Las Vegan out of boxing championships
CHICAGO -- Rau'shee Warren and Demetrius Andrade made the semifinals of the World Boxing Championships with victories Thursday, but four U.S. teammates were eliminated.
American super heavyweight Michael Hunter, a 19-year-old Las Vegan needing a win to qualify for the Olympics, was beaten by Russia's Islam Timurziev, 22-15.
Raynell Williams, Luis Yanez and Gary Russell also lost at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion, but all three already had qualified for the Olympics earlier in the tournament.
Hunter still will have two more chances to make Beijing. Continental qualifiers are set for March and April.
The son of a boxing professional, Hunter was twice given standing eight counts and could not overcome the strength of Timurziev.
"I just went out there trying to box," said Hunter, a 2006 graduate of Palo Verde High School. "He was pretty strong. He threw a couple of punches that knocked me off balance but nothing that really hurt me.
"I sensed he was getting tired in the later rounds. I tried to go get him. I just couldn't catch him."
Warren was using a towel to dab the blood dripping from his nose following his 23-13 flyweight victory over Russia's Georgy Balakshin.
"The only thing that shows in the ring is my nose when it bleeds, and that's because I'm fighting hard," Warren said. "If I don't get hit, I'm not fighting hard."
Andrade defeated German welterweight Jack Culcay-Keth, 30-9.
