Boxing at the Summer Games of the XXXII Olympiad, Tokyo

Official cards:

30-27 x2
29-28 x3

UD for Kellie Anne Harrington, your 2021 (2020) women's 60kg gold medalist.

 

Men's Light (57-63kg) Final Bout: Keyshawn Davis (USA) vs. Andy Cruz (CUB)

 

Round 1

Davis is jabbing the body, going into a yogic warrior pose and feinting, lots of jerky full-body twitches. Cruz is staying a little more stationary, reactive, head dipping to either side to slip and countering with lightning-quick jabs and hooks. This is like watching that meme with the different iterations of Spiderman pointing at each other, come to life: two excellent athletes, with similar physical dimensions and long, lean, lithe, physicques - both fast and well-schooled with good timing, mirroring each other in a game of chess, neither making many mistakes. Cruz with an extra wrinkle in his game, turning southpaw for a few moments here and there to throw Davis off. Nice flush 1-2 by Cruz in the closing moments, might have just burgled the round with that.

10-9 Cruz, super close

 

All judges but one do indeed go for the Cuban.

10-9 x4 Cruz
10-9 Davis

 

Round 2

Davis is launching the 1-2 and falling in with it, bit of clinching until the ref gets fed up. Davis now switches to a body attack, pulling up a high guard and straightening on the outside when done getting his shots off. Nice stuff from Davis here, forcing a staccato pace, outlanding Cruz and then grabbing him around the waist. In one furious exchange both miss hooks but Cruz slams a huge right hand down into the back of Davis' head before the clinch. Ref letting them grapple for a moment before calling for breaks, and Cruz looks at him askance, impatiently.

10-9 Davis, close

19-19

 

All five judges saw the second to Davis. Fight hangs in the balance in these last few minutes.

 

Round 3

Davis is wasting a jab up high to make Cruz look, then burying a right into his waistband. Cruz is covering both flanks with his arms, elbows bent, twisting in to either side rhythmically and throwing long pot shot left jabs into the collar of Davis' tank-top. Cruz nettles his left jab out to peck through Davis' and get inside, drilling right hands into the body. Davis with the slingshot 1-2, missing as Cruz drops a level or leans aside, but at least grazing with a fair few as well. Very close round, fight still hanging in the balance with half a minute remaining. Who can convincingly close the show? ...neither, as it turns out. Nightmare to score, as 50-50 as it gets.

10-9 Cruz, by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin (disclaimer: I'm not calling him chinny, just quoting Three Little Pigs )

29-28 Cruz

 

Official cards:

29-28 x4
28-29

SD for the fighter in the blue corner, and your new Olympic gold medalist at 63kg...

ANDY "El MATADOR" CRUZ!

 

Kellie bawling her eyes out during the presentation of medals. She is on cloud 9.

 

...who, Keyshawn? They've sparred before, not sure how it went (and no they're not related, but Keyshawn's older brother Kelvin does box professionally at welterweight).

He allegedly beat up Teófimo López in sparring as well.

 

Women's Middle (69-75kg) Final Bout: Lauren Price (GBR) vs. Qian Li (CHN)

 

Round 1

Price is countering the left jab fluttering in her face with heavy left hand leads below the bosom and 1-2s up top from a deep squat with her feet set more than shoulder width apart, bouncing in place while lying in wait. Qian is lunging and getting pieced up with counters, unable to figure out how to best apply her length advantage. Three straight punches in a row by Qian galloping in, all short as Price back-steps and then slams on the brakes to clap a left hand atop Qian's brow.

10-9 Price, dominant

 

Judges all Price's way, 5-0.

 

Round 2

Price is ready for Qian's opening flurry gambit, countering with a high right jab and then whipping a right hook around the nape when they cling in a tie-up. Price doing a good job holding Qian off with the constant threat of timely 1-2s and 1-2-3s when the crosses the invisible moat. Qian standing off now, cagey, appraising Price and putting out a few long probing left jabs, slowly, more just to scout and clock reactions. Time's a-wasting, more than half the round - and fight - now gone, and the Chinese woman needs to mount some meaningful offense lest she have to settle for silver. Price is just flitting around, darting in with jabs. Clean work.

10-9 Price

20-18 Price