GB welterweight Pat McCormack won a place in the finals of the World championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
He overcame Uzbekistan’s Bobo-Usmon Baturov in the semi-final on Friday (September 20). McCormack won a unanimous decision, soundly outboxing the strong, belligerent Uzbek. That sets up a final showdown with host nation boxer and fellow Olympian Andrei Zamkovoi on Saturday.
McCormack is the first English boxer to reach a men’s World championship final since Anthony Joshua and Luke Campbell in 2011. Only one male British boxer has won gold at an amateur World championships before, that was Frankie Gavin all the way back in 2007.
In this competition British boxers Peter McGrail and Ben Whittaker were forced to settle for bronze medal after suffering semi-final defeats.
At 57kgs Liverpool’s McGrail took on Cuba’s outstanding Lazaro Alvarez, the three-time World champion who has come down from lightweight.
Alvarez was typically loose and relaxed, looking to skip off and catch the Briton as he came on forward. McGrail on the front foot closed in and his persistent attacks forced Alvarez to bring his gloves up high to block punches. McGrail was more active but the clearer, single shots from range coming from Alvarez edged the decision his way, the Cuban winning a split points verdict.
Whittaker is another talented British boxer. Only 22 years old he performed well to secure his first World championships medal. His run came to an end against Uzbekistan’s Dilshodbek Ruzmetov, who took a unanimous points decision win at the semi-final stage.
British super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke was controversially denied the chance to compete in the semi-finals. Read more here.
