ABS is pleased to bring you its last report from the Nikolay Pablyukov Memorial Tournament which summarises Steven Boyle’s performance in the 52kg Final.
52kg Stephen Boyle SCO v Dulat Bekbauov KAZ
Reaching the final Stephen was to face one of the 52kg tournament favourites, with Dulat Bekbauov cruising his way to the final over some formidable opponents. The height and reach advantage the Kazakh had over Stephen was evident from the start, immediately aiming to impose his physical advantages in the ring battle. The first half of the round saw both boxers utilising feints and dummy’s in order to outwit their opponent, with solid front foot pressure working for Stephen to draw the long lead of the Kazakh. Dulat used his reach advantage well, unfortunately catching Stephen whilst moving out of range. Stephen launched a successful attack in the closing moments of the round, catching Dulat off guard moving back to the ropes. At the end of the first round it appeared the Kazakh had just edged it, and this was confirmed with the judges scoring the round 2 – 4 in favour of Dulat.
Analysing the first round, it was clear this bout would be won on speed of reaction, with both boxers forcing the contest into a game of ‘chess with muscles’. Technically both boxers were on a level playing field, however the Kazakh was able to control the punching range with his height advantage and long reach. Stephen constantly looked to adapt his attacking strategy, and landed a very accurate switch of attack combination again with the Kazakh on the retreat. However, Dulat showed off his punch repertoire in retaliation to this, looping in accurate uppercuts and arching hooks around Stephens guard. Score at the end of the second round, 5 – 9 in favour of Dulat
Stephen had it all to do in the final round if he was to claw back the lead the Kazakh had secured, and took it straight to his opponent from the off. Following the Kazakh around the ring, Stephen had to launch his attacks with preparation as the wily Kazakh had the enviable ability of reading the punch then countering with accurate long range shots. Team Scotland roared on Stephen all the way, with the Scotsman throwing everything he could at his opponent. Sometimes luck favours the brave, and nobody deserved this more than Stephen. Knowing he would be susceptible to the lightening counters of Dulat, the Scotsman had no choice but to edge in on his opponent and launch multiple phases of attack. With the final bell sounding concluding the 52kg final, Stephen could have gave no more during the entire contest. A remarkable achievement to reach the AIBA ‘A’ Class tournament, the Scotsman had cemented his right to share the ring with the best in the world. With a final score of 9 – 14 in favour of the Kazakh, Stephen had remained in the bout throughout, and can be extremely proud of his achievements not only in the final but in his remarkable run in the tournament.
Winner: Dulat Bekbauov KAZ
