American Keyshawn Davis accused Olympic boxing organisers of disrespect after flooring lightweight favourite Sofiane Oumiha and said he now had "no choice" but to win Olympic gold.
The 22-year-old from Norfolk, Virginia, who fought on the undercard of the big Arlington showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders in May, is away to a flying start in his Tokyo 2020 campaign.
Frenchman Oumiha won silver at Rio five years ago and the 26-year-old was the top seed at these Games, but he lost by second-round knockout as Davis pulled out a big shot that booked him a quarter-final place.
The USA last won an Olympic boxing gold medal at the 2004 Games, but Davis may have a shot of ending that barren run and he will not be found wanting for confidence.
"I feel like this is my opportunity. I feel like I can't let no competitor beat me or even come close to that," Davis said after his second win in Japan's capital.
"I'm just making sure throughout every fight that I'm putting on a good performance, I'm putting on a show, but I'm also having fun in the ring.
"My confidence has already been high, but looking at my opponents right here, I don't feel like they’re as good [as Oumiha].
"I've got no choice but to get gold. I'm getting gold, and that's what I'm shooting for is getting gold."
Davis then questioned why he should get such a tough opening fight at the match-up with Oumiha.
"They've given me these tougher opponents early. I feel kind of disrespected," he said, "like they're trying to get me out of the tournament early, or that's just how I take it to motivate myself to go into each one of these fights.
"But I don't care if you gave me [world champion] Andy Cruz the first day, I was going to beat him and move onto the next day, and that's how I felt coming into this tournament."
Russian Olympic Committee's Gabil Mamedov is next for Davis, with Cruz on the opposite side of the draw.
GOLDEN CHANCE FOR JAPANESE YOUNGSTER
Japan's Sena Irie will fight for gold on Tuesday in the first final of the Tokyo boxing programme, a thrill for the 20-year-old home boxer.
Featherweight Irie won silver in the Asian and Oceanian Olympic qualifying event, held in Jordan almost 18 months ago. She also finished fifth at the 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships.
Now she could deliver an Olympic title for the hosts after edging out Great Britain's Karriss Artingstall on a split (3:2) points decision in their semi-final.
Irie said: "It was a very close match but if I had lost in the third round I probably would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I honestly did not think I would be going to the finals. Now that I have, I want to get the gold."
She will face reigning world champion Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines who beat Irma Testa, also by split decision (4:1) with the judges. Petecio has been regarded as the title favourite.
Petecio said: "This means so much to me as not only it is my dream, it is my father's dream. It's not for me, it's for my family, my country and for all the people from the Philippines who have prayed for me."
WORTH THE WEIGHT?
Japan's Ryomei Tanaka is fighting in the flyweight division and going great guns, reaching the quarter-finals on Saturday with a points win over China's Jianguan Hu.
But making the 48-52kg class is a strain, Tanaka admits, and the sooner these Games are over, the happier the 27-year-old will be on a personal basis.
"It is not easy getting to the weight to compete. I want to meet up with my friends to drink and eat," he said.
His life in recent times has been built around the objective of success at the Kokugikan Arena, however, and those social treats can wait a little longer.
"I have been preparing for several years for this chance. I don't care about who my opponent is or what he can do. I just think about my style," Tanaka said.
"The next round is for a medal, but I want the gold. But more important than my performance, I just like to knock out my opponent. I sometimes care more about that than the result."
Ngamba makes Olympics history as IOC refugee team set for first medal
Cindy Ngamba etched her name in history after guaranteeing a first medal for the Refugee Olympic Team in Paris.
The Britain-based boxer overcame French hope Davina Michel by a unanimous points decision to reach the 75kg semi-finals on Sunday.
With no third-place bouts at the Games, Ngamba is set for at least a bronze medal even if she loses to Panama's Atheyna Bylon on Thursday.
Having led the Refugee Team as the flagbearer at the opening ceremony just over a week ago, Ngamba secured another piece of history here – though the Cameroon-born fighter is intent on not finishing just yet.
"It means the world to me, to be the first ever refugee to win a medal," Ngamba said.
"I'm just a human, just like any other refugee, athlete and refugee all around the world. But I hope I can change the medal in my next fight.
"I was fighting a very tough opponent today. A lot of people were not cheering for me. But I listened to my team, I listened to my coaches and I listened to myself.
"I stuck to the tactics and I stayed calm and composed. I'm happy that I got the job done. Hopefully, in the next one, I will also get the job done. No, not hopefully. I will get it done."
Ngamba became the first refugee athlete to make the Olympics boxing tournament in May, and the first in any sport to earn a place in the Games by qualification rather than selection.
The 25-year-old was born in Cameroon but moved to England in 2009, though is unable to return to her homeland because she is homosexual, which remains a criminal offence in the country.
Team GB have supported her citizenship application but to no avail, leading Ngamba to represent the International Olympic Committee's refugee team in the French capital.
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.
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