The US Olympic boxing team suffers massive losses!
At the outset of the 2021 Summer Olympics the US boxing team had a great deal of promise. Eight Olympians were set to be the champions from America. Then in the blink of an eye, the US boxing team was slashed in half. In rapid succession, Delante “Tiger” Johnson, Rashida Ellis, Troy Isley and Naomi Graham all found themselves eliminated from the competition.
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After a bye round, lightweight boxer Rashida Ellis (45-17, 0 KO) was bested by English pugilist Caroline Dubois (37-2, 2 KO’s). Dubois won the contest by way of majority decision. Prior to the Olympic games, Ellis, 26, medaled at the 2019 AIBA Women’s Boxing Championships and won honors at the 2012-2018 Elite National Championships, 2016 National Golden Gloves, 2017 National Golden Gloves and the 2019 Elite Women’s World Championship .
To her credit, Dubois, 20, became a 2016/17 European junior champion, 2018/19 English National Youth champion and 2019 European Women’s Youth Champion. Heading into the bout there was no shortage of folks who viewed Ellis as the favorite. Clearly once in the ring, these outside perceptions didn’t carry much weight. Despite staging very a competitive dustup, Ellis found herself eliminated from the summer games all the same.
BACK TO THE PRO’S
Like Ellis, middleweight fighter Troy “Transformer” Isley (57-19, 4 KO’s) would be cast out of the games, as well. Troy, 22, was eliminated after an extremely close affair with Russian boxer Gleb Bakshi (57-17, 2 KO’s). The loss came by way of majority decision. The DC native was looking to fulfill a dream by medaling in the Olympics. In fact, Troy was returning to the amateur ranks having already competed as a professional. Transformer had even secured a promotional contract with influential Top Rank.
Prior to his professional career, Isley achieved honors at 2014 National Junior Olympics, 2016 National Golden Gloves, 2016-18 Elite National Championships, 2019 Pan American games and the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials. With his loss to Bakshi, Isley was the first American male eliminated from the games. Despite his previous accomplishments, his Russian adversary was able to outperform Transformer down the distance.
FROM RUSSIA, WITH NO LOVE
Lastly, North Carolinian middleweight Naomi Graham (48-17, 2 KO’s) was toppled by Zemfira Magomedalieva (23-2, 1 KO’s) by way of split decision. Graham, 32, simply could not overcome the former heavyweight fighter and lost on four of the five scorecards. She was the second American removed from the games. Before the Olympics, one of Magomedalieva’s (33) more notable wins was medaling in the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship.
Prior to arriving at the Olympics, the American middleweight competed and exceled in the 2015-18 Elite National Championships, 2017 National Golden Gloves and 2019 Pan American Games. With the win, Magomedalieva will continue to advance in the competitions.
Still holding on strong for America is welterweight Oshea Jones, super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr (52-9, 15 KO’s), featherweight Duke Ragan (62-22, 2 KO’s) and lightweight Keyshawn “The Businessman” Davis.
By: Bakari Simpson
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