SWIFT & EASY

Eumir on to quarters via RSC, but Magno falls

TOKYO — Blood from an accidental headbutt streaming down the face of Algeria’s Younes Nemouchi halted the fight Thursday, but the Philippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial’s power helped bring about the abrupt end in the XXXII Olympiad at the Kokugikan Arena.

TOKYO — Blood from an accidental headbutt streaming down the face of Algeria’s Younes Nemouchi halted the fight Thursday, but the Philippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial’s power helped bring about the abrupt end in the XXXII Olympiad at the Kokugikan Arena.

Shortly after the ring doctor was summoned a second time to check on a gash on the Algerian’s right brow from a collision of heads earlier in the first round, the referee proceeded to wave off the middleweight 69-75kg Round of 16 bout with 19 seconds le , sending Marcial, the top seed, barreling into the quarterfinals.

Marcial will face Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan — whom he had beaten before in Russia in 2018 — for the bronze medal on Sunday, August 1, with the winner advancing to the semifinals against the winner of the other quarters bout between Oleksndr Khyzhniak of Ukraine and Euri Cedeno Martinez of the Dominican Republic.

“Sa headbutt pumutok ulo nya,” said Marcial a er the fight. “Parang di ko nga lang naramdaman. Pero nag-ingat din ako nong na-cut siya dahil baka magkatamaan uli kami ng ulo.”

Nemouchi’s corner briefly protested the Referee-StoppedContest verdict, arguing he was headbutted, but the decision stood.

Ronald Chavez, head coach of the national men’s team and a Barcelona Olympics veteran in 1992, said the head clash came right a er Marcial hit the Algerian with a crushing right hook to the head with 1:58 remaining in the opening round that sent him down.

“Nauna yung bagsak,” said Chavez, indicative that Marcial was on the way to a commanding victory.

“Dikit ‘yung laban namin,” said Marcial. “Pasok lang siya nang pasok. Sobrang tibay din ng kalaban. Ilang beses ko rin tinamaan ng body shot pero nandoon pa rin ‘yung fighting spirit niya na lalaban talaga siya.”

Marcial next staggered Nemouchi with a solid right to the face at 1:10, buckling the knees of the game Algerian.

The referee then stepped in for the first time to have the cut examined by the doctor before putting an end to the fight shortly a er when work on the cut failed to stem the bleeding.

“I am so happy that Marcial is back to his old form and with polished new moves he developed in the last three months,” said Ricky Vargas, president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines.

“I believe he will only get better because his mind and bodyarenowfullyfocused.Also, he told us that his kababayan Hidilyn’s victory inspired and motivated him even more.

Welcome back, Eumir. We pray for your continued success, in the Olympics and beyond.”

ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said the fight “underscored the great conditioning, excellent tactics and overall preparation Eumir underwent before Tokyo.

“Coach Gerson Nietes, who first trained him at the USA Olympic Boxing Center in Colorado Springs before they were joined by men’s head coach Ronald Chavez, worked doubly hard to mold Marcial to this deliberate, calculating and powerful style as envisioned by our Olympic head coach Don Abnett,” said Picson.