Olympic Boxing Men’s Super Heavyweight Semifinal – Torrez Jr vs Kunkabayev
- Torrez Jr vs Kunkabayev goes down on Tuesday, August 3rd at 11:18 PM EST
- Who advances to the super heavyweight finals?
- Check out the fight odds, analysis, and predictions below
Torrez Jr vs Kunkabayev takes place tonight at 11:18 PM EST in the Olympic Boxing semifinals. Kamshybek Kunkabayev and Richard Torrez Jr will test skills at Kokugikan Arena, and the broadcast goes on NBC.
Only one can advance towards the finals and vie for that coveted top spot on the podium.
Richard Torrez Jr vs Kamshybek Kunkabayev Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kamshybek Kunkabayev | -155 |
| Richard Torrez Jr | +125 |
Odds as of August 3rd at DraftKings
The Olympics began with a broader Boxing field, and things are slowly whittling down as we get closer to deciding who gets gold.
Both of these combatants have dozens of fights to their credit and both have a degree of momentum leading into this.
Torrez Jr vs Kunkabayev Recent Fights
| Dainier Pero, win via decision | Fight 1 | Ivan Veryasov, win via decision |
| Chouaib Bouloudinats, win via decision | Fight 2 | Yousry Hafez, win via decision |
| Mourad Aliev, win via walkover | Fight 3 | Bakhodir Jalolov, loss via decision |
| Satish Kumar, win via walkover | Fight 4 | Pouria Amiri, win via decision |
Richard Torrez Jr’s Road to the Semis
Richard Torrez Jr cemented himself as the first US medalist at super heavyweight since 1988. The States haven’t had a pugilist on the podium since Riddick Bowe garnered silver in Seoul.
Torrez Jr bested Dainier Pero to advance beyond the quarterfinal stage, and his elation is palpable.
Richard Torrez Jr is a generational talent in Boxing, with his grandfather owning a gym and this Olympic campaign being mindful of making his father proud.
While Torrez Jr is proud of this medal, he has reiterated and made it very clear that he has come here solely for gold.
Kamshybek Kunkabayev Quest for Olympic Glory
Kamshybek Kunkabayev captured a pair of silver medals at the World Championships as a super heavyweight in 2017 and 2019.
Beyond being an accomplished amateur, Kunkabayev has a 3-0 pro record and captured the WBO Asia Pacific cruiserweight title during his last professional contest in February.
While his stoppage rate as an amateur doesn’t leap off the page, he has a one hundred percent stoppage rate across his pro contests so far.
These two warriors match up in a truly rare southpaw versus southpaw showdown. A southpaw in general is regarded as a bit anomalous. But to have two people assume this stance and test skills against one another in the ring is a sight to see.
Southpaws utilize unique angles and footwork. Curiously, southpaw fighters also have some difficulties fighting fellow southpaws. This is due to the aforementioned uniqueness of it/ not having nearly as much experience fighting those guys that lead with the right hand.
Torrez Jr vs Kunkabayev Tale of the Tape
| 53-9 | Record | 63-20 |
| 15 | Knockouts | 6 |
| 6’2 | Height | 6’3 |
| Not available | Reach | Not available |
| Southpaw | Stance | Southpaw |
Ultimately, I think Torrez Jr has some underdog value here. Just observing the last two contests both of these fighters had, I think Torrez Jr will be able to push the pace early and score points.
Kunkabayev is the kind of fighter where if you don’t pressure him heavy and early, he’ll start to get comfortable and thoughtfully box at range.
I foresee this being a competitive back and forth fight, but Torrez Jr’s ability to weaponize pace will, in my estimation, guide him towards a possibly razor-thin decision victory.
Pick: Richard Torrez Jr (+125)
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
