Australia\u2019s Lekeisha Pergoliti, Chantelle Reid from England, Natalya Bogdanova from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan\u2019s Aziza Zokirova, are the first four boxers to win a medal at the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The four women triumphed in their light-middleweight (W70kg) quarter finals to ensure that they will leave Liverpool with at least a bronze medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First to claim a medal was Pergoliti who defeated Ireland\u2019s Lisa O\u2019Rourke by the narrowest of 3-2 margins in a see-sawing contest in Ring A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seconds later England\u2019s Chantelle Reid, secured victory in Ring B with a comprehensive unanimous points win over Mengge Zhang of China. It sealed a remarkable turnaround for the Paris 2024 boxer who only returned to Olympic-style boxing eight weeks ago, having considered turning professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the bouts that followed Bogdovana defeated Sema Caliskan of Turkey 5-0 to secure Kazakhstan\u2019s first medal while Zokirova did the same for Uzbekistan as she cruised to a unanimous victory over Germany\u2019s Leonie Mueller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking in the mixed zone after their bouts Pergoliti and Reid were delighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pergoliti said: \u201cThat was a real hard fight. Very hard boxer. Very aggressive. I feel like I kept my composure, and that\u2019s what won me the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis means a lot to me. This is actually my first world championship and my first year being on the team. For the past two years, I\u2019ve been number two. So I feel like I\u2019ve really worked hard to get here. And I feel like it\u2019s really starting to pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always want to be on top of that podium. But, Yeah, I\u2019m just super stoked to be in the semis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reid added: \u201cIt\u2019s such a blessing and so grateful to be here. Just can\u2019t thank GB enough for the preparation for this competition. And thank you to my corner, who\u2019ve all been amazing so far and I can\u2019t wait to finish this competition with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going for gold. I can\u2019t see myself leaving the competition with anything less so I\u2019m just going to put that work in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am grateful to be here and obviously for my primary school teacher for persuading me and encouraging me to come back to GB and go again for the next Olympics and try and get that gold medal I missed out on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019m flying. I feel fast and strong at the weight. I am feeling amazing at 70kg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quartet of medallists will fight it out in Saturday\u2019s semi-finals. Reid will take on Bogdanova and Pergoliti will tackle Zokirova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rest of the evening session featured 36 bouts across women\u2019s light-flyweight (W48kg) and the men\u2019s flyweight (M50kg), welterweight (M65kg) and cruiserweight (85kg) divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women\u2019s light flyweight and men\u2019s flyweight and welterweight competitions all went with the formbook as the top four seeds went through in all three categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Victories for Alejandro Claro Fiz at flyweight and Erislandy Alvarez at welterweight meant it was a better day for Cuba but they did not have it all their own way. Claro Fiz had a battle to see of Hungary\u2019s Istvan Szaka while Alvarez had to dig deep in his 3-1 victory over Almaz Orozbekov of Kyrgyzstan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The evening session finished with eight cruiserweight bouts, that saw both top seeds exit the tournament as Kazakhstan\u2019s number one ranked Bekzad Nurdauletov lost 3-2 to Georgia\u2019s Georgii Kushitashvili while Scotland\u2019s Robert McNulty unanimously defeated India\u2019s second seed Jugnoo Jugnoo. It also marked the end of the tournament for Aryan Saaed Panah who lost on a razor thin 3-2 split to Michael Fares Derouiche of Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier in the day, the morning session featured 29 bouts in the women\u2019s flyweight (W51kg) and lightweight (W60kg) categories and the men\u2019s bantamweight (M55kg) and light-heavyweight (80kg) divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men\u2019s bantamweight contests went with form as seven of the eight top seeds progressed to the next round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only one to miss out was the number two ranked boxer, Javier Ibanez Diaz of Bulgaria who lost on a 3-2 split to Ireland\u2019s Patsy Joyce, after an accidental clash of heads caused the referee to stop the contest after two round and go to the judges\u2019 cards. Provided he can overcome the nasty looking cut he received, Joyce will face Mirzizbek Mirzakhaliov of Uzbekistan in the quarter finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standout performance in the bantamweight division came from Makhmud Sabrykhan of Kazakhstan who defeated Bashkim Bajoku of Kosovo with a first round knockout to set up a medal bout on Wednesday with Yamaguchi Rui of Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sabyrkhan\u2019s knockout was one of several excellent performances in a very good session for the Kazakhstan team which won all four of its bouts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It included a strong performance by Viktoriya Erafeyeva at lightweight (W60kg), who scored a unanimous victory over the home nation\u2019s Lucy Kings-Wheatley, and a convincing win at light-heavyweight (80kg) by Paris silver medallist and the competition\u2019s number one seed, Nurbek Oralbay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faced with a tricky opponent in Tangiathan Tucohhetaerbieke of China, Oralbay came out of the blocks quickly in rounds one and two before easing off in the third as he cruised to unanimous 5-0 victory. He will meet Javokhir Ummataliev of Uzbekistan in the quarter finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The early part of the first session saw the women\u2019s flyweight category complete round of 16. Turkey\u2019s two-time Olympic silver medallist, Buse Naz Cakiroglu, impressed once again with a very convincing victory over Irismar Cardozo Rojas of Venezuela as she lived up to her status as the number one seed at 51kg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She will box India\u2019s former two-time world champion Zareen Nikhat in what promises to be a mouthwatering clash in Wednesday\u2019s quarter finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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