After the exciting 52nd Golden Belt Tournament, the Yerevan Mayor Cup gives another opportunity for the elite male boxers in order to prepare well to the European Boxing Championships. Armenia’s main elite competition saw several close contests and among them Ruslan Aslikyan won the best bout of the day.
The total number of boxers is 71 in Armenia’s capital where the most popular category is the 65kg with the participation of 12 boxers. The competition is the last selection for the Armenian boxers before the European Elite Boxing Championships.
All of the boxing fans can follow the Yerevan Mayor Cup in the official YouTube channel of the Armenian Boxing Federation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jet_SnhDEyU
The bout of the day
Ruslan Aslikyan and Davit Yegoryan earned several top results not only in the Armenian National Championships but in the international competitions as well. Yegoryan, who trains in the historic city of Lori, began their meeting at the 55kg in style and Aslikyan had several hard moments in this quarter-final bout. Aslikyan, who earned a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the European U22 Boxing Championships, found his best distance in time to beat his National Champion opponent by 3:2 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Israel’s Adrian Warwar competed in the 2024 edition of the European Youth Championships and the Youth World Boxing Championships as well. He is one of the aces of the Israeli U23 national team and he made a strong impression against a National bronze medallist Armenian, Armen Sargsyan. Warwar was able to keep the same tempo as the local opponent but finally Sargsyan has done enough to win their meeting by 3:2 split decision.
The Round-Up
Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Muzafarov claimed a gold medal at the 2021 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce and he earned also several top results in the Asian Boxing Championships. The 24-year-old Uzbek opened his campaign against Israel’s Farid Hreish in Armenia’s capital and the level of his speed was the difference between them in the opening contest of the entire event.
Armenia’s National bronze medallist Suren Rubinyan won the next contest at the 55kg after Muzafarov’s success, he outpointed Alen Virabyan in a hectic contest. Another Armenian talent in this weight category, Vagharshak Keyan had great results among the junior and youth age groups, but he is now a promising elite athlete. Keyan controlled the first round against Harutyun Minasyan and he finished the job in the second with a stoppage.
Artur Sahakyan, a former European Champion, moved up to the 65kg this year but he adopted the strength of the punches and the rhythms of the bouts quickly. The powerful puncher landed enough shots to beat his teammate, Argishti Hakobyan as he won two out of the three rounds in the judges’ scorecards.
One of the strong Central Asian boxing countries, Tajikistan sent a small delegation to the Yerevan Mayor Cup and their Asror Akparkhodzhaev opened his campaign in the 65kg weight class on Day1. The Tajik boxer started well against an Armenian favourite, Rafayel Nersesyan but his opponent switched into a higher tempo and the local boy advanced to the quarter-finals in the event.
Ares Hakobyan, the last year’s bronze medallist from the Yerevan Mayor Cup, performed well against Poland’s Piotr Milczarek and he won the last preliminary bout at the 65kg weight class. Uzbekistan’s next ace in the event, the former World silver medallist Ikboljon Kholdarov was too experienced for Armenia’s Vahag Asatryan at the 70kg.