Boxers Keyshawn Davis and Richard Torrez Jr. fail in gold medal bout at Tokyo Olympics

The 17-year drought for the USA Boxing men’s gold medal continues after two losses Sunday morning at the Tokyo Olympics.

First off, it was Keyshawn Davis who settled for the silver after losing a split decision to Cuba’s Andy Cruz in the lightweight gold medal game.

Then, with one last chance to end the spell, Richard Torrez Jr. was pushed back by Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan by unanimous decision an hour later in the super heavyweight final.

The last male boxer to win gold for the U.S. team: Andre Ward in Athens, Greece, in 2004.

Even without the gold, it was the best result for the United States team since 2000. Three American men won silver (Duke Ragan at featherweight is the other), and Oshae Jones won bronze. in the women’s welterweight tournament. The four medals at the 2020 Olympics are the most important for Team USA since 2000 in Sydney.

Torrez’s race ends with super heavyweight silver

Torrez, the first super heavyweight to represent Team USA in the fight since Riddick Bowe in 1988, surprised by advancing so far but was no match for Jalolov, a stronger and bigger fighter who is now 8-0 (all KOs) among the pros.

When they fought in 2019, Jalolov scored a brutal knockout against Torrez, sparking outrage in the boxing industry. After all, Jalolov was a pro and Torrez an amateur. The American was unconscious and taken on a stretcher. Two years later, Jalolov was the winner again, but Torrez made the task much more difficult.

Torrez landed a powerful left shot in the first round on Sunday to win the frame on three of five scorecards. He also showed courage: not only was he too short (5 inches tall and a lot more pounds), but of course he knew what had happened the last time they met.

Still, Torrez swarmed and swarmed, before a catastrophic second round brought him in.

The 22-year-old from Tulare, Calif., Received a standing eight count in second after absorbing a powerful left hand. Moments earlier he had been deducted one point for lowering his head several times. This meant he would have to score a knockout to win.

Torrez, unlike Davis and Ragan, isn’t a pro, but you couldn’t tell from this three-round fight. With his left eye cut off, he continued to press the action in the third, trying to get close to the distance to land on the left side. Jalolov, 27, held him at bay with his left-handed jab.

The five judges scored the fight for Jalolov: 30-26, 30-26, 29-27, 29-27 and 29-27.

His lifelong dream came true, Jalolov will now turn to the pros. Double amateur world champion and now Olympic gold medalist, he has the CV. He also has the height of 6 foot 7, 250 pounds.

“His No.1 goal even after I signed him was the gold medal,” Jalolov promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN. “I’ve thought for a long time that he’s the best heavyweight prospect in the world, period. He’s going to need a little time to really adjust and get into the professional game.

“The sky is the limit for this guy; his skills are completely unique for a man of his size. His movement and agility combined with a long, steep jab and devastating power from a punch, he pretty much has anything you would want in a heavyweight contender. And I don’t think it’ll be a long way for him to be a world-class guy knocking on the door of a belt. “

Davis falls to Cuban Cruz in lightweight final

The first lightweight to represent the U.S. team in the Olympic gold medal match since Oscar De La Hoya won gold in 1992, Davis simply ran into a rival he can’t beat. .

It was their fourth – and last – meeting among amateurs, and each time, Cruz had his hand raised. Cruz, 25, was just too lively, too active and too good for Davis, but the fight was much closer than their last meeting, a September 2019 fight at the AIBA World Championships in Russia.

One judge scored it 29-28 for Davis, while four judges scored the fight 29-28 for Cruz, who took the split decision victory and the gold medal.

Cruz danced to the ring, then won the first round on four of the five scorecards with crisp, clean punches and superior activity. Davis of Norfolk, Va., Came back strong to win the second, punctuated with a powerful right hand, setting the table for a third round that would decide the winner. And Cruz would not deprive himself of it, beating Davis and beating the American with a beautiful set of legs for his 27th consecutive victory among amateurs.

We don’t know where Cruz, 25, is going from here. Cuba does not allow its fighters to turn pro, and those who wish are forced to defect. Former professional champions Erislandy Lara and Guillermo Rigondeaux both fled Cuba and settled in Miami. For Davis, the path is much clearer: a return to the pros, where he’s 3-0 (with two knockouts) and seemingly on the fast track to a world title opportunity.

The 22-year-old southpaw made his professional debut in February and fought again in April and May. His rapid rise was put on hold when he surprisingly received the call to return to the Olympic Training Center after qualifying in Buenos Aires was canceled in May due to COVID-19.

Davis was set to travel to Japan last summer before the pandemic delayed the Olympics by a year. Rather than wait, Davis and two others – Ragan and Troy Isley – decided to go pro. The three represented the United States team at the Olympics, the first time professional boxers have represented the nation at the Games.