Captain Conlan Makes History For Ireland While Cuba And Russia Claim Double Gold On First Day Of AIBA World Championship Finals

Wednesday night was finals night in Doha, and confirmation of the first five World Champions at light flyweight, bantamweight, light welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight at a packed Ali Bin Hamad Ali Attiyah Arena.

Russia’s WSB southpaw Vasilii Egorov faced off against fleet-footed Cuban Joahnys Argilagos in the opening bout. Argilagos’ greater agility proved decisive in all three rounds, the Cuban becoming the first World Champion of 2015.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev was immediately on the front foot against Michael Conlan, but the Irish captain responded well in the second round and despite hitting the canvas in the third, he had already done enough to win the bout and become Ireland’s first-ever World Champion.

“I came out for the gold medal and I got it, I’m absolutely delighted, thrilled. I would like to thank my coaches and my family and everyone for the tremendous support here all week, the supporters were fantastic. I knew he was going to be tough and that’s the way it turned out. I’ll be going to Rio as the world champion. I’ll have to wait for that to sink in,” said a delighted Conlan afterwards.

Russia’s Vitaly Dunaytsev did just enough in the edgy opening rounds against Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov to take the light welterweight gold medal, the reigning European Champion adding World Champion title to an impressive season.

Previously unbeaten Bektemir Melikuziev’s counter-attacking style had taken him all the way to Wednesday’s middleweight final against Arlen Lopez. The Cuban didn’t give his Uzbek opponent any opportunities to score enough meaningful punches in the first two rounds, however, and despite a late rally, it was Lopez who took the World Champion title.

Erislandy Savon relied heavily on his strong counter punches against Russian Evgeny Tishchenko in the opening round of the heavyweight final. Tishchenko’s front-foot attack gave him the advantage, before the Cuban came back strongly in round two. It wasn’t to be Savon’s night, however, as the Russian prevented a Havana hat-trick of golds to take the title.

Earlier in the session, box-offs between four bronze medalists saw Olympic qualification move a huge step closer for Belarusian bantamweight Dzmitry Asanau and Egypt’s middleweight Hosam Abdin, while Wuttichai Masuk was awarded a walkover, with Cuban Yasniel Toledo unable to box for medical reasons.

World Series Of Boxing Week 10, Group B La Cruz returns

In the last week of the Regular Season Group B promises more outstanding bouts and intriguing matches. None more so the announced return to the ring of World Champion Julio La Cruz from Cuba. La Cruz was the victim of an armed robbery exactly eight weeks ago this Saturday, which saw him shot in the hip and undergoing surgery to remove the bullet.

Whist La Cruz’ return is the story on everyone’s lips; it is not the only exciting piece of news the “Group of Death” has to offer this week.

Cuba Domadores vs. Azerbaijan Baku Fires

01/02/2014, 01:30 (GMT), Watch live or on demand for FREE on AIBAboxingTV.com

Although there will be ten world class athletes competing in Havana this weekend, this match is all about just one man: Julio Cesar La Cruz. The Light Heavyweight (81kg) double World Champion and London 2012 Olympian makes his return after recovering from an armed robbery and having a bullet removed from his hip. He won’t have the easiest of returns against Teymur Mammadov, a very capable boxer who took silver in the 2011 World Championships and bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The new leaner incarnation of this boxing machine won his WSB debut at Light Heavyweight in Week eight this season. If ever La Cruz was at danger of losing a WSB bout, this could be the moment. Regardless of the outcome of this bout however, the sporting world should be stunned by his recovery. Both physically and psychologically, for an athlete to return to the ring against such high quality opposition just two months after being shot is an amazing story and is testimony to his incredible levels of fitness. These of course will be called into question by the Azeri. The WSB “Bad Boys”, the Azerbaijan Baku Fires are not known for their kindness in the ring; rather they are relentless, aggressive and highly physical fighters. Will the master tactician La Cruz have enough in the bag to see off such a high calibre and physical fighter as Mammadov? With that in the mind of every boxing fan, the rest of the match is almost a side show…
…But what an amazing side show! Former World Champion, and London 2012 Olympic Champion Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo makes his long awaited second appearance in the WSB Welterweight (69kg) category against the very tricky young Azeri Yauheni Ramashkevich, while at Lightweight (60kg) Hurshid Tojibaev, a Beijing Olympian and former Continental Silver Medallist who holds a WSB record of 3-3 will be taking on an unknown quantity in Pablo Vicente who makes his debut this weekend. Elsewhere, at Super Heavyweight (91+kg), the Azeri’s are fielding Arslanbek Makhmudov who has four wins on his card, three by way of KO or TKO. He will be taking on 30 year old Cuban veteran Yoandris Maceo who is making his WSB debut.

Mexico Guerreros vs. Russian Boxing Team

01/02/2014, 02:50 (GMT), Watch live or on demand for FREE on AIBAboxingTV.com

The Guerreros may be out of the running this year, but that does not mean that they are going down without a fight. A world-class line up of boxers lies in wait for the visiting Russian team this week. 2013 WSB Boxer of the Year Elias Emigdio will be leading the charge for the Guerreros at Flyweight (52kg). Emigdio has a stunning 16-3 record and has won both his matches this year by TKO he will be a tough nut for Russian debutant Ovik Ogannisian to crack. At Welterweight Marvin Cabrera, who enters the fray with a 7-2 record, will also represent a difficult introduction to the WSB for 21 year old Alim Gadzhiev. The Russians will however benefit from a Walkover at Super Heavyweight and the presence of Eduard Yakushev at Light Heavyweight. Yakushev is 5-2 and has taken the scalps of some very serious boxers such as Germany’s Serge Michel. The Guerreros Moldovan boxer Petru Ciobanu (0-2) is likely to find him a troublesome opponent. Are the Guerreros packing enough heat to out-gun the Russian visitors? Find out on AIBAboxingTV.com.

Astana Arlans Kazakhstan vs. Hussars Poland

01/02/2014, 13:50 (GMT), Watch live or on demand for FREE on AIBAboxingTV.com

Last weekend, the Hussars won their first (but long-deserved) match of the season against the Mexico Guerreros. Buoyed by the experience and facing a team of Kazakh debutants, Hussars fans should be hopeful for this weekend right? Well not exactly. One of those boxers happens to be Daniyar Yeleussinov, the current AIBA World Champion at Welterweight who was also voted the best AIBA Boxer of the Year for 2013. With a history of success in AOB, the Kazakh’s first appearance would almost certainly have grabbed the headlines today were it not for the sensational return of his fellow World Champion La Cruz. His 19 year old Armenian opponent Zhora Simonyan, no matter how game, will need nothing short of a miracle to win this bout.

The Poles meanwhile will be looking to Dawid Michelus, who is 3-3 in the WSB and won his last outing at Lightweight to turn the heat on 28 year old Kazakh debutant Gani Zhaliauov. But as those of us who were at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Almaty 2013 can attest, the Sports Palace can be quite a noisy and intimidating place for visiting boxers.
Can the Poles make it two in a row, or will the deep reserves of Kazakh talent and vocal home support be enough to secure the hosts another victory?