WITH all the controversy around the scoring at the Rio Olympics, here are some Games finals that proved memorable – for better or worse.
12. Mukhammad Abdullayev (Uzbekistan) vs Ricardo Williams Jnr (USA) – Sydney 2000
PRECOCIOUSLY talented 19-year-old Williams was unlucky not to be America’s sole gold medallist in Sydney when he was outscored 27-20 by the rock-hard Uzbek Abdullayev.
Southpaw Williams was 4-1 down at the end of the first, when he landed a cracking left cross only for the point to go to the unspectacular Abdullayev. Quick-fisted combinations did nothing to sway the judges the American’s way as he trailed 15-11 with two minutes to go (four-two minute rounds back then).
The Uzbek, however, had done his share of the scoring, but the official tallies look too wide. Incidently, Abdullayev had eliminated none other than Miguel Cotto in his first contest in Sydney. That too was close.
Cincinnati’s Williams looked to have a glittering future ahead, sadly it was not to be, he went on to serve time for his part in a cocaine conspiracy.
11. Jochen Bachfeld (East Germany) vs Pedro Gamarro (Venezuela) – Montreal 1976
EAST GERMANY’S Bachfeld won a controversial 3-2 decision after the Venezuelan had chased him around the ring landing hurtful hooks to the head and body.
BN reported: “There were ugly crowd scenes at the end of the bout. Beer cans were thrown at the judges and Gamarro was loudly cheered when stepping on to the rostrum to receive his silver medal.”
10. Mario Kindelan (Cuba) vs Amir Khan (GB) – Athens 2004
KHAN went to Greece as an unheralded 17-year-old Bolton schoolboy but returned a national hero.
He never really came close to victory in his 30-22 defeat, but that was no disgrace – southpaw Kindelan, 29, was one of the sport’s all-time greats and this was his second Olympic gold at lightweight (he defeated Andreas Kotenik in Sydney).
Khan famously beat Kindelan in the Bolton boy’s final amateur contest in his hometown the following May.
9. Oscar De La Hoya (USA) vs Marco Rudolph (Germany) – Barcelona 1992
AMERICA’S only gold medal in Barcelona came through 19-year-old De La Hoya, who gained revenge for his world championships loss to German spoiler Rudolph.
After a dull opener, De La Hoya started working with his left jab and hook to end the second 3-2 up. and then clinched it with an electrifying third. A superb left hook dumped Rudolph for a count with a minute left, and De La Hoya cruised home to victory.
The Golden Boy and one of the richest and most successful career’s in boxing history were born.
8. Boris Lagutin (Russia) vs Joseph Gonzales (France) – Tokyo 1964
LAGUTIN, a 26-year-old “teacher” from Russia, won the first two rounds before coming through a torrid last to win a 4-1 majority.
French southpaw Gonzales, who had scored 57 knockouts in 68 bouts. rocked Lagutin several times in round three and also opened a serious cut over his right eye.
7. George Foreman (USA) vs Ionas Chepulis (Russia) – Mexico City 1968
THIS is when Big George made a name for himself, launching a career that eventually took him to the world heavyweight crown.
BN said: the 6ft 3in, 15 1/2 stone American “produced a display of awesome punching to crush 29-year-old Russian miner Chepulis in 2min 30sec of the second round.”
And we added prophetically, “Of all the eleven [Olympic] champions he is the one you should be hearing a lot more about.”
6. Ed Sanders (USA ) v Ingemar Johansson (Sweden) – Helsinki 1952
SWEDEN’S Johansson is known for holding the world heavyweight title from 1959-60 but his amateur career had ended in shame when he as thrown out against 6ft 2ins sailor Sanders.
BN said Johansson was “disqualified late in the second round for not giving his best. What a pity boxing should end with such a poor exhibition.”
Sanders turned pro in 1954 and tragically died after being knocked out in his ninth bout.
5. Frank Tate (USA) v Shawn O’Sullivan (Canada) – Los Angeles 1984
THIS light-middleweight (71 kgs) classic was the pick of a finals day dominated by the hosts, USA (nine golds, none ofther than Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker and Mark Breland among the champions). O’Sullivan, a big-puncher, put two standing counts on Tate in the second couldn’t bring a third that would have automatically ended the contest.
His chance had gone, because in the last the American jabbed beautifully for a victory from all five judges.
4. Michael Carruth (Ireland) vs Juan Hernandez Sierra (Cuba) – Barcelona 1992
CARRUTH’s 13-10 win came in a messy scrap but his noisy fans didn’t care. It was the occasion and its significance that mattered.
The Dublin southpaw was Ireland’s first Olympic boxing champion and the country’s first Olympic gold medallist in any sport since 1956, when Ronnie Delaney won the 1500m on the track.
Carruth boxed in the Seoul 1988 Olympics at lightweight where he won a contest before being eliminated by Sweden’s George Scott.
3. Rudi Fink (East Germany) vs Adolfo Horta (Cuba) – Moscow 1980
BRILLIANT Cuban Horta won the Worlds three times (at as many different weights). but never managed Olympic gold. Fink is the reason why.
The stocky East German suffered a horrendous first, when Horta battered him and left his nose bleeding. but turned it around with textbook boxing to win a 4-1 majority.
2. David Reid (USA) vs Alfredo Duvergel (Cuba) – Atlanta 1996
A MORE amazing turnaround it is hard to imagine – the USA’s Reid was trailing 15-6 on points in the last when a short right hand sent southpaw Duvergel crashing to the deck.
The Cuban beat the count but was in no condition to continue and it was rightly stopped with only two minutes 24 seconds remaining.
As the USA’s only gold medallist, Reid was dubbed ‘The American Dream’, his pro career sadly never lived up to the promise and a thrashing from Felix Trinidad ended his top-level aspirations.
1. Park Si-Hun (South Korea) vs Roy Jones (USA) – Seoul 1988
QUITE simply. the most scandalous decision in the history of Olympic boxing. The price of the sport staying in the Olympics was the introduction of the scoring computer.
An independent punch count had Jones outlanding Park 86-32 and two judges 60-56 for the American. But two 59-58s and a 59-59 (for Park) gave gold to the South Korean. who seemed as surprised as everybody else.
Park is now part of the coaching set-up of the South Korean boxing team while Jones, after a sensational career, is still plying his trade aged 47.
