Duke Ragan missed out on ending the USA's 17-year gold drought in men's boxing as Albert Batyrgaziev became the first professional to triumph in the Olympic ring.
The wait for a Games gold for the United States men continued on Thursday as a split decision went against Ragan in the featherweight final at the Kokugikan Arena, in a battle of two fighters who have recently left the amateur ranks behind.
Ragan edged it 29-28 on the scorecards of two judges, but it went against him by the same margin with two others, and a fifth, from Indonesia, scored it 30-27 in favour of Russian Olympic Committee fighter Batyrgaziev.
Their next meeting could be in a paid contest, given both are making their way in the professional game, and each man said the idea held plenty of appeal.
"That would be an additional motivation, to meet again as two professionals with my opponent in this final," Batyrgaziev said.
Ragan agreed, saying: "If that was to happen I really look forward to getting revenge and stuff like that, especially me and him, both being in the final of this Olympics.
"It would be a big headline and I'm pretty sure that everyone that tuned into the Olympics would want to see that again, especially on a bigger level."
Dagestan-born Batyrgaziev said of his gold: "This has been my dream since I started training for boxing when I was a child. This has made all the hard work and effort and the discipline I've shown since worth it. It has paid off.
"I am proud of my home. It deserves to be the home of an Olympic champion and I'll take the gold medal home to my people as I promised them."
Ragan regretted being unable to be the man to break the US gold drought, with no men's champion since Andre Ward's success at the Athens Olympics, but said silver still gave him some pleasure.
"Coming from the USA, I was the first professional boxer to compete in the Olympics. I take that and run with it. It was a blessing to be here," he said.
"I'm glad that I was a professional. A little bit more experience even though I didn't get the gold, but it's all good.
"I'm happy to be going home with the silver medal. It's not a happy ending for me but I'll take the silver medal over not getting on the podium at all."
FORMER 'SKIVVY' YAFAI REACHES GOLD FIGHT
Britain's Galal Yafai battled through to the men's flyweight final and explained how he has gone from a "skivvy" job to living out his dream.
Yafai earned a majority verdict over Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan, taking the verdict on three of the five judges' cards, and will face Carlo Paalam of the Philippines for gold on Saturday.
"It's the Olympic gold isn't it, man? Olympic gold is crazy. Just imagine being the Olympic champion," Yafai said.
"It's something I've dreamed about, but could never see happening. To be in an Olympic final, that's something I never thought I could do. Now I'm in it, it just goes to show that if you put in the hard work you reap the rewards."
The 28-year-old explained how he previously worked in a car factory in the English town of Solihull, near Birmingham, and reflected on how far he has come since those days.
"I was grafting, picking up boxes, dreaming of being at an Olympic Games," Yafai said. "I got to Rio [for the 2016 Olympics] a year later where it didn't work out for me. I've waited five years and it's paid off.
"I was doing the rubbish, picking up boxes, delivering parts. Just a skivvy job really. But now I'm on the verge of becoming Olympic champion.
"I hated working there, I'm not going to lie. I'd wanted to be a boxer for years, as I hate being told what to do. Now I'm my own boss and hopefully I can be the Olympic champion."
On this day in 2014: Carl Froch knocks out George Groves in Wembley rematch
Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their rematch at Wembley Stadium on this day in 2014 as the Nottingham fighter retained his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles.
Froch added to his victory in the initial bout in Manchester the previous November, in which he had recovered from a first-round knockdown and terrible start to stop Groves controversially in the ninth.
This time he finished the contest with a breathtaking eighth-round punch which knocked Groves out in front of a crowd of 80,000.
Froch said afterwards: “I showed tonight why I’m a four-time champion of the world, why I’ve defended my world title 13 times on the spin.
“I am amongst the best fighters in the world – that’s who George Groves was in there with tonight.
“The finish of that (fight) showed why I’ve mixed with the elite for many years and how hard it is to get to that level.”
He added: “I am feeling unbelievably elated. This is the best moment in the history of my boxing career.”
Groves made a solid start to the contest which began cagily, with neither fighter wanting to give anything away. Froch was patient, waiting for his opening and Groves struggled to keep pace as the fight wore on.
“I knew it was only going to take a couple of big right hands to the chin and I timed it perfectly,” Froch said.
Groves said: “It’s boxing and fair play to Carl, he caught me and I went down. Obviously I felt I was doing very well in the fight, I was in my groove and I was boxing well but it’s boxing.
“I’ll come back bigger, better and stronger. Ultimately I feel like I let myself down but congratulations to Carl, fair play, he got the punch.”
It proved the last fight for Froch – aged 36 at the time – before retirement, with him hanging up his gloves with a professional record of 35 bouts, 33 wins and two defeats, 24 of the victories coming by knockout.
On This Day in 2016: Tony Bellew wins WBC world cruiserweight title
Tony Bellew won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title against Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park on this day in 2016.
Fighting at the home of his beloved Toffees, the Everton fan put on a show, claiming the belt with a third-round knockout.
Makabu had entered the fight as the bookmakers’ favourite and started well, sending Bellew to the canvas in the opening round with a left-hand shot.
However, the Liverpudlian quickly recovered with a barrage of combinations in the third round to floor Makabu.
The win meant Bellew won a world title at the third time of asking after previous bouts at light-heavyweight against Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson ended in defeat.
Bellew, who played ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan in Sylvester Stallone’s film Creed, admitted he had “achieved a dream”.
“I am Everton, and that’s why I got up. Nothing was going to stop me tonight,” he said.
“I’ve achieved a dream tonight, all those people who said I couldn’t do it, well I’ve done it. I’m world champion, that’s what I am!
“The last time I saw something like that I was in a Hollywood movie, now it’s real. I’ve lived the dream tonight. I am the best cruiserweight in the world, I have proven it tonight.”
Katie Taylor sets sights on Chantelle Cameron rematch and not retirement
Katie Taylor laughed off talk of retirement after her first professional defeat this month and is targeting a November rematch against Chantelle Cameron.
Taylor’s bid to become undisputed world champion in two weight categories simultaneously fell flat as the previously unbeaten lightweight was outpointed on her Ireland homecoming by Cameron in Dublin.
Cameron, who retained her four light-welterweight world titles with the majority decision win, has intimated she wants to step down to 135lbs to challenge for Taylor’s belts in any return bout.
And the 36-year-old Taylor insisted her only priority is another showdown with Cameron, telling RTE: “I don’t even know what retirement means. I definitely don’t feel like it’s time for me to retire.
“It will happen one day in the future, but now my sights are set on securing a rematch with Chantelle. That’s the only fight that matters to me now. I think we’re looking at a November date.
“I haven’t looked back on the fight yet. I think the right person won. I have to take the loss and move on from it. I’m just excited to get back to America to start training again for the rematch.
“I will learn from this. I definitely didn’t feel myself in there. I did feel very, very tired straight away. I’ll just have to go back to the drawing board.
“I’m definitely not going to end my career like that.”
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