Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez (left) in action against Azerbaijan’s Albert Selimov during their 60kg lightweight final at AIBA World Boxing Championships in Doha’s Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena yesterday. PICTURES: Mamdouh

By Satya Rath
Doha

Three defending champions, among them AIBA’s Boxer of the Year Julio La Cruz, APB Boxer of the Year Mohamed Rabii, two Azerbaijani European Games champions and a ringful of talent from France, Ireland and Kazakhstan featured the concluding day’s action at the World Boxing Championships, the 18th edition of which concluded at Al Sadd’s majestic Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena yesterday.
Besides the five title bouts—52kg flyweight, 60kg lightweight, 69kg welterweight, 81kg light heavyweight and +91kg super heavyweight, the final evening’s programme also included two box-offs between the losing semi-finalists in 60kg light and 69kg welter to determine the two quota spots for next year’s Rio Olympics.
The penultimate day’s action on Wednesday saw Cuba (light flyweight and middleweight) and Russia (light welterweight and heavyweight) claim two gold medals each, with Ireland’s Michael Conlan taking the bantamweight crown.
It was a dramatic start to the final evening when Azerbaijan’s WSB star and European Games champion Elvin Mamishzada halted the Cuban juggernaut in their flyweight final in another decision which surprised many, particularly the capacity Cuban supporters.
The Azerbaijani’s opponent, flyweight top seed Yosbany Veitia, had been enjoying a remarkable return to form that took him all the way to a final round, but here he was up against one of the most powerful athletes in his class. Picking his punches well, Veitia looked the aggressor for the better part of the three-round bout, with Mamishzada seemingly happy to play the waiting game. It was only in the third round that the Azerbaijani landed some good punches, but still emerged the winner on unanimous decision.
Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez, chasing a record-equalling third-successive world title, was however in a class of his own in his 60kg lightweight fight against another Azerbaijani and European Games champion. Albert Selimov had been unbeaten in this year’s WSB, but met his match in Alvarez, whose savage right hook resulted in a deep cut to the forehead of Selimov. The referee stopped the fight, and realising that the injury was serious enough to let the bout continue, awarded the fight to the Cuban, in what was the first TKO (technical knockout) of the finals. It was a hat-trick of world titles for Alvarez, and the third gold medal of the championships for his country.
Compatriot Julio La Cruz increased the gold medal tally to four when he won the 81kg light heavyweight bout. The atmosphere in the stadium was truly electrifying when the two biggest groups of fans got behind two very different boxers in the intriguing final. But despite cornering the biggest cheers, Ireland’s Joe Ward found the going tough against the Cuban team captain and defending champion. The 2015 AIBA Boxer of the Year was clearly the better boxer of the two, and despite a valiant and relentless effort from Ward, didn’t face many hiccups in winning his second world title on the trot.
In another intriguing battle in the 69kg welterweight division, APB Boxer of the Year Mohamed Rabii, the only Moroccan in the title round, stunned defending champion Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan. It was an enthralling contest between the top two seeds, with neither willing to concede an inch. After two close rounds, the Moroccan let loose a barrage of punches in the deciding third. The Kazakh seemed to have been taken aback by the relentless assault of Rabii, and despite recovering well to land some punches on the counter, couldn’t prevent the split decision that gave the bout and the gold to a clearly-exhausted Rabii.
France’s Tony Yoka maintained his dream run in the super heavy bout against Ivan Dychko in what was the final bout of the evening and the championships to take the gold. Yoka, who shocked Great Britain’s Joseph Joyce in the semi-finals, has been a revelation in Doha, but Kazakhstan’s Dychko too had been imperious in the tournament, effortlessly dismantling his opponents. In the end, it proved to be a fitting finale to an unforgettable tournament as underdog Yoka got the better of Dychko, whose nonchalant demeanour as against the animated style of the Frenchman, may have helped in the judges’ split decision.
As was the case on Wednesday, one of the bronze medal box-offs, the 69kg welterweight, was cancelled. Chinese welterweight Wei Liu was awarded a walkover victory with Azerbaijan’s Parviz Baghirov unable to compete for medical reasons. This means Liu will receive a quota place for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Cuba topped the gold medal tally with four, followed by two for Russia, and one each for France, Morocco, Azerbaijan and Ireland. The next edition of the World Championships will be hosted the German city of Hamburg in 2017.