Nolan suffers WSB defeat

London 2012 Olympian Adam Nolan lost out in his second World Series of Boxing (WSB) match for Italia Thunder versus the Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan in Italy Saturday.

The Bray BC welter was beaten on a unanimous decision (48-47,49-46,48-47) by Kazakhstan’s Aslanbek Shymbergenov.

Nolan was leading at the end of the third round after taking frames one and three on splits, but Shymbergenov claimed the last two rounds 10-9 across the board to shade victory.

Irish head coach Billy Walsh was working Nolan’s corner.

Thunder won the match 3-2 – the first defeat of the season for the Arlans – to qualify for the WSB play-offs.

And in a double celebration for the Italian side, Valentino Manfredonia secured a quota place for Rio 2016 after beating Croatia’s Hrvoje Sep on a unanimous decision.

Manfredonia and Cuba’s Cesar La Cruz-Peraza have now qualified for Rio in the light-heavy class.

Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan, who also box for Italia Thunder, also earned quota places for Rio 2016 in the WSB this season.