Agonisingly close – Nevin and Walsh bow out of the Worlds after close split decision defeats
Michael Nevin and Aidan Walsh both suffered agonisingly close defeat in Exakerinburg, Russia today.
Both men lost on identical 3-2 split decisions and bowed out of the World Elites Championships.
On both occasions, one of the judges awarded Nevin and Walsh all three rounds, but when all five judges scores were taken into account the pair lost out.
Portlaoise BC puncher, Nevin exited after making the last 16. The young fighter was defeated by Gleb Bakshi, who also had his monents in an absorbing middleweight encounter.
The Bakshi, the No. 8 seed, got the nod in a close fight and advances to meet Cuba’s No. 1 seed current Olympic champion Arlen Cardona-Lopez in the last eight.
Scores – 29-28,29-28,29-28 to Bakshi and 30-27,29-28 to Nevin.
Earlier, Aidan Walsh was on the wrong end of a 3-2 split verdict versus England’s current European champion Pat McCormack.
But the Antrim welter won plenty of plaudits for his skilful and gutsy performance against the No. 2 seed.
Scores – 29-28,29-28,29-28 for McCormack and 30-27,29-28 for Walsh.
The World Championships debutant found the target with plenty of clean shots, particularly in rounds two and three. in a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth final which Sunderland-born McCormack, who worked hard throughout today’s bout, won in Australia.
It was a brilliant performance from the Monkstown BC man who needed just one more judge to lean toward the red corner to take out one of the favourites in the 69kg class.
Antrim’s Kurt Walker, the last Irish boxer remaining at the 77-nation tournament, meets Canada’s Robin Basran for a place in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
The featherweight clash is a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth semi-final which Walker won in Australia.
2019 World Elite Men’s Championships Ekaterinburg, Russia
September 16
Last 32
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) lost to Pat McCormack (England) 2-3
Last 16
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) lost to Gleb Bakshi (Russia) 2-3
September 17
Last 16
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) v Robin Basran (Canada)
Results
September 16
Last 32
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) lost to Pat McCormack (England) 2-3
Last 16
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) lost to Gleb Bakshi (Russia) 2-3
September 15
Last 32
57kg Kurt Walker beat David Avila (Columbia) 4-1
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) lost to Radoslav Panaleev (Bulgaria)1-4
September 14
Last 32
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Vytautas Balsys (Lithuania) 5-0
September 13
Last 64
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) beat Miroslav Kapuler-Cishchenko (Israel) 4-1
September 12
Last 64
52kg Regan Buckley (Ireland) lost to Aldoms Suquor (Indonesia) 2-3
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Matthew Alexander (Trinidad & Tobago) 2-3
September 10
Last 64
81kg Kane Tucker (Ireland) lost to Erkin Adylbek (Kyrgyzstan) 0-5
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) beat Austin Aokuso (Australia) 5-0
September 9
Last 64
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Andre1 Vreme (Moldova) 5-0
Irish squad
52kg: Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s)
57kg: Kurt Walker (Canal)
63kg: Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg: Aidan Walsh (Monkstown)
75kg: Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg: Kane Tucker (Emerald)
91kg: Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield)
High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Head coach: Zaur Antia
Coaches: John Conlan and Eoin Pluck
