Duke Ragan takes home the silver medal
At the conclusion of his Olympic journey, American featherweight Duke Ragan (64-23, 2 KO’s) took home the silver medal. Ragan performed efficiently throughout the competition. However, he was defeated in the finals by Russian boxer Albert Batyrgaziev (52-3, 6 KO’s). Batyrgaziev would claim the gold medal. Ironically, both men have already turned professional. Yet, they both opted to return to the amateur ranks in order to participate in the Olympic games.
Had Ragan won, he would have been the first American male boxer to win two gold medals since Andre Ward in 2004. For now, the only two American boxers still in the hunt for Olympic gold are super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr and lightweight Keyshawn Davis.
Prior to the games, Ragan, 23, had racked up a number of impressive accomplishments. The Cincinnati, Ohio native earned honors in the 2016 National Golden Gloves, 2016-18 Elite National Championships, 2019 Pan American Games. He, as well, amassed a 4-0, 1 KO professional record. Since turning professional, Ragan has even penned a potentially very beneficial promotional deal with the iconic Top Rank promotions. So, while the talented featherweight is no doubt disappointed that he didn’t claim gold, his future in the sport is still exceedingly bright.
By: Bakari Simpson
