PARIS.- Up on the scorecards and with the final in sight, Erislandy Alvarez He had the opportunity to protect his advantage and avoid trouble. That was never an option. The Cuban maintained, and even increased, the punishment and, in the process, scored some points for style.
“I always want to be clean in the ring. People tell you, ‘no, don’t take risks,’ but I like to leave it clean, to be unanimous, 5-0 for me is the best thing there is,” he said.
And that’s what he got. Alvarez qualified for the lightweight final of the Olympic tournament on Sunday by dismantling Georgian Lasha Guruli in three rounds to set up a date next Thursday against Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha.
Immediately after Álvarez was given the upper hand, his compatriot and two-time Olympic champion Arlén López stepped into the ring to defend his reign. In a bloody fight full of punishment, the Guantánamo native fell 3-2 to Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who convinced all five judges in the third round to put an end to the legacy of the Cuban.
Álvarez tries to build his own story, with sacrifice and a little bit of style.
“I trust a lot of what the corner says, they tell me ‘enjoy, have fun’ and that’s when you use the swag in the ring,” he said. “I don’t have pressure anymore, as I promised, today we come to enjoy ourselves, to dance, which is what we Cubans do.”
She did it on Sunday and plans to do it again on Thursday when she faces Oumiha in a fight that, in addition to gold, has a taste of revenge.
“We were in a final in Uzbekistan at 60kg and he had his big win 3-2, but that was at 60kg, that was a year ago,” he said. “Now we are in the 60kg final. Olympic Games That’s the biggest thing. It’s their backyard, but I don’t focus on the stands or the audience.”
Alvarez, who remains unconquered after four fights in Paris, lets his humility slip for a second. “I smell like a champion,” he says, while dedicating his performance to God.
“God is with me, knowing that I had to sacrifice a lot, sweat a lot and cry a lot in every training session, every sparring, every preparation,” he said. “Thank God we are in the final that we promised ourselves.”
Now it’s his turn to do the work to win the gold, “with his heart, his balls and his head.”
Big disappointment
Lopez will not have that chance. Champion in the 75kg category in Rio and the 81kg category in Tokyo, he will have to settle for the bronze in Paris. After losing the first round on four out of five scorecards, the 29-year-old Ukrainian closed the gap in the second round and won in the third. He is now in his second consecutive final at an Olympic event.
When the result was announced, Lopez fell to his knees, stood for a few moments covering his face in the middle of the ring, and then came down, his face contorted with sadness and frustration. He made no statements to the press.
Source: AP
