Heavyweight Ihab Al Matbouli of Jordan collapsed in the ring during one of the final bouts of the night session. International Boxing Association spokesman Richard Baker said fatigue was the cause and that the fighter was not seriously injured. He was expected to spend the night at Rush University Medical Centre.
Al Matbouli had just taken a hit from China’s Nijiati Yushan in the fourth round of their fight, one of the final bouts of the night. The referee ordered him to his corner, and the fighter fell backward. That overshadowed what had been an up-and-down day for the US team.
While Russell and Williams won their bouts in the afternoon, things didn’t go as well in the night session for Javier Molina and Shawn Estrada.
Molina, a light welterweight, lost 24-12 to England’s Bradley Saunders in the round of 16 while Estrada dropped a tiebreaker to Germany’s Konstantin Buga in their middleweight bout.
The top eight finishers in the light flyweight to light heavyweight divisions and the top four from the heavyweight and super heavyweight classes at this event reach the Olympics. There are two continental qualifiers next year, so this wasn’t their final shot.
Russell outpointed fellow 2005 world bronze medallist Ali Hallab of France 22-14 in the round of 16, while Williams was leading 23-3 when his bout with Armenia’s Azat Hovhannisyan was stopped in the third round.
No US boxer has won a gold medal at the worlds since 1999, but the Americans are now 18-5. It’s a good position, but not quite as good as the Russians, who are 22-0 in this tournament.
Russell and Hallab both lost semi-final bouts in 2005 to get bronze, so they didn’t have to face each other for back then. But they met this time with a spot in the Olympics at stake.
Hallab tried to outbox the quicker Russell through the first two rounds, but that didn’t work. A right hand and a possible slip sent Hallab into the lower ropes in the opening round, and Russell led 8-3 after two. Hallab was the aggressor over the final two rounds, but 19-year-old Russell held his ground and countered.
Williams, 18, grabbed an 8-1 lead in the first round against Hovhannisyan and never looked back. He said everything was working for him, particularly his left.
In other bouts, light welterweight Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan, the 2005 world champion, was leading Canada’s Kevin Bizier 30-10 when their bout was stopped in the third round. But 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Gheorge Ionut of Romania lost to Iran’s Morteza Sepahvand 19-16 in another light welterweight fight.
Middleweight Artayev Bakhtiyar of Kazakhstan, the gold medallist as a welterweight at the 2004 Olympics, was a 20-7 winner over Thailand’s Suriya Prasathinphimai.
Light welterweight Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria, who won bronze at the 2004 games, hung on for a 29-27 victory over China’s Maititusunquiong Mai after knocking him down in the third round. Maititusunquiong got within a point in the fourth round.
Middleweight Matvey Korobov of Russia, the 2005 champion, was leading Ecuador’s Carlos Gongora Mercado 24-4 when their fight ended in the third round.
Heavyweights Eichin Alizade of Azerbaijan and Russian Rakhim Chakhkeiv moved a step closer to Olympic berths. Alizade beat Ukrainian Denys Poyatsyka 21-8, while Chakhkeiv breezed past Ireland’s John Sweeney 28-5.—AP