Boxing (Olympic)

U.S. Olympic boxer Claressa Shields is only 17 years old, but she's at the crest of a rather large wave that's preparing to rearrange the landscape of American boxing for years to come. 

The 2012 Summer Games in London features women's boxing for the first time in the history of the Olympics. That's noteworthy all by itself. What makes Shields' rise to the top even more salient is that 2012 will be the first year that the U.S. men's boxing team has failed to medal. 

Ever.

The women's team has already earned one medal, as Marlen Esparza won the bronze medal for her performance in the woman's flyweight division. Now, it's Shields' turn to really make an impression in the gold-medal match. 

She'll be going up against Russian Federation boxer Nadezda Torlovova—a woman who's practically twice her age, at 33—in the middleweight division final on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. ET. 

Win or lose, Shields has already proven that American women's boxing has a bright future. She's a bit cocky, throws down like a true brawler and has the skills to back up her attitude. 

Men's boxing in the United States—once a towering monolith of power—has been eroding slowly but surely for the past couple of decades, and it finally disintegrated in 2012. 

Now, in the first year that women are eligible to compete, it's the American women, led by Shields, that are stepping up in a major way.

What I find most interesting about Shields is that she looks to past champions for inspiration, rather than anyone currently making their way in U.S. boxing. 

According to the New York Post's Karen Crouse, Shields looks to Sugar Ray Robinson for her inspiration—someone who died six years before her birth: "Whenever she is feeling stressed or having a bad day, Shields said, she gains inspiration by watching video of Robinson..."

It is rare that a 17-year-old teenager is so connected to one of the past greats of American boxing. Most young women her age are more concerned with what shoes they're going to wear to school than with men who have made history with their fists in years gone by.

But, if anyone—man or woman—is going to spark an American revival in the sport of boxing, he or she would be smart to take a page from the men who made U.S. boxing great in the first place. Shields has shown that her focus is in the right place, and she's prepped for a true watershed moment in a year when America needs her the most. 

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What a special day it will be tomorrow for women's boxing.  In the sport's inaugural Olympic Games, American 17-year-old Claressa Shields will be boxing for the middleweight gold medal against Russia's Nadezda Torlopova.

Shields defeated Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova earlier today to earn a spot in the gold medal match. That fight was never a contest as Shields dominated from start to finishing, winning 29-15.

"That's the performance I wanted everyone to see," Shields said (LA Times). 

Unlike Shields, the U.S. men's boxing team had an extremely disappointing Olympics and will be heading home without a medal for the first time in its history.  American flyweight Marlen Esparza lost her semifinal match today, leaving Shields as the lone American left in boxing.  

Regardless of what happens tomorrow, Shields will undoubtedly be enshrined in women's boxing forever. The 2012 London Olympics were the inaugural Olympics for women's boxing. As a result, Shields will head home as one of the first medalists ever in the sport—something she can be extremely proud of for the rest of her life.  

Nonetheless, Shields wants gold and knows the opportunity is hers for the taking (via LA Times):

"I'm not dreaming. It's real, Shields said of her chances at a gold medal. It's right here. All I have to do is grab it."

The high school student from Flint, Michigan (I wonder if she knows Jackie Moon) is 16 years younger than the 33-year-old Torlopova. Obviously, experience is on the side of the Russian's while youth stands with the American.  

Tomorrow's bout will be a classic matchup of young-vs-old and while this isn't exactly the Cold War Confrontation of 1972 when Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky in chess, this bout does hold significant social value.  

As mentioned, Shields will be attempting to win gold in women's boxing's first year as an Olympic sport.  So tune in and support your fellow American as she attempts to make history. 

And then there were none. 

A historically unsuccessful Olympic journey reached an underwhelming end today for the U.S. men's boxing team. For the first time in program history, America's fighters are returning home from Olympic competition empty-handed. 

A punchless performance from a once-promising squad was punctuated on Tuesday, when last man standing Errol Spence succumbed to Russian Andrey Zamkovoy in a quarterfinal welterweight bout. Even with a second chance, Spence couldn't save the U.S. team from being embarrassingly eradicated from Olympic action without sniffing a medal match. 

"It’s very disappointing for all of us, but we all fought hard and tried," Spence, 22, stated after the match.

Fighting hard and trying is all well and good, and this group of American boxers should be commended for the amateur careers that led them to this point. That being said, a frustratingly large question now looms in the aftermath of colossal disappointment. 

What the heck happened to USA Boxing?

"I think the foundation is kind of crumbling a little bit, but we’re going to rebuild it," said U.S. assistant coach Charles Leverette as quoted by the Associated Press. "The support is there, but we have to figure out the best way to help these athletes get back to the top."

Team USA used to routinely reside at the top of boxing's global food chain. Cassius Clay, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Frazier, Oscar De La Hoya and Andre Ward are just a few of the many U.S. boxers who've starred on the Olympic stage. 

Ward, who won gold in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Athens Games, is the lone American to secure the top spot on the podium during the last four Olympic runs. During that span, Americans have claimed four bronze medals.

Comparably, between 1984 and 1996, the U.S. collected 14 gold medals. American supremacy in the international boxing ring was unquestioned, highlighted by a dominant 11-medal performance at the ’84 Olympics in Los Angeles.

A U.S. team that owns an Olympic record 108 overall medals just reached rock bottom. It came crashing down completely in the past few days, as the team lost nine of its final 10 fights.

Aside from Floyd Mayweather's mighty performances (when he actually decides to fight on rare occasions), nothing seems to be adding up for U.S. boxing. Professional, amateur, Olympic. 

So what's the first step in shifting the momentum? According to competitors and coaches, it might be a matter of a sore disadvantage in the areas of time, chemistry and experience. 

Following preliminary rounds, qualified U.S. fighters get together for training and team activities a few months before Olympic action. This doesn't sit right with some American boxers, including Spence.

"Watching these kids work hard and try to achieve this goal, I just don't think they had enough time," he stated in London.

"You're talking about bringing these kids to face the world. The other countries have been together the last two or three years. And that's the system we've got to face. We've got to do something different than we've been doing. The last-minute thing, it's not working."

Stability in the coaching ranks could also make a difference. The U.S. Olympic boxing program has hired four head coaches since 2000. 

"We need to identify a good coach and allow him to have their hands involved with what the team does, starting right after the Olympics," USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

Team cohesion doesn't come easily, and it was practically nonexistent during this abysmal Olympic run. Heavyweight fighter Deontay Wilder, who won a bronze medal in 2008, has voiced frustration about the training practice of USA Boxing.

"It was confusing," Wilder told SI. "We were trying to learn how to score points and everyone was teaching different ways to throw a punch."

The time has come for a reboot in boxing tactics for the U.S. Olympic program. Sometimes you have to be knocked down to the canvas before you can collect yourself and continue with an ongoing battle.

U.S. boxing must move forward with a new mindset. And without hesitation.

With all the US men eliminated from the London Olympics, all hope for nabbing a gold in boxing seemed like a foregone conclusion.  

For the women, however, all hope was not lost. Both Flyweight Marlen Esparza and Middleweight Claressa Shields have clinched bronze medals in the inaugural women's boxing competition.

For the first time in history women's boxing has been permitted into the Olympics and the US has wasted no time in producing dominant competitors.

Both boxers made it passed the quarterfinal fights on Monday and have earned double bronzes, but their sights are set for a much higher reward.

Esparza stated in an article by ESPN's Bonnie B. Ford,

"In the U.S., if it's not a gold, it's not good enough,'' said 23-year-old Esparza. 

Winning a medal is a huge accomplishment for Olympians, but to not be satisfied unless it's gold is truly remarkable. Many athletes would count themselves lucky for even reaching bronze at the Olympics. However, Esparza's fiery attitude and willingness to never settle could be the key needed to push her past the semifinals for a crack at the gold medal.

She is not alone in her quest, as 17-year old Shields also fights for her life to win gold and to keep US boxers relevant in the Olympics.

In an article by the Associated Press Shields said,

“I have a strong determination not to lose, I feel like growing up, I lost so much. I just want to be a winner. I love boxing, I put all my time into boxing, and I feel like I deserve to win.”

The women are taking control and making history unlike their male counterparts. If the US men are sent home packing without a medal it will be the first time in Olympic history.

It's nonsense to believe that the women's medals are not substitutes for the men's even though the competition brackets are smaller. What these two US Olympians accomplished in their own right is truly something for the history books. 

The U.S. has won more all-time boxing medals than any other country.

However, following Errol Spence, Jr.’s bout in the round of 16 at the 2012 London Olympics, the US was seemingly going to have to wait another four years before adding another medal from the men’s welter event.

That is, until the International Amateur Boxing Association had their say.

Spence initially lost his round of 16 match against Krishan Vikas of India 13-11, with Vikas taking rounds one and three with scores of 4-2 and 4-3, respectively. 

Team USA protested Spence’s loss, which led to the AIBA’s competition jury reviewing the fight and finding that Vikas committed nine holding fouls in the third round.  After determining that four additional points should have been awarded to Spence, the final score became 13-15 in favor of the U.S. boxer from Texas.

But Spence must now take advantage of this second chance not just for himself, but also for the men’s side of Team USA boxing.

Team USA has won at least one boxing medal in every set of modern Olympic Games that they have participated in, although the men have won just one gold medal since 2004.

Spence’s second chance gives him an opportunity to change that.

An article on ESPN.com contains a quote from Spence in which he stated his goal for the London Olympics:

I am obviously thrilled that the competition jury overturned my decision and I can continue chasing the gold medal I came here to win. I am going to make the most of this second chance that I’ve been given.  I can’t wait to get back in that ring on Tuesday.

Spence, the No. 1 ranked welterweight fighter in the U.S. and No. 5 overall in the world, has regained his opportunity to help the U.S. avoid leaving their first Olympic Games without a medal in men’s boxing.

As the ESPN.com article mentions, the success of American men in Olympic boxing has passed through the likes of Cassius Clay, Joe Frazier, Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

After spending a few hours thinking he had been defeated, Spence now has first-hand knowledge of the feeling he is trying to avoid experiencing again when he takes to the ring in his next match.

Of course, what may be his best advantage in the ring is what also could help him channel his focus during his second chance into a gold medal for the US.

An article by Elvira Sakmari and Brian Curtis on NBCDFW.com describes an aspect of Spence’s mental toughness, which is what his coach points to as his edge:

“I can feel when an opponent’s getting weak, getting tired and slowing down a little bit,” said Spence Jr., and that’s when he strikes taking down his opponent.

In an event in which computers have a say in the outcome and points are awarded for punches against an opponent, waiting for an opposing boxer to wear down with only three matches to increase one’s score total could be a risky strategy.

However, Spence has now kept himself in contention for a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Actually, Spence has kept the US in contention for any type of medal on the men’s side at the Olympic Games.

Between accomplishing a personal goal and continuing the success of a country that has been ongoing for over a century, Spence should have an abundance of motivation heading into his next bout that at one point wasn’t scheduled to take place.

He must now turn his second chance into a gold medal.

There is no escaping the reality that the United States amateur boxing scene is a shell of what it once was. Errol Spence will be the one silver lining for Team USA from London 2012.

The welterweight represents the Untied States' last hope at a medal. The Americans are facing a complete shutout if Spence doesn't come through. It would be the first time in history that Team USA went through an entire Summer Olympics without a medal in boxing.

Though I believe Spence will earn either the silver or the bronze, it doesn't hide the alarming fact that boxing is a dying sport on the amateur level in the United States. Many would say we are seeing the effects of this on the professional level as well.

If you asked someone 16 years ago if they could imagine an Olympic Games where a complete American shutout was possible in boxing, most would have said no way.

But here we are with that as a very real possibility.

Spence was almost eliminated himself, but officials recounted the totals from his bout against Krishan Vikas of India. They awarded Spence the decision after adjusting the scores due to excessive and unpenalized holding from Vikas.

Talk about a close call.

Nonetheless, Spence still has life in this competition, and he must take advantage of it. Standing in Spence's way is his quarterfinal opponent, Russia's Andrey Zamkovoy. This will be no walk in the park for Spence.

Zamkovoy easily defeated his two previous opponents, and he is generally regarded as a tough fighter. Spence is a bit quicker than Zamkovoy, and he must work to keep the fight on the outside.

Both men are 5'9", and there is no significant length advantage. It will be a difficult bout, but one I believe Spence will score a hard-fought and pressure-packed victory in.

If he defeats Zamkovoy, he'll have one more win to attain to assure himself a medal. At this point, that is all he or the Untied States can hope for.

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Errol Spence is the last one left.

At the Summer Olympics, Team USA usually owns the sport of boxing. In London, though, they haven’t had nearly the same level of success.

The U.S. started with nine men competing for gold, but Spence is the only fighter still alive. But more is riding on the 22-year-old top-notch amateur’s gloves than a medal for America—the sport of boxing needs him to be the last man standing.

That hope seemed dashed when typical incompetent judges dealt Spence a loss despite his display of dominance against India’s Vikas Krishan. After further review, though, the AIBA gave him new life. Spence announced his return on Twitter:

I'm back in the tournament!!!! #GODIsGreat #TeamUSA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 #2012Olympics

— Errol Spence (@ErrolSpenceJr) August 4, 2012

ESPN also reported that Spence said of his loss being overturned on Friday night:

I am obviously thrilled that the competition jury overturned my decision and I can continue chasing the gold medal I came here to win. I am going to make the most of this second chance that I've been given. I can't wait to get back in that ring on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, he’ll face off against Russia's Andrey Zamkovoy in the quarterfinals. A win would lockup at least a bronze medal, but again, that isn’t the finish the sport of boxing needs.

Boxing’s popularity is dying. The sport was on life support before the world witnessed corrupt judges reward Timothy Bradley with a win over Manny Pacquiao who had obviously controlled the bout. Now, though, the fight game is really at an all-time low.

If Spence wins a gold medal after overcoming adversity, he would inject a little hype back in to the sport. A victory would also boost his momentum for when he eventually turns pro.

Boxing needs big names. Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are the only nationally known names in the entire sport. Spence boasts the ability to eventually be another household name and a gold-medal triumph would put him on pace to be just that.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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The United States men’s boxing team got a much-needed boost when welterweight Errol Spence was reinstated into the Olympic boxing tournament after a ridiculous initial points defeat to Vikas Krishan of India, the 2011 World Championships bronze medalist.

The U.S. is undoubtedly ecstatic with Spence’s reinstatement as it temporarily prevents the 2012 boxing squad from going down in infamy as the least successful American team in Olympic history.

Spence still has an uphill battle to match Deontay Wilder’s lone bronze medal from 2008, but his quality performance in difficult circumstances against Krishan leaves room for hope.

According to fightnews.com, Krishan committed nine holding fouls in the third round alone, though the referee, shockingly, only gave one caution. Furthermore, at 2:38 of the second round, Krishan intentionally spat out his mouthpiece but was given no warning.

Based on these infractions, the U.S.’s appeal was successful, and the AIBA, according to the above-cited article, declared that the referee should have given at least two warnings to Krishan for holding, which resulted in awarding Spence four points upon review.

The referee’s sightline was interrupted as Krishan spat out his mouthpiece, but it is encouraging to see that justice was served as Spence’s original 13-11 points loss was overturned into a 15-13 victory.

While this is positive news for a reeling U.S. boxing team, the fact that an overturned result is, at the moment, the greatest cause for celebration certainly speaks to how the program has fallen from its once-untouchable perch.

For more information on Spence’s reinstatement, including information from an AIBA email, see Ralph Longo’s article.

Third Time is Not a Charm for Rau’shee Warren

You have to feel for American flyweight Rau’shee Warren. After eschewing professional money and a likely sweet promotional deal to turn professional after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Warren made history when he became the first American boxer to make three consecutive Olympic teams.

As the captain and third-seeded flyweight for the 2012 squad in London, everything seemed to be aligning properly for the 25-year-old Warren to make a deep tournament run.

After winning bronze at the 2011 World Championships, it seemed assured, at the very least, that Warren would not lose his first Olympic bout for the third consecutive Games.

Alas, Warren suffered heartbreak again, losing 19-18 to Nordine Oubaali of France in the round of 16 after receiving a first round bye.

Naturally, Warren was displeased with the result, and according to USA Today, “[…] Warren said he thought he won the fight, questioned the judging and said his contacts fell out—making Oubaali ‘blurry’ at times. But he also conceded that he made tactical errors in a bout that saw Oubaali fight with much more aggression and accuracy.”

Clearly, Warren was more philosophical than when he broke down after being upset in the first round in Beijing, and the fact that he ends his Olympic career at 0-3 is no reflection of the quality amateur he was and how he served as a tremendous ambassador for USA Boxing.

As Warren ends his amateur career by again bowing out in his first Olympic bout, fans should remember him as the boxer who won the World Amateur Championships in 2007 and the man who became the first three-time Olympian in American boxing history.

Despite his Olympic results, USA Boxing would be in much better shape if it had more athletes like Rau’shee Warren.

Given the class and commitment Warren has shown to his country and to USA Boxing, it is fitting to close this section with his words from the above-cited article:

“This ain't the end of Rau'shee Warren […] My journey will continue. … It ain't really no setback for me. I've still got a lot of stuff planned ahead. I'm going to put this behind me, learn from it."

The U.S.’s Disappointment

With captain and three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren again succumbing in his first bout and welterweight Errol Spence being reinstated into the Olympic tournament and now standing as the U.S.’s lone medal hope, it has certainly been a whirlwind few days for USA Boxing.

After a promising start to the Olympic tournament, the men’s boxing team has hit close to rock bottom. Other than welterweight Errol Spence, here are the U.S. Olympic boxing team’s final results:

Rau’shee Warren (flyweight): 19-18 loss vs. Oubaali (France)—Round of 16.

Joseph Diaz (bantamweight): 21-15 loss vs. Alvarez (Cuba)—Round of 16.

Jose Ramirez (lightweight): 15-11 loss vs. Gaibnazarov (Uzbekistan)—Round of 16.

Jamel Herring (light welterweight): 19-9 loss vs. Yeleussinov (Ukraine)—Round of 32.

Terrell Gausha (middleweight): 15-14 loss vs. Singh (India)—Round of 16.

Marcus Browne (light heavyweight): 13-11 loss vs. Hooper (Australia)—Round of 32.

Michael Hunter (heavyweight): 10-10 vs. Beterbiyev (Russia)—Round of 16.

Dominic Breazeale (super heavyweight): 19-8 loss vs. Omarov (Russia)—Round of 16.

Upon examining the results, the U.S. lost five of their bouts by four points or less. While this does indicate the Americans were highly competitive in all of their fights—with the exceptions of Herring and Breazeale, who lost by wider margins—the fact that Errol Spence will be the only American to make the quarterfinals is a devastating setback for the program.

Warren’s failure to make the quarterfinals is especially deflating, but the fact that Ramirez and Browne didn’t advance further is also surprising.

As for the big men, Hunter was clearly competitive in his opening bout and drew the short end of the stick, and Breazeale gets a pass because he only started boxing in 2008 after his career as a college football quarterback ended.

Similarly, Herring (USMC) put up a brave performance in his opening bout was simply overmatched.

Finally, Joseph Diaz deserves credit for his flashy first-round win, and the fact that he lost to reigning World Champion Lazaro Alvarez of Cuba in the second round takes nothing away from his world-class Olympic performances.

So, the hopes of USA Boxing are now squarely on the shoulders of Dallas’ Errol Spence, a three-time national champion who qualified for London 2012 at the 2011 World Championships.

Given Spence’s pedigree and stock as a professional prospect, expect him to contend for a medal.

While Spence surely understands that a loss in his next bout would relegate the 2012 boxing team into the annals of infamy as the least successful squad in American Olympic history, expect him to use his lifeline to make his country proud (as all the other boxers have in their own ways).

Great Britain’s Success

In stark contrast to the U.S.’s disappointments in the 2012 Olympic tournament, hosts Great Britain have enjoyed a hot start.

The seven-man squad has thus far gone 9-1 over the first two rounds of competition, and only lightweight Josh Taylor has been eliminated after losing in the round of 16.

Six British fighters will vie for a spot in the quarterfinals, and flyweight Andrew Selby, bantamweight Luke Campbell, light welterweight Tom Stalker and super heavyweight Anthony Joshua, all of whom won medals at the 2011 World Championships, look to be medal favorites.

Furthermore, skilled welterweight Fred Evans and middleweight Anthony Ogogo should not be counted out, especially Ogogo who has produced both class and high drama thus far.

The hosts of London 2012 won three medals in 2008, and they seemed poised this year to add at least one or two more. Should Great Britain double their medal count from 2008, which isn’t out of the question, expect even more British boxers to soon make noise in the professional ranks. 

Oh, Canada!

As a Canadian, when it comes to sports other than hockey (and a few others), I’ve learned to relish success in all its forms.

With regards to amateur boxing, Canada has had quality fighters go on to have successful professional careers, and the likes of Lennox Lewis, Shawn O’Sullivan, Egerton Marcus and Willie DeWit have all won Olympic medals.

Still, entering London 2012, Canada had not won an Olympic boxing match in eight years. The drought, however, ended quickly as welterweight Custio Clayton upset Mexican Oscar Molina 12-8 in the round of 32. Clayton then rode this momentum to a round of 16 victory over Australian Cameron Hammond by a score of 14-11.

Clayton will fight Great Britain’s Fred Evans in the quarterfinals of what should be a cracking bout in front of a raucous crowd at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. Clayton is the first Canadian to reach the quarterfinals in 16 years, and the six-time Canadian Champion, with his strong frame and powerful fighting style, needs only one more win to secure Canada its first boxing medal since 1996.

Not to be outdone, super heavyweight Simon Kean won his round of 16 bout over France’s Tony Yoka, rallying to win a razor-close decision after falling behind early.

Kean snuck into the Olympics at the 2012 American Boxing Olympic Qualifying Tournament (he nabbed the last spot), and his first round win was a tremendous result. His next bout is against 2011 World Championship bronze medalist Ivan Dychko of Kazakhstan.

Even if Clayton and Kean lose their next bouts, this will have been a successful Olympics for Canadian boxing. So far, the two-man Canadian team has won three bouts—only two fewer than the nine-man American squad (sorry, I had to). 

Oh, and if one factors in the collective boxing team, Canada has Mary Spencer—the nation’s most talented boxer and three-time World Champion—to look forward to. 

Update on Five Boxers to Watch at the Olympics

I recently posted an article on five boxers who will make a name for themselves at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. As the Olympic boxing tournament gets set to move towards the quarterfinals, let’s check in with the budding stars and see how they’ve fared.

Vasyl Lomachenko: A defending gold medalist and 2008 winner of the Val Barker Trophy as the most outstanding boxer of the Beijing Olympics, Vasyl Lomachenko is the best professional prospect fighting in the London Olympics. After receiving a first-round bye, Lomachenko outclassed Wellington Arias of the Dominican Republic 15-3 in the Round of 16. Lomachenko’s quarterfinal fight will be against Felix Verdejo of Puerto Rico.

Zou Shiming: Light flyweight Zou Shiming won his round of 16 bout against Cuban Yosbany Veitia 14-11 (Zou was awarded a first round bye). A two-time Olympic medalist and defending champion, Zou is set to turn professional after London 2012, but before thinking about professional belts, he will contest his quarterfinal match of these Olympics against Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov.

Rau’shee Warren: Warren lost 19-18 against Nordine Oubaali of France in the round of 16. As stated above, losing in his first fight for the third consecutive Olympics is heartbreaking, but Warren can exit the amateurs with pride as the only man to make three U.S. Olympic teams. His professional debut will be highly anticipated.

Lazaro Alvarez: The 2011 World Champion at bantamweight got his Olympic campaign off to a solid start as he defeated tough American Joseph Diaz via 21-15 decision in the round of 16 (Alvarez got a bye). Alvarez, with his skills and speed, could be a breakout star from London 2012, and his next bout will be against Brazilian Robenilson Vieria.

Anthony Joshua: Joshua has become a force since winning a stunning super heavyweight silver medal at the 2011 World Championships. In one of the most anticipated opening round bouts of the Olympic tournament, Joshua won a 17-16 decision over Erislandy Savon—the nephew of Cuban legend Felix Savon—to advance to the quarterfinals where he will face China’s Zhang Zhilei.

As the medal rounds approach, tantalizing match-ups are materializing as the boxing tournament truly kicks into high gear. Don’t miss it.

Errol Spence enters the quarterfinals of the 69kg division through the back door. AIBA, amateur boxing's governing body, overturned the result of his bout with Krishan Vikas of India due to multiple infractions that were not called in the bout.

Spence told the AP (via Huffington Post):

"I am obviously thrilled that the competition jury overturned my decision and I can continue chasing the gold medal I came here to win," Spence said in an email. "I am going to make the most of this second chance that I've been given. I can't wait to get back in that ring on Tuesday."

Regardless of the reprieve granted to Spence, the Olympics continues to highlight the downfall of U.S. boxing.

The last U.S. boxer to capture a gold medal was Andre Ward in Athens. Four years later in Beijing, the Americans could only muster a single bronze medal.

The U.S. has both the talent and the coaching to perform better on the amateur level. One of the best trainers in the world, Freddie Roach, spent time training the athletes before the Games. It obviously made little impact.

Why have the mighty fallen?

Has mixed martial arts taken some of the talent away from the program? That seems unlikely. The sport has had a meteoric rise over the past seven-plus years, but most of MMA's top talent comes from the collegiate ranks in America.

Is it due to the poor scoring system of the Olympics? Unquestionably, the system needs an overhaul, but the boxers know what the rules are going to be when they enter the ring. The system has been in place since the 1992 Barcelona Games. It cannot be used as an excuse for the constant poor showings.

There is no clear answer as to why the American program has fallen on hard times, but they must address the issue before Rio in 2016.

Performance on the amateur level has a ripple effect that extends to the professional game.

The performance of U.S. boxing ultimately affects the sport of professional boxing long-term. The greats all come up through the program. Does our recent showing at the Olympics show that there is no great American boxer? I hope not, but I would not be surprised.

How are the U.S. boxing coaches going to get new talent in with the poor showings on the international stage? The young kids of today do not have many heroes to emulate, to inspire or to aspire to be.

The next four years will be crucial. U.S. boxing has to identify young talent and foster their development so that they can contend for medals in Rio. It is important they have a good showing.

The terrible performance at the London Games has to be worrisome for USA Boxing officials.

Who will be the next Oscar De La Hoya or Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Who is going to make that next step from fantastic amateur to world champion?

Something has to be done with U.S. boxing. The future of the sport may depend on it.

With two weeks remaining in this year's Olympics, the London Games have already delivered iconic and cherished moments to sports fans around the world. Michael Phelps has exploded past the all-time medal count record with the same momentum he's been using to explode past opponents in the pool all these years. 

Gymnast Gabby Douglass, like Mary Lou Retton and Keri Strug before her, has already earned the unofficial title of America's Sweetheart, Summer of 2012 edition. The highly anticipated 100-meter showdown between Ussain Bolt and Yohan Blake is still waiting on deck. 

But for boxing fans, these Games will be remembered as the last stand for a flawed, inept scoring system. In 2016, the computerized system will finally be scrapped.

Unfortunately, that won't happen in time to prevent a whole lot of questionable, and outright putrid, decisions this time around. 

The internet has been full of criticism about British super-heavyweight Anthony Joshua's 17-16 decision over Erislandy Savon of Cuba. I did not see that particular fight, but I've seen it defended as well as attacked, so I'm inclined to speculate that perhaps it was truly close.

I must note, though, that I have mainly seen it defended by people writing for British newspapers.

British middleweight Anthony Ogogo's upset win over gold medal favorite Ievgen Khytov of the Ukraine has drawn similar fire.  I was frankly pretty shocked to see Ogogo get the nod, especially by tie-breaker. 

But I didn't even consider it the worst decision of that middleweight round of 16. Or the second worst, even. 

I thought American middleweight Terrell Gausha clearly out-landed his opponent, Vijender Singh of India. The computer-toggling judges disagreed. 

But the real stinker of that round was Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan over Bogdan Juratoni of Romania. After the final score was announced, NBC commentator Teddy Atlas had a one-word response: "Disgusting."

It has been a true blessing to have Atlas on hand to call these bouts. In addition to being a colorful and edifying commentator, he also never fails to be blunt and straight forward when expressing his dissatisfaction with shenanigans. 

So far, two decisions have been so egregious that the AIBA has felt the need to step in and overturn them. Japanese bantamweight Satoshi Shimizu dropped Magomed Abdulhaminov of Azerbaijan six times in the third round and didn't receive a single point for any of them!

The AIBA officials correctly ruled that the bout should have been stopped under amateur rules. 

And in the early hours this morning, American welterweight Errol Spense was saved from injustice when the AIBA overturned his 13-11 loss to Krishan Vikas of India.

It is important that writers be very careful about throwing around accusations of corruption, even when their own eyes tell them it just must be the case. That kind of charge needs to have some serious evidence behind it. 

The BBC has, in fact, found enough evidence of at least some corruption involving the AIBA to feel confident making it an official story. But under the current flawed system of scoring, you don't need corruption in order to end up with screwy decisions. 

I'd argue it is pretty much unavoidable. 

Under the current rules, five separate judges make a computer tally for each clean punch landed. In order for a punch to count, at least three judges must touch their button within one second. A lot of punches inevitably get missed—especially body shots and counters thrown in close, during rapid fire exchanges. 

Further confusing the issue for casual fans is that only the volume of punches matters. Hard, effective punching is beside the point. Even a knockdown or standing eight count scores exactly the same as s single pity-pat jab. 

In the previously mentioned Ogogo-Khytov fight, the Brit took two standing eight counts in the second round. Under the ten point must system, that would have been a decisive, 10-8 round. 

Ironically, the current system of scoring was adopted after the 1988 Games, as a response to what is considered one of the worst decisions ever, amateur or professional: Park Si-Hun over Roy Jones Jr. 

But there is just as much room for corruption under this system as there was under the old one. And a generation of competition has now demonstrated clearly, there is a lot more potential for outright incompetence.

Instead of fixing things, the scoring system has instead severely damaged the sport. Boxing fans around the globe should rejoice when they see it gone in Rio De Jeneiro in 2016.