[For panoramas of Workers Stadium and the other pics from day 1 check out 'my photos' section]
So got back to Workers Indoor Stadium for 'round 2' as it were - and boy was it better than the first day.
First things first - the seats were just awesome. The prior matches I saw I was in the rafters in a seat where with my feet planted my knees hung over the seat in front in front of my three inches. Uncomfortable to say the least. This day I was on the A level on the _second row_ literally at about the same distance from the ring as the VIP's.
It started with MJ having security problems because he brought a zippo with him. I doubled back and found him still in the security tent so I mouthed him to 'just toss the damn thing'. He mouthed back 'Hell no you go ahead' and I did, let him deal with his. He ended up leaving, hiding it in a flower garden, and getting it after the match... A short discussion of the topic appears in the video.
These two were I can only assume the parents of the Thai flyweight who was in the ring. Putting on quite the show - they started the crowd into a chant of "Thai guo jian yo" (go Thailand!) and were even funnier still when security told them to sit down - which they eventually politefully did.
Also notice the two cubans sitting directly behind me. They were the ones who tipped me off to Teofilo Stevenson being in the crowd. Check my blog below for a wiki link to him. 3 time gold medalist super heavyweight and it would have been 4 but Cuba boycotted the 1984 games. And not just winning but dominating - knocking people out in 4 round matches with headgear.When the Cuban flyweight won he ran to shake Stevensons hand - when the Cuban super heavyweight lost with a real dispirited, lackluster effort he had gone before he left the ring.
The USA was in with one flyweight who won his match and got an interview directly in front of us for NBC. What the heck is that sport reporters name?
Also not pictured is the Algerian coach being ejected from the arena. But, since the security was composed of two 135 pound Chinese volunteers, while he was about 225, obviously an ex-boxer, and screaming mad his ejection basically amounted to him walking twenty to thirty feet away from the ring back and forth screaming at the ref and his guy (who won btw). Meanwhile 'security' with the fear of God in their eyes tried to stand in his way. Just hilarious. I called him a punkass biotch or somesuch as he left under us hoping to provoke another outburst much to the amusement to the English speakers around me who had been howling with laughter the whole time.
The last big kick of the night was the Chinese Zhang Zhilei - all 6'7" and 200 pounds of
him. Absolutely fucking manhandled his short chubby competition from Malaysia 15-0 (in amateur you are scored for clean power hits over 4 rounds - but can still be knocked out of course). Again the crowd energy was just nuts and made the night worth it. I think the judges were a bit biased not counting a few malaysian hits - but that wouldve only made it 15-2 anyways.
His reach was just mammoth and against a shorter and very stubby opponent he didnt even bother to jab - he just unleashed standing left hooks in two's and three's against the guys head every time they got close. That was the first fight ive seen here where there was a good possibility of a knockout.
Ugly technique beautifully applied. I love 'the sweet science'
Too bad I was an idiot and had my camera filled with baseball pics so I couldnt take a video of that, but I have a feeling ill see more of him. Semis and the gold medal round coming soon.
O