Sena Irie made boxing history for Japan and Kurt Walker produced a huge upset by ending Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov's bid to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday.
Featherweight Irie became the first woman to win an Olympic boxing medal with a points victory over Maria Claudia Nechita at the Kokugikan Arena in her homeland.
Irish featherweight Walker eliminated world champion and top seed Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan in the round of 16, claiming a split decision.
We take a look at the pick of the action in the ring.
IRIE WANTS JAPANESE WOMEN TO SWAP JUDO FOR BOXING
The 20-year-old Irie will win at least a bronze medal after her defeat of Nechita and faces Team GB's Karriss Artingstall, who edged out Skye Nicolson of Australia, at the semi-final stage.
Irie hopes her exploits will inspire Japanese women to pick boxing over judo.
"Judo is a much more famous sport in Japan so I hope this makes boxing a lot more famous and inspires more Japanese women to take it up," she said.
"I've shown other women who might not be good at sport that you can achieve something if you work hard.
"This medal is the result of 13 years' hard work. I've made history but it is still just a little contribution. I want to do more. Winning gold would be so much bigger."
KURT WALKING TALL
Walker produced the performance of his career to eliminate Mirzakhalilov.
Mirzakhalilov was strongly fancied to take gold, but Walker had other ideas as he pulled off a shock victory.
The 26-year-old said: "I'm over the moon. I really can't explain it, but I worked on it and I knew it was going to happen. I believed. I knew. I'm not surprised.
"It's just brilliant. I never would have thought it before I came, it's a fairytale. But there is still more work for me to do. I need to recover, go back and get more tactics and hopefully get a medal."
Asked how he ranks the win, he said: "The best I'd say. I beat the current world champion, the number one seed, in the Olympics Games, the biggest stage of the lot."
Duke Ragan will be Walker's quarter-final opponent on Sunday after the American dominated Serik Temirzhanov of Kazakhstan.
FONTIJN: PRICE NOT IN MY HEAD
Nouchka Fontijn and top seed Lauren Price could be on a middleweight semi-final collision course after securing midweek victories.
Fontijn of the Netherlands beat Pole Elzbieta Wojcik in the first round, while Price got her quest for Olympic glory by dominating Mongolia's Myagmarjargal Munkhbat.
Dutch boxer Nouchka thought she had won the world title in 2019, but Price took the title in Russia after the British team launched a successful appeal.
The two will meet it again if they come through their quarter-final bouts this weekend and Fontijn says Price is not in her head.
"I’m not busy with Lauren Price any more than other opponents," said the Rio 2016 silver medallist. "Some people think I need revenge and that she's always in my head and that's not true. I am just working towards my next fight and we'll see what happens then.
"I've already got the silver, and gold would be perfect in my collection. But every Olympic Games is another chapter and it’s been five years since Rio. There's a whole new squad of opponents, so it’s a different story."
Usyk sends Fury warning as he dismisses 'too easy' comments
Oleksandr Usyk issued a warning to Tyson Fury, urging him not to be "afraid" ahead of their highly anticipated rematch in December.
Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight since Lennox Lewis in May following his split-decision win over Fury, ending the Gypsy King's unbeaten record.
Fury insisted that while he thought he won the fight, the only reason Usyk had been able to deliver a late onslaught was that he was "enjoying it too much and messing around".
"Oh my god, no way! Okay, no problem. The next fight will be easy [for him too]," Usyk told Sky Sports in response to Fury's comments.
"For me, my fight will be hard because Tyson Fury is a big man, a good boxer, with a good boxing IQ.
"But if Tyson says for him it will be easy, ok, no problem. I see for Tyson Fury, I see for the eyes of Tyson Fury, it's not easy. It will be hard, very, very hard.
"Tyson, don't be afraid - I will not leave you alone."
Fury had started the contest in the ascendency, landing an uppercut to the chin of Usyk which staggered the Ukrainian in the sixth round.
However, Usyk showed his powers of recovery once again, unloading on Fury with a flurry of punches that forced a knockdown in round nine.
Referee Mark Nelson stepped in to give Fury a count as he stumbled across the ring with just the ropes keeping him upright, managing to survive the full 12 rounds.
"For me, it doesn't matter," Usyk said on the officiating in Saudi Arabia. "Every referee, it's a professional guy.
"The referee does his job. Maybe my last punch would be dangerous for Tyson Fury. It's good.
"Tyson has a big family, I have a big family. Listen, we win. Everything is ok. I do not think about the referee after the fight. We win, thank god, all good, everything is ok.
"A lot of people say, 'Oh the referee took your knockout win' and say 'Referee bad'. I think no, the referee is good. It's just talking. Blah blah blah."
Lewis thanks former rival Rahman for help with Lewis’ League of Champions Boxing Camp in Jamaica
Former undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis has expressed gratitude to former rival Hasim Rahman for participating in Lewis’ League of Champions Boxing Camp.
Rahman was among a number of high-profile names in the boxing world who helped coach youngsters at the camp which was held from July 8-13 at the Hopewell Sports & Community Centre in Hanover.
Rahman handed Lewis the second loss of his professional career to take his heavyweight titles back on April 22, 2001 in South Africa before, on November 17 that same year, Lewis got his revenge by knocking Rahman out in the fourth round in their rematch to regain his heavyweight titles in Nevada.
“Me and Hasim have come a long way from trading blows in the ring and the power of giving back to the youth is something that can even bring old foes like us together,” Lewis said in a post on Instagram on Tuesday.
James Ali Bashir, the former coach of current undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, as well as former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Alicia Ashley and former CBF Welterweight Champion Sakima Mullings were also on hand to help out the youngsters at the camp.
“Giving back to the youth has become a central mission in my life but I can’t do it alone. I’m grateful to everyone who helps make it all possible,” Lewis said.
Dubois hopes to become 'king slayer' in IBF title showdown with Joshua
Anthony Joshua is set for another shot at the IBF heavyweight title but Daniel Dubois hopes to become a "king slayer" when the pair meet at Wembley Stadium.
Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF heavyweight championship just five weeks after becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion with his win over Tyson Fury, confirming his decision on X on Tuesday.
The all-British showdown was confirmed the following day as the duo prepare to battle at Wembley on September 21.
Joshua will bid to become a three-time world champion, while Dubois will appear in his first title fight after becoming the mandatory challenger for the IBF crown with his win over Filip Hrgovic this month.
The meeting will be Joshua's first at Wembley in three years, and Dubois hopes to bring his homecoming crashing down.
"That's just where I'm aiming for, to fight the best and be the best," Dubois said at Wednesday's press conference.
"AJ's been the king for a long time and on the night, I need to become a king slayer and that's my goal, that's the mission at hand.
"I'm learning more about myself as a fighter, as a person, coming out of the darkness and into the light, improving all round as a fighter and as an athlete. I'm up for this and ready to go."
Joshua has repeatedly been suggested as a potential opponent for Usyk or Fury, though says he will turn his attention solely on the upcoming Dubois bout.
"Congratulations to Daniel for winning his last fight," a measured Joshua said at the same press conference.
"I've been having Dubois on my mind for a while and he'll be on my mind for the next 12 weeks until I get my hand raised.
"The goal is just getting through a successful training camp, performing on the night and the shiny stuff comes at a later date."
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