Cuba's Yordani Despaigne took a well fought decision from Canadian Jean Pascal in the 75kg or middleweight division in the opening round of 32.
Though the final tally had Despaigne a twelve point winner, 36-24, Pascal gave a defining performance at the world level. When the draw was announced, many amateur boxing experts felt that this fight was a gold medal level encounter. Pascal, from Laval, Quebec showed a spirited attack against the combination punching Cuban champion. Canadian boxing officials will be looking forward to the development of Pascal in the coming years. With his aggressive combination hitting and accurate power punching from distance, Despaigne showed why he is one of the hot favourites to take the gold
|
