BOXING: Australian boxer Damien Hooper has fought a valiant battle with Russian medal contender Egor Mekhontcev, but despite a last round flurry, he was unable to move into the quarter finals.

In what Hooper described as the toughest fight of his amateur career, the light heavyweight went down swinging, but it was all too late. Hooper finished on the wrong side of the judges scorecard 19-11.

“I am pretty disappointed,” said the 2010 Youth Olympic gold medallist.

“I used the wrong strategy for the first two rounds and started to say ‘‘screw it” and I went all out in the third round. I should have done that from the word go.”

Hooper was hoping to use his superior speed and movement coupled with his technical fighting abilities to get the better of the 2011 amateur world championship bronze medallist, but was out-skilled from the get go.

“I rate him the best fighter I have ever fought in my life. I fought the Cuban (Olympic favourite Julio la Cruz Peraza) but my style suits him. He (Mekhontcev) is the hardest opponent for me and my skills.”

Mekhontcev worked the ring well from the opening round as Hooper danced around him attempting to pick him off when his defence was down.

It was the Russian, however, who was landing the punches, unleashing quick flurries throughout the first three minutes and, while Hooper managed to penetrate the defence of his opponent at times, Mekhontcev claimed a 4-2 lead after the first round.

It was more of the same in the second with Mekhontcev commanding the centre of the ring as Hooper continued to stand off his combatant picking his moments to engage.

It was to no avail though as again the Russian got the better of the scoring punches, winning the round 6-3 and taking a dominant 10-5 lead into the last.

Knowing he had to come out swinging, Hooper did exactly that as he attempted to catch his 27-year-old opponent off guard.

Mekhontcev had all the answers though as what had been a technical boxing bout for the opening two rounds turned into a brawl. 

To the delight of the crowd, both fighters landed multiple blows as the fight came to a frenetic end but the Russian still had Hooper’s number as he won the final round 9-6 and the fight 19-11.

“I think he will go all the way now but the Cuban is a freak boxer and what I couldn’t do I think he could do (to Mekhontcev),” said the gracious Queensland boxer. 

Hooper’s defeat leaves Australia with only one of the ten men’s boxers left in the competition with Jeff Horn competing tonight in the welterweight division.  Australia’s sole female competitor Naomi Fischer-Rasmussen competes tomorrow.

Matthew Bartolo
Olympics.com.au