(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Flyweight Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) won a gold medal for his United States team on Sunday with a 9-6 victory over France’s Jeremy Veccu in championship round action at the 2009 World Cup of Petroleum Countries in Khanty-Mansisysk, Russia. The win was Byrd’s third victory of the tournament, which featured 13 teams and several of the world’s top Olympic-style boxers. For the first time in the event, Byrd fell behind in the first round, with Veccu holding a 3-2 lead after three minutes. Yet Byrd could not be denied, enjoying a strong second round to claim a 6-4 advantage with one stanza remaining. The American boxer refused to relinquish his lead in the final round, scoring three points to Veccu’s two to win the 9-6 final victory and the gold medal..
In addition to winning the tournament, Byrd was named the Boxer with the Best Ring Tactics in the tournament. He won the only medal for the United States team at the 2009 World Cup of Petroleum Countries. Byrd is the reigning flyweight champion in the United States, and was less than two weeks two young to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Team. He now has his focus set on the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
U.S. Results
112 lbs/51 kg: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo./USA dec. Jeremy Veccu, France, 9-6
Flyweight Louie Byrd Earns a Berth in the Championship Bout at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries
Flyweight Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) continued his winning ways on Saturday at the 2009 World Cup of Petroleum Countries on Saturday. Byrd won his second straight 8-2 victory of the tournament, defeating Moldova’s Alexander Ryshkin at the Tennis Center in Khanty-Mansisysk, Russia. Byrd is the lone remaining U.S. participant in the competition. Both boxers started slowly in the semifinal match-up between Byrd and Ryshkin with the bout locked at one after the opening round. Yet, Byrd took over in the second, scoring six points to one by Ryshkin to give him a 7-2 lead with one round remaining. He held on to his advantage in the final three minutes, holding Ryshkin scoreless throughout the third round to win the 8-2 decision.
Byrd will face France’s Jeremy Veccu in the championship round on Sunday.
U.S. Results
112 lbs/51 kg: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo./USA dec. Alexander Ryshkin, Moldova, 8-2
Team USA’s Louie Byrd Advances to Semifinal Round Action at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Flyweight Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) enjoyed a victorious debut at the 2009 World Cup of Petroleum Countries on Friday in Khanty-Mansisysk, Russia, winning his event opener over Russia’s Andrei Maslak. Byrd recorded the lone victory for his team on a rough day for the United States squad as his five teammates lost their quarterfinal contests on Friday.
Byrd opened the bout on fire, controlling the early action to move out to a 4-0 lead after one round. His pace slowed slightly in the second, but he still enjoyed a 5-2 edge at the end of two. The American boxer held Maslak scoreless in the final round to win an 8-2 final decision and a spot in the medal rounds. He will face Alexander Ryshkin of Moldova on Saturday with a berth in the final round on the line.
In other U.S. action, bantamweight Adam Lopez (San Antonio, Texas) dropped a 9-5 decision to Russia’s Zafar Parpiev. The bout was close throughout with Lopez trailing by a slim 4-3 margin at the end of two, but Papiev wouldn’t relinquish his lead and went on to claim the victory. Lightweight Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.) struggled to score in his bout with Belarus’ Vazgen Safaryants and lost a 5-1 final decision. Middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) won his event opener on Thursday, but couldn’t repeat the feat on Friday in his quarterfinal match-up with Ukraine’s Ivan Golub. The two battled in a low-scoring affair throughout, but Golub claimed the 2-0 victory. In light heavyweight competition, Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) lost a 6-2 decision to Latvia’s Nikolaj Grishunin. Super heavyweight Javier Torres (Commerce, Calif.) kept his bout with Ukraine’s Andrey Tomchuk highly competitive through the first two rounds, but dropped a 7-1 final decision.
Semifinal action will begin at the Tennis Center in Khanty-Mansisysk at 1 p.m. (3 a.m. EST) on Saturday.
U.S. Results
112 lbs/51 kg: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo./USA dec. Andrei Maslak, RUS, 8-2
119 lbs/54 kg: Zafar Parpiev, RUS, dec. Adam Lopez, San Antonio, Texas/USA
132 lbs/60 kg: Vasgen Safaryants, BLR, dec. Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont./USA, 5-1
165 lbs/75 kg: Ivan Golub, UKR, dec. Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio/USA, 2-0
178 lbs/81 kg: Nikolaj Grishunin, LAT, dec. Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn./USA, 6-2
201+ lbs/91+ lbs: Andrey Tomchuk, UKR, dec. Javier Torres, Commerce, Calif./USA, 7-1
The United States Squad Prepares to Open Competition at the 2009 World Cup of Petroleum Countries in Russia
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The United States squad has arrived in frigid Russia for the 2009 World Cup of Petroleum Countries, December 17-20 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. The temperature is dipping well below -30 degrees daily, but the U.S. team is working to stay warm in their new surroundings while preparing for the competition.
Two teams from host-country Russia as well as squads from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Armenia, Sweden, France, Serbia, and Belarus will compete in the event. The eight boxers representing the United States in the final international competition of the year are Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.), bantamweight Adam Lopez (San Antonio, Texas), lightweight Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.), welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas), middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio), light heavyweight Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.), heavyweight Jordan Shimmell (Hudsonville, Mich.), and super heavyweight Javier Torres (Commerce, Calif.).
The U.S. team completed their long journey to Russia on Monday, and is currently acclimating to their new environment before competition begins on Thursday at the Tennis Center in Khanty-Mansisysk following the event draw. Quarterfinal competition will be contested on Friday with semifinal action taking place on Saturday. The event will conclude with final round action on Sunday.
The unique event will provide outstanding international experience for all of the competitors involved as the U.S. team works toward the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
U.S. Roster
112 lbs: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colorado
119 lbs: Adam Lopez, San Antonio, Texas
132 lbs: Duran Caferro, Helena, Montana
152 lbs: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas
165 lbs: Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio
178 lbs: Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minnesota
201 lbs: Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, Michigan
201+ lbs: Javier Torres, Commerce, California
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). It is responsible for the selection and management of the United States Olympic Boxing Team, and for the governance and oversight of USA Boxing’s national organization of 38,000 members, 1,400 individual boxing clubs, and 1,600 sanctioned events annually.