Belgium’s Victor Schelstraete knocked out his favourite rival in Yekaterinburg on Day2
11 September 2019Boxers from the light heavyweight (81kg) and heavyweight (91kg) were in actions in the second day of boxing at the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Switzerland’s Uke Smajli and Lithuania’s Tadas Tamasauskas defeated experienced rivals but the main sensation was delivered by Belgium’s Victor Schelstraete with his unexpected KO victory.
Among the participating 78 nations and 365 boxers, Europe represents the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships with 169 athletes from 36 countries. The following 36 European nations are attending in the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Yekaterinburg: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales.
Bout of the day
Germany’s Ammar Abduljabbar moved up to the heavyweight (91kg) this year and performed strongly in the Cologne Boxing World Cup this April. The 24-year-old German was well prepared to his first ever AIBA World Boxing Championships where he met with South Korea’s Ju Tae Ung. The defending ASBC Asian Champion at the heavyweight (91kg) is South Korean but Kim Hyeong Kyu is not able to attend in Yekaterinburg due his injury. His replacement Ju Tae Ung was also a competitive rival for the German but Abduljabbar used his energetic attacks to eliminate the Asian on Day2.
Surprises of the day
Switzerland’s FISU University World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Uke Smajli is his nation’s best boxer but he was not the favourite against Colombia’s Diego Alejandro Motoa on Day2. In spite of the previous chances the Swiss light heavyweight (81kg) boxer performed over his previous limits and started the bout with strong punches. Smajli continued his impressive performance in the further periods as well and won all of the rounds against the tough South American.
Lithuania’s experienced Tadas Tamasauskas replaced Robertas Jokulys in the national team and returned to the world of boxing with a superb success. The 30-year-old Lithuanian was narrowly better than Croatia’s European Games bronze medallist favourite Toni Filipi and made another surprise on Day2. The main sensation of the whole competition day was delivered by Belgium’s Victor Schelstraete who knocked out Israel’s former EUBC European Youth Champion Konstantyn Pinchuk after 178 seconds of fight.
The Round-Up
France’s Gaetan Ntambwe did not expect an easy job against Croatia’s Matej Uremovic therefore he kept his focus from the first seconds. The French boxer won all of the rounds in each scorecard and marched to the next preliminary stage of the light heavyweight (81kg). Wales’ EUBC European U22 Boxing Championships runner-up Sammy Lee is only 20 but a superb fighter who caught Jordan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Odai Riad Al-Hindawi with massive punches and joined to the last 32.
Austria’s best male boxer Umar Dzambekov started also strongly against another 22-year-old boxer Japan’s Ren Umemura who has just moved up to the light heavyweight (81kg). The Austrian boxer used his distance well and those jabs meant Dzambekov can wait for his next opponent in Yekaterinburg. Spain’s new sensation in the same weight category Gazimagomed Jalidov spent less than one round in the ring when he stopped Serbia’s former WSB boxer Aleksa Markovic.
Georgia’s former EUBC European Youth Champion Nikoloz Begadze had to meet with another young hope from our continent at the heavyweight (91kg) and he had tough job against Romania’s Cristian Razvan Filip. The final verdict was split decision to the Georgian but he had to mobilize all of his strength to eliminate the Romanian. Slovakia’s David Michalek became the next European winner at the heavyweight (91kg) who triumphed over Mongolia’s veteran Sandagsuren Erdenebayar.
