Cubans Ramirez and Lopez advance to Rio 2016 boxing finals

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Aug 18 (acn) Cubans Robeisy Ramirez (56 kg) and Arlen Lopez (75 kg) advanced to the gold medal discussion after winning their respective semifinal bouts in the Rio 2016 boxing tournament.

Ramirez, London 2012 Olympic monarch, beat 3-0 Uzbek Murodjon Akhmadaliev, universal runner-up in Doha 2015; while Lopez (75), last year world champion, won by the same verdict over Azeri Kamran Shakhsuvarly.
Thus, the Caribbean island guaranteed two silver medals which join a harvest that includes the bronze medals won by Joahnys Argilagos (49), Lazaro Alvarez (60) and Erislandy Savon (91).
This amount should increase today because Julio Cesar La Cruz, three-time world champion, is favorite to defeat Kazakh Adilbek Niyasymbetov, London 2012 Olympic silver medalist, in the finals.
Ramirez and Lopez will fight for the gold medals on Saturday at the Riocentro Arena, against U.S. boxer Shakur Stevenson and Uzbek Bektemir Melikuziev, in that order.