Carlos Balderas, the first American boxer to compete at the Rio Olympics, defeated Kazakhstan’s Berik Abdrakhmanov in a close match to move on to the next round.
With a contingent of USA fans cheering him on, Balderas defeated Abdrakhmanov in a 29-28 win by points decision. It was a unianimous decision by the judges.
Balderas now moves on to face Japan’s Daisuke Narimatsu on Tuesday, August 9. Narimatsu’s match preceded Balderas v. Abdrakhmanov, and was won by split decision.