Men’s Light Heavyweight

Finals | Arlen López (CUB) defeated Benjamin Whittaker (GBR) – It was a fight for the purists, as Lopez became a two-time, two-weight gold medalist, winning gold in Rio at middleweight. Both fighters looked to counter the counter, and fought a very tactical fight that was similar to a chess match. Whittaker should’ve won the second round, but the judges didn’t give it to him, forcing him into an unwinnable fight in the third round as he doesn’t have the power to change the course of the fight.

Lopez becomes not just the second Cuban boxer to win gold in the 2020 Olympics, but the second boxer from Cuban to became a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Men’s Super Heavyweight

Bakhodir Jalolov (UZB) stopped Frazer Clarke (GBR) – Bakhodir Jalolov was the favorite going into the super heavyweight and has looked average in each bout so far. After a solid first round, Clarke gave Jalolov a standing-eight count, as well. Jalolov did open up a cut on Clarke in the third round, and the bout was called off early in the third round. Clarke probably has a higher ceiling as a marketable pro than Jalolov based on the Olympic Games.

Richard Torrez Jr. (USA) stopped Kamshybek Kunkabayev (KAZ) – The constant pressure of Richard Torrez, which felt a bit like a prime Tommy Morrison, just overwhelmed Kunkabayev, who is a professional amateur who looks to negate action, and avoid his opponents. Kunkabayev was outworked, given a standing-eight in the second round, and lost a point for holding. This was the Torrez Jr., who looked like the exciting heavyweight we all looked forward to. Kunkabayev was stopped in the third round from a cut.

Finals | Jalolov (UZB) vs Torrez Jr. (USA) – A rematch of the brutal KO that went viral, and made Jalolov a star, as when the two last faced each other Jalolov had a highlight-reel KO. Torrez Jr has looked far better than Jalolov in the Olympics so far, as this is one of the best stories leading int the finals, as Torrez looks for redemption in the Olympic Finals.

Bronze Medal: Frazer Clarke (GBR), Kamshybek Kunkabayev (KAZ)

Frazer Clarke is what he is, a fighter who always gives an honest effort, cuts a little too easily, and is a great body puncher. Clarke should become a likable boxer in the U.K. who could become iconic if everything goes his way.

Kamshybek Kunkabayev is a professional amateur, fights at range, tries to win the first two rounds, and then stall in the last round. He has a system, lives, and dies by it.

Women’s Flyweight

(TUR) defeated Huang Hsiao-wen (TPE) – The historic first-ever Turkish boxing team is kicking a lot of butt, as intelligent pressure was the recipe to beat the 5-foot-9-inch Hsiao-wen. Çakıroğlu landed the left hand from the southpaw stance often and made it a dog fight on the inside. Çakıroğlu is a pioneer for Turkish boxing and now gets a chance to win a gold medal.

Stoyka Krasteva (BUL) defeated Tsukimi Namiki (JPN) – Krasteva defied the odds and beat the Japanese fighter Namiki in Tokyo Krasteva, an aggressive pressure fighter, fought the fight of her life as Namiki appeared to be flopping at points, as she hit the deck, a lot, and it may have been a ploy to draw a foul, but it didn’t work, and if anything gave Krasteva confidence. At age 35, Krasteva is having an awesome Olympic moment.

Finals | Çakıroğlu (TUR) vs Krasteva (BUL) – Hard not to cheer for both, as Çakıroğlu, is the first Turkish women’s boxer to fight for a gold medal, and Krasteva fought against the best as, as the two will do battle in an interesting gold medal match with a lot of pride on the line.

Bronze Medals: Tsukimi Namiki (JPN), Huang Hsiao-wen (TPE)

Tsukimi Namiki has a fast-paced style that reminds me of a bumblebee as she can move around the ring in any direction, and moves in a way only a younger person could. Carefree, technical, and fast is Namiki.

Hsiao-wen is a distance controller with a large frame, she keeps people at the end of her punches and controls bouts with her massive reach advantage.

Women’s Welterweight

Busenaz Sürmeneli (TUR) defeated Lovlina Borgohain (IND) – Sürmeneli is a Turkish boxing pioneer who fights like a bull and uses rough house tactics to beat down her opponents, as despite very quality work from Borgohain, but Sürmeneli’s pressure was too much. The historic run of the Turkish women’s boxing team continues. Busenaz Sürmeneli got two standing-eight counts in this bout.

Gu Hong (CHN) defeated Oshae Jones (USA) – In an upset, Hong fought a composed fight, as well as had some tricky maneuvers in close, pushing Jones head down in the clinch, and holding on the inside. The bout was not easy to watch, and the live scoring seemed to force Jones to fight a fight that she didn’t want to fight. This fight just felt weird.

Finals | Sürmeneli (TUR) vs. Gu (CHN) – This should be a bout that will be interesting but I haven’t seen anything that tells me Surmeneli can be stopped by any fighter to this date. Gu is a tall fighter, who has an awkward style, who has habits of pushing opponents’ heads down, and head clashes between the distance gauging. Surmeneli should be a hefty favorite. This is a boxer versus puncher match-up

Bronze Medals: Lovlina Borgohain (IND), Oshae Jones (USA)

Borgohain is living proof of the investment India has made into boxing, as she is a solid boxer, and now an Olympic medalist.

Oshae Jones of the Soul City Boxing Gym, was a shock to see get a bronze, but is one of the most composed and pro-ready fighters in the Olympics, with an ability to fight inside and outside.