Zamkovoi, Bakshi and Gadzhimagomedov are Russia’s three gold medallists in the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships
22 September 2019Following twelve days of boxing, the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships finished with its eight finals in Russia. Europe achieved 10 medals in the event and among them three Russians as Andrei Zamkovoi, Gleb Bakshi and Muslim Gadzhimagomedov won the title of the AIBA World Boxing Championships.
Among the participating 78 nations and 365 boxers, Europe represented the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships with 169 athletes from 36 countries. The following 36 European nations attended 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.
Russia’s veteran Andrei Zamkovoi earned the title of the welterweight (69kg) at the age of 32
The most experienced team member of the Russian delegation in this AIBA World Boxing Championships was Andrei Zamkovoi who joined to the international events still in 2005. The Milan 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist and London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Andrei Zamkovoi is in top shape in the recent two and half years and he looked fresh in all of his contests. Following his successes over Belgium’s Nabil Messaoudi, Canada’s Wyatt Sanford, Cuba’s London 2012 Olympic Games winner Roniel Iglesias, and Kazakhstan’s Youth Olympic Games winner Ablaikhan Zhussupov, he met for the gold with England’s Pat McCormack.
The Russian boxer used his patient style in the first round of the final and ruled the middle of the ring. McCormack was not able to control the bout but landed good shots also in the first round when Zamkovoi led 10:9 in each scorecard. McCormack suffered an injury in the second round due a head blow and the judges had to score the bout after four minutes of fight. The final verdict was 4:0 in the favour to Zamkovoi who won his first AIBA World title at the age of 32.
Gleb Bakshi is the surprise winner of the middleweight (75kg)
Gleb Bakshi won his first Russian national title in 2018 following his hard work and the previous losses motivated him to reach the top. The 24-year-old middleweight (75kg) boxer lost his quarter-final to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the Minsk 2019 European Games which also increased his stamina to perform strongly in the AIBA World Boxing Championships on home soil. Bakshi eliminated two top Americans as Cuba’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games winner Arlen Lopez in the quarter-finals and Brazil’s Hebert William Conceicao Souza in the last four.
Bakshi had to meet with a dangerous rival Philippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial who started their final better with strict jabs. The Russian returned to match in the second round and knocked down the Filipino which was the turning point of their gold medal contest. Bakshi and Marcial both were tired in the last round but Bakshi’s stamina was enough to win the title of the middleweight (75kg).
Russia’s third gold medal was achieved by Muslim Gadzhimagomedov
Minsk 2019 European Games winner and multiple Russian National Champion Muslim Gadzhimagomedov is 22 but he was the top favourite at the heavyweight (91kg). The Russian used his longer reach and hands as strong weapons against the smaller Bulgarian, Radoslav Pantaleev in their semi-finals and advanced to the title contest. The Russian heavyweight (91kg) boxer had to face in the final of the event with Ecuador’s two-time Olympian Julio Castillo who bowed out Kazakhstan’s Vasiliy Levit in the semi-finals.
The Russian started their final better and landed tough right-handed jabs in the first round of their anticipated title bout. Castillo was the first ever Ecuadorian boxer in a final of the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships therefore he gave in everything but the taller Gadzhimagomedov controlled the bout and earned Russia’s third gold in Yekaterinburg.
