia’s Damian Hooper, 13-11), heavyweight Michael Hunter (ousted by Russia’s Artur Beterbiyar on a countback after a 10-10 draw) and superheavyweight Dominic Breazeale (crushed by Russia’s Magomed Omarov, 19-8). What made the defeats more painful was none of the five fighters who dispatched the Americans wound up with a medal, punctuating their mediocrity.

The closest an American boxer came to a medal was welterweight Errol Spence, with a little help from AIBA, the world governing body for amateur boxing. Spence beat Brazil’s Myke Carvalho, 16-10, in the first round then lost a 13-11 verdict to India’s Vikas Krishnan in the round-of-16. The US protested the outcome and insisted Krishnan should’ve been penalized for holding and spitting out his mouthpiece. The AIBA competition jury supported the US protest and reversed the decision, declaring that Krishnan should have been penalized twice and ruling the final score to be 15-13 for Spence.

Curiously, the Philippines filed a protest on similar grounds in Barriga’s one-point loss to Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov. .Filipino team official Ed Picson said Canadian referee Roland Labbe should’ve penalized Zhakypov for repeatedly wrestling Barriga to the canvas. AIBA, however, denied the Philippine protest, citing no basis and even chastised Barriga’s handlers for being emotional. AIBA’s double standard was glaringly evident in the decision.

Spence got a free ride to the quarterfinals where he was eliminated by Russia’s Andrey Zamkovey, 16-11. Zamkovey later settled for a bronze medal. One other American lost to an eventual medalist. Bantamweight Joseph Diaz lost a round-of-16 bout to Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez, 21-15. Alvarez went on to bag a bronze.  The US gained consolation with a gold and a bronze in women’s boxing. Middleweight Claressa Shields hit paydirt while flyweight Marlen Esparza took a bronze.

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In the final boxing medal standings, Great Britain was at the top of the list with three golds, a silver and a bronze. Ukraine and Cuba pocketed two golds apiece. Nine Asian countries claimed medals. Kazakhstan, site of AIBA’s boxing academy, finished with a gold, silver and two bronzes. China had a gold, silver and bronze. Japan gained a gold and bronze while Mongolia bagged a silver and bronze. South Korea (lightweight Hen Soon Chul) and Thailand (lightflyweight Kaeo Pongprayoon) snatched a silver apiece. Garnering a bronze each were India, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Of 52 medals at stake in Olympic boxing, Asian countries cornered only 16. The Philippines’ last four Olympic medals came from boxing dating back to 1964. No Filipino has brought back an Olympic medal since Onyok Velasco delivered a silver at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Obviously, there is much to be done – in and off the ring – for the Philippines to bounce back as an Olympic boxing contender. Lessons from countries with a history of Olympic success must be learned. Finding the right physical specimen in a weight class is critical, developing that body into a fighting machine is another challenge and building the confidence to stand up to global competition is vital. Getting updated on the latest boxing technology and techniques from expert coaches is imperative and how to apply this knowledge to benefit Filipino fighters is even more important. A road map to Rio must be carefully laid out and the work to prepare for the four-year ride must start as soon as possible.