Jay Bryan Baricuatro dominates Aussie foe
Baricuatro advances to the World Boxing Cup gold medal bout
Jay Bryan Baricuatro erupted in celebration after winning in the semifinals. | Photo from World Boxing Cup
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Talisay City’s Jay Bryan Baricuatro is one win away from a historic gold medal at the World Boxing Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Baricuatro pulled off an impressive performance in the men’s 50-kilogram semifinals on Saturday, July 5, defeating Australia’s Omer Izaz in a hard-fought three-rounder.
Four of the five judges gave the fight to Baricuatro with scores of 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27. One judge, however, ironically sided with Izaz, 28-29.
The Cebuano standout neutralized the taller Aussie’s reach advantage with nonstop aggression, pushing the pace and landing flurries of punches throughout the bout.
Baricuatro, a rising prospect from the 10,000-BC Boxing Gym in Talisay City, now advances to the gold medal match against Kazakhstan’s own Sanzhar Tashkenbay, scheduled later today, July 6.
He is the last Filipino left standing in the tournament after fellow Cebuano Mark Ashley Fajardo and Patricia Mae Sumalinog both settled for bronze in their respective divisions.
Regardless of the result in the finals, Baricuatro has already secured a silver medal—marking the Philippines’ best finish so far in this edition of the World Boxing Cup.
Tashkenbay, his opponent, booked his finals ticket with a win over Azerbaijan’s Subkhan Mamedov in their semifinal bout.
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