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USA's
Shakur Stevenson wins by walkover, faces Cuban star for gold on Saturday
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The two most successful
nations in Olympic boxing history somehow haven't faced each other with a gold
medal on the line in 20 years.
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| Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez, left, and Uzbekistan's Murodjon Akhmadaliev exchange punches during a men's bantamweight 56-kg semifinals boxing match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) |
U.S.
bantamweight Shakur Stevenson and Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez will end that drought
Saturday in a fight that could resonate through boxing for years.
Two
of the most spectacular fighters at the Rio Olympics have emerged from a
terrifically talented division to face off for gold. Floyd Mayweather isn't the
only boxing promoter who will be watching closely when the smooth American and
the lyrical Cuban trade punches for the first time — and probably not the last.
"I
think it's about to be a great match-up," Stevenson said. "We've got
the 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, great fighter. You've got the
up-and-coming rising superstar from the USA, and we're about to put on a show.
We're ready to turn this place out."
After
winning gold as a flyweight in London, Ramirez has more experience than the
19-year-old Stevenson. Yet Stevenson has never lost an amateur fight in
international competition, soaring from Newark to Rio in a meteoric career.
"He's
a good fighter with a lot of good technical skills," Ramirez said of
Stevenson. "It's a great matchup for our final fight at the Olympics. He's
a guy that likes to fight, and so am I. He's a guy that brings a lot of skill
and intelligence to the ring."
Stevenson
is one fight away from winning the first gold medal for an American man since
Andre Ward, his favorite boxer, did it 12 years ago. Stevenson and Ward have
spoken throughout the tournament.
Stevenson
also received advice from Mayweather, who traveled to Rio to watch the top pro
prospect on the American team. Mayweather also got a look at Ramirez, who has
showed off the skills and athleticism reminiscent of every great boxer of
Cuba's illustrious Olympic past.
But
Ramirez is part of a new generation: Rather than treating opponents with chilly
indifference and ignoring media outside the ring, he is a friendly,
self-effacing personality who eagerly gives interviews and expounds on his
fights with a personality that suggests he could be popular outside Cuba.
"I'm
not feeling pressure so much as I'm really excited," said Ramirez, who got
suspended from the national team in 2014 for repeatedly missing training.
"I had a low moment, but my family and my teammates all helped me get back
up, and I want to get that medal. I need that medal."
Stevenson
will be fresher than Ramirez, who had to fight four times to reach the final.
Stevenson got a first-round bye, and he had to win only two fights before he
advanced Thursday by walkover when battered Russian bronze medalist Vladimir Nikitin
couldn't pass his medical check.
No
matter the outcome, Stevenson and Ramirez realize they probably haven't seen
the last of each other — if Ramirez eventually elects to turn pro in the West,
that is.
When
they're told that they could easily be headliners in a Vegas pay-per-view fight
in the near future, both fighters dismiss the prospect with a smile.
Ramirez
realizes there will be speculation about his interest in turning pro after this match-up, but he has claimed his focus is entirely on winning another gold medal
for his girlfriend and their daughter, Renata.
But
he also enjoyed his chance to speak with Mayweather about the future beyond
this landmark match-up.
"He's the champion of champions," Ramirez said with a grin. "He told me to do my best here. It makes me really proud."
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