Olympic Boxing 2012: Complete Guide to London's Top Competitors

The boxing competition evokes images of punches between different boxers and the sight of blood on the ring for the unfortunate few.

Though the Olympic competition is not so gory, one can expect tough challenges to be fought within the ring.

There are 10 categories on the men's side (based on the individual mass of the boxers) and three on the women's side (being introduced for the first time in Olympics).

Boxers from different countries qualified for the Olympics based on their performances and results in the WBS Individual Championships, 2011 World Boxing Championships and qualifying events for each continent.

Countries like United States, Kazakhstan, Australia, Brazil, Great Britain and Russia are sending more than 10 boxers to participate in different categories—obviously, they will be the nations to watch at London.

The AIBA World Ranking is based on how the boxers perform in events approved by the governing body.

The rankings do tell a story, but recent performances have not gone the way the rankings show. 

Let us look at each of the categories and see who are the top contenders.

At the 2011 world championships, No. 2-ranked Zou Shiming of China defeated the current No. 1, Korean Shin Jong-Hun. 

Russian David Ayrapetyan captured third place at the championship.

Salman Alizada of Azerbaijan is placed at the third position of the AIBA rankings as of today, though he will not figure in the Olympics.

World No. 1, Chinese Ren Cancan, won the 2011 championship, defeating No. 2 Nicola Adams from Great Britain. 

Polish Karolina Michalczuk grabbed the bronze.

Currently, Elena Savelyeva from Russia occupies the third place in the rankings, though she finished fourth in the championships.

At the 2011 world championships, second-ranked Russian Misha Aloyan defeated the current world No. 1, Brit Andrew Selby.

American Rau'shee Warren won third place in the championships.

Italian Vincenzo Picardi who is currently ranked No. 3, finished seventh in the championships.

At the 2011 world championships, the current No. 1, Anvar Yunusov of Tajikistan, could claim only third place.

The final was held between second-ranked Cuban Lazaro Alvarez and third-ranked Luke Campbell of Great Britain, with the Cuban defeating the Brit.

World No. 1 Katie Taylor of Ireland won the gold at the 2011 world championship, defeating world No. 3 Sofya Ochigava from Russia.

Mavzuna Chorieva of Tajakistan won the bronze in the tournament.

Gulsum Tatar of Turkey is ranked third but is not in the list to participate in the Olympics.

At the 2011 world championships, second-ranked Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine defeated Cuban Yasniel Toledo to win the title.

The current world No. 1 Italian Domenico Valentino finished third in the championships.

Turkish Fatih Keles, ranked third in the world, finished fourth in the European qualifying event to compete in the Olympics.

At the 2011 world championships, third-ranked Brazilian Everton Lopes won the tournament, defeating Ukranian Denys Berinchyk, while Italian Vincenzo Mangiacapre grabbed the bronze.

The current AIBA seedings have Great Britain's Thomas Lee Stalker as No. 1, while placed at second is Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg from Mongolia.

Stalker finished fourth in the 2011 world championships, while Erdene finished seventh.

At the 2011 World championships, the current No. 1, Taras Shelestyuk from Ukraine, won the tournament (unlike the other categories where lesser-ranked players won), defeating Serik Sapiyev from Kazhakistan.

India's Vikas Krishan Yadav came third. 

The current seedings have Great Britain's Freddie Williams Evans at second position, while Chinese Qiong Mai Maitituersun is placed at third.

Fred Evans finished eighth in the Championships, while Qiong finished first in the Asian qualifying event to get into the Olympic competition.

World No. 2 Savannah Marshall of Great Britain won the gold at the 2011 world championships, defeating Elena Vystropova from Azerbaijan.

World No. 1 Nadezda Torlopova of Russia grabbed the bronze medal.

Jinzi Li of China, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, finished fourth in the championships.

At the 2011 world championships, the current rankings held sway when world No. 1 Evhen Khytrov from the Ukraine defeated Japanese Ryota Murata, who is No. 2.

Bogdan Juratoni was the bronze medalist even though Algerian Abdelmalek Rahou holds the third rank in the world.

Rahou finished fourth in the African qualifying event to enter the Olympics.

At the 2011 world championships, Cuban Julio Cesar la Cruz lived up to his reputation as world No. 1 by defeating Kazakh Adilbek Niyazymbetov in the final.

Russian Egor Mekhontsev had to be content with the bronze medal.

Currently, however, Australian Damien Duncan Hooper is placed second ahead of Chinese Fanlong Meng.

Hooper finished fifth in the 2011 world championships while Fanlong Meng finished sixth.

At the 2011 world championships, Oleksandr Usyk from Ukraine fought better than his current ranking of No. 3 to win the tournament, beating the current No. 1, Teymur Mammadov from Azerbaijan.

Siarhei Karneyeu from Belarus took the bronze in the Baku championships.

Chinese Xuanxuan Wang, who is ranked No. 2 in the world as of now, finished fourth in Baku.

At the 2011 world championships, Magomedrasul Majidov from Azerbaijan justified his world No. 1 ranking to win the title, defeating Brit Anthony Joshua (ranked No. 3)

Ivan Dychko from Kazakh was placed third.

Italian Roberto Cammarelle, currently ranked second in the world, finished sixth in the 2011 championships.