Although Shakur Stevenson had an easy victory via walkover today, he will face a tough competition on Saturday: Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez, a 2012 Olympic champion.
The stakes are especially high, as this will be the first shot at gold in over a decade for the United States’ men’s boxing program.
Ramirez is a veteran of the Olympics, and won a gold medal in flyweight competition at the 2012 London Olympics. Compared to the other London competitors moving up or down weight for this Olympics, Ramirez is performing at an ability and speed comprable to his performance in 2012.
He easily defeated his opponent in the semifinals, Murodjon Akhmadaliev (UZB), in a unanimous decision. On Saturday, he’ll now face Stevenson for bantamweight gold.