Peters rocks world champ but Aussie boxers suffer again
Heartbroken light-heavyweight boxer Callum Peters thought he had done enough to down a world champion with his barnstorming Olympic debut — but the judges left him “gutted” on another tough day in the ring for Australia.
Peters, the all-action Adelaide fighter who never takes a backward step, gave teak-tough Nurbek Oralbay, who lifted the world title in Tashkent last year, all the trouble he could handle on Tuesday, even forcing the Kazakh to take a standing count in the second of three belting rounds.
But though many observers felt the 21-year-old had done just enough to become the first Indigenous fighter to win at the Olympics for Australia after a blistering final-round effort, Oralbay still edged the 3-2 verdict by the narrowest of margins.
Three judges gave it to the Kazakh by 29-28 and two went for Peters by the same scoreline, but though the Aussie Commonwealth silver medallist howled with anguish when the verdict was announced, he refused to complain.
“Thought I did enough in the last round, lot of clean shots. I’m a bit disappointed because, damn, I really wanted it today. I did enough in the second and last rounds,” shrugged Peters.
“But it didn’t happen. You’ve just got to learn from those type of tough fights, those hard ones. I felt strong. I felt good, but that’s boxing.”
Outboxed in the first of the three rounds but still ploughing forward through the blows, Peters thought to himself: “‘Oh s***, I need to get some dog in me! Then in the second, I got a nice (right hand) shot in – he got an eight-count, sweet!
“I thought it might have been a 10-8 round … but it didn’t happen. I’m gutted.
“He tried to knock my head off in that first round but I’m still standing. What is it they say? Die standing or live kneeling…”
With such a crowd-pleasing style and colourful personality, Peters has a big future in the pro ring, but reckons he wants another crack at the Games. “I don’t see why not. I’m only 21; I was hoping to get gold here but there’s always a next one.
“Just stay on track for that, don’t drift.”
With another big hope Harry Garside having departed on Monday, there were three more Australian defeats on Tuesday.
Three-time Australian champ Yusuf Chothia was outpointed 4-1 in his flyweight bout in another close one with Spanish southpaw Rafael Lozano Serrano, while 30-year-old Sydney bantamweight Tiana Echegaray got schooled 5-0 by Turkey’s 2022 world champ Hatice Akbas.
It meant big super-heavyweight hope Teremoana Teremoana was still the only Aussie winner in six fights so far.
Meanwhile, after Garside’s emotional post-defeat interview captured the hearts of his compatriots, Australian Olympic team chef de mission Anna Meares reflected on Tuesday: “Harry’s vulnerability, his honesty, and how he was able to articulate what he felt in that moment, was really impactful.
“It takes great courage to walk out, to try and be your best and try and be the best. It will take great courage for Harry to be able to work through his experience.”
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