Semi Finals / session five

The first semi-final session of the 2009 AIBA President's Cup in Baku this morning witnessed perhaps the bout of the tournament so far. Light-heavyweight Carlos Gongora of Ecuador, representing America 1, came back from 8:1 down after the first round, in which he also conceded a standing eight-count, to win 14:10 over Rizvan Alimuradov of Russia and Europe 1.

Pic: Rusian Myrsatayev (red) celebrates victory

Alimuradov stormed into a 7:0 lead with a ferocious assault on the South American, who scored his first point in the final second of the opening round. This proved to be the catalyst for an amazing turnaround and a rampant Gongora forced the Russian to take two standing eight-counts in the second round with plenty of time left for a third, which would have given him outright victory even though he was still well behind on points.

That didn't happen, but with the crowd at the Serhedchi Olympic Sport Complex completely engrossed, Gongora continued in the last round where he had left off and surged to victory over a bewildered Alimuradov. In the 81kg final he will face Abdelkader Bouhenia of France and Europe, the bronze medalist at the AIBA World Championships who overcame spirited resistance from Oceania and New Zealand's Reece Papuni.

At light-flyweight, Miguel Luis Diaz, bronze medalist at the AIBA World Youth Championships 2008 and one of the stars of the preliminary rounds here, started slowly against Stefan Slavchev of Bulgaria and Europe 1 as both men looked for an opening. But the Dominican scored three times in the last minute of the first round and never looked back, showing both courage and strength coming forward. In tomorrow's final he meets Birzhan Zhakypov of Kazakhstan and Asia 2, the 2005 AIBA World Championship bronze medalist who won a close contest on accepted scores against Redouane Bouchtouk of Africa and Morroco.

At lightweight there was a surprise as José Pedraza of Puerto Rico and America 1,the AIBA World Championship silver medalist, lost to Semen Grivachev of Europe 2 and Russia, who ambushed his opponent with two quick scoring punches in the second round to take a 2:1 lead. Pedraza switched stance contstantly thereafter, trying to find a way through, but there was no further change to the score.

Grivachev will now meet Azerbaijan's Ismet Eynullayev, a clear winner for Europe 1 over Asia 1's Asylbek Talasbaev of Kyrgyzstan. And Eynullayev's brother, Sadiq, is also through to tomorrow's finals at light-welterweight, after a clear win over Myke Carvalho of Brazil and America 1. He will meet France's Olympic bronze medalist Alexis Vastine of Europe 2, who was too good for Masatsugu Kawachi of Japan, representing Asia 1.

The heavyweight final will be between Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine, the World Championship bronze medalist, who only squeezed through the preliminary round on individual scores. He put all that behind him with a 14:1 win over Ramzjon Ahmedov of Uzbekistan and Asia 1 and in the final he will face Julio Cesar Castillo Torres of Ecuador and America 2, who beat Ali Mazaheri of Iran and Asia 2.

Session six

The first super-heavyweight semi-final of the 2009 AIBA President's Cup between Kazakhstan's Rusian Myrsatayev of Asia 1 and Shamil Gadzhiev of Russia and Europe 2 produced the most astonishing result at the end of the third day of action at the Serhedchi Olympic Sport Complex in Baku.
Pic: Carlos Gongora turned his semi-final bout around against Alimurad

Gadzhiev, going in low and scoring freely, raced to an 11:1 lead and appeared to be coasting. Then, out of nowhere, Myrsatayev produced a right cross that floored Gadzhiev, and although the Russian rose to his feet the referee decided he had seen enough. In tomorrow's all-European final Myrsatayev will meet the AIBA World Championship silver medalist Roman Kapitonenko of Ukraine, who was too tight in defence and too clinical in attack for the big-hitting Australian champion Trent Rawlins.

At welterweight there was a battle of the big hitters as Suhrab Shidaev of Europe 1 stole a 7:3 lead over Chiger Jaoid before the African gradually began to reel the Russian in. With a minute to go Jaoid had pulled it back to 7:5, then it was 7:6 with 30 seconds remaining before Shidaev ultimately ran out an 8:7 winner. He will have his hands full in the final against fellow-European Emil Mahrramov, one of two Azerbaijanis to make the finals after victory over Oscar Molina.

John Joe Nevin of Ireland, the AIBA World Championship silver medalist, bobbed and weaved his way to victory over southpaw Kanat Abutalipov in their bantamweight semi-final. Keeping his hands low, Nevin lured the Kazakhstani into trap after trap and counter-punched to devastating effect.  In the final Nevin, boxing for Europe 2, will face Orzubek Shayimov of Uzbekistan and Asia 2 who beat Jonathan Valarezo of America 1 and Ecuador 6:4. 

The flyweight final will be between Nordine Oubaali of Europe 2 and Suranjoy Singh of Asia 1, who enjoyed a convincing victory over Braulio Avila of America 2, while at featherweight Oscar Valdez of Mexico and America 1 meets the Russian, Dmitry Polyansky of Europe 1. The former got the better of a bruising encounter with local boy Elshan Ismailov, representing Europe 2, while the latter's precise punching frustrated Ibrahim Balla of Australia and Oceania.

And at middleweight the explosive, all-action style of Europe 2's Moldovan Victor Cotiujanschii was enough to see off Falcao Yamaguchi of America 2 and Brazil, while Australian Damien Hooper was obliged to take two standing eight-counts on his way to defeat at the hands of of Sergiy Derevyanchenko of Europe 1 and Ukraine