Good, bad, worse: U.S. faring well in Olympics, Canelo needs new foe
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
Oshae Jones (left) is one of three Americans who are guaranteed at least a bronze medal in the Olympics. AP Photo / Themba Hadebe
Those who have followed the fortunes of U.S. boxers in recent Olympics know that the Americans have struggled.
The U.S. has won only eight medals total in the past four Games, including three by women since they joined the Olympic family in 2012. Yes, the heady days of the 1976 Olympics (seven medals) and 1984 (11 medals) seem like ancient history.
That’s why the relative success of the current team has been encouraging. As of this writing, the U.S. is guaranteed three medals and have a good chance to clinch a fourth in Tokyo.
The four medals would be the most for Americans since the 2000 Games, when they won two silver and two bronze. That seems to indicate that the U.S. program is moving in the right direction, albeit to a modest degree.
The four U.S. boxers in question are super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr., lightweight Keyshawn Davis, featherweight Duke Ragan and women’s welterweight Oshae Jones. Here’s what’s next for them:
- Torrez, from Tulare, Calif., became the first U.S. super heavyweight to win a medal since Riddick Bowe won the silver medal in the 1988 Games. He will face Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan in the semifinals late Tuesday U.S. time.
- Davis, from Norfolk, Va., will take on Gabil Mamedov of the Russian Olympic Committee in a quarterfinal match late Monday U.S. time.
- Ragan, from Cincinnati, will face Samuel Takyi of Ghana in the semis on Tuesday evening U.S. time.
- And Jones, from Toledo, Ohio, will fight Gu Hong of China in her semifinal bout late Tuesday U.S. time.
Davis, a gold medal favorite, has a good chance of defeating Mamedov to give the U.S. four guaranteed medals, which would equal the 2000 Games. And if at least two of the four become Olympic champion, that would be the most gold medals won by the U.S. since they took home three in 1988.
Yes, there’s reason to be optimistic going into the medal rounds.
***
BAD
Michael Coffie’s bad is Jonathan Rice’s good.
The then-unbeaten Coffie was on a roll going into their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J., having stopped his last three opponents. That included a brutal third-round stoppage of Darmani Rock in January.
Coffie has little experience, though. The former U.S. Marine turned professional at 31 and has only 30-plus fights – amateur and pro – under his belt. One wondered whether that would catch up to him at some point.
It did on Saturday.
Rice, a late replacement for Gerald Washington, entered the fight having lost his previous two bouts and six overall but he fought like a man who is hungry to make his mark with the ability to pull it off.
Quick and athletic for his size, Rice overwhelmed Coffie, picking him apart with long, hard punches until the favorite going into the fight could take no more in Round 5.
That’s called taking advantage of an unusual opportunity. Rice is still a few steps from becoming a legitimate title contender but he stopped an unbeaten prospect on national television, which is a step in the right direction.
He might have the ability to make some noise if he lets his hands go as he did on Saturday, which is something that was lacking in previous fights.
Coffie? The 35-year-old can’t magically gain the fundamental foundation he lacks but you can bet he won’t give up. He’ll use his setback as a painful learning experience and come back for more.
***
WORSE
I don’t know if this is “worse” or “good.”
Canelo Alvarez appeared to be all but set to face Caleb Plant in a 168-pound title-unification fight on Sept. 18, but negotiations broke off last week and the fight is dead.
There goes Alvarez’s desire to become undisputed super middleweight champion. And Plant, the IBF champ, loses out on a dream fight against a pound-for-pound powerhouse and a huge payday.
The fight was compelling and I believe Plant had a chance to win. At the same time, Alvarez had all the advantages.
Now what?
Alvarez’s team reportedly has been in contact with 175-pound titleholder Dmitry Bivol, who doesn’t have a fight in the works. The Russian would presumably defend his belt against Alvarez, although they could fight at a catch weight.
Another question is the date. Alvarez will be motived to fight on Mexican Independence Day weekend, but that’s only six-plus weeks away, which allows both parties limited time to prepare.
Still, that matchup seems to be the best option for Alvarez at the moment. And almost everyone would agree that Bivol is a tougher opponent than Plant for the Mexican star.
Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) is bigger, stronger, more experienced at an elite level and simply better than Plant, as he has demonstrated in victories over Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr.
Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) knocked out Sergey Kovalev in 11 rounds to win a 175-pound title in 2019 but he had a difficult time until the stoppage and Kovalev was past his prime. Bivol, 30, presents a stiffer challenge.
Indeed, Alvarez could lose to Bivol, which is a positive. Fans want to see the pound-for-pounder face a genuine threat.