MANILA, Philippines - Jade Bornea stunned fancied Jack Bateson of England and hacked out a 16-12 victory to assure himself of a bronze medal in his first international stint in the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships in Yerevan, Armenia Wednesday.
The cat-quick Bornea fought like a veteran in outpointing the taller Bateson, winner of various titles in the Commonwealth, British and English competitions. He scored on combinations anchored on a mean right hook then pounded out the four-point victory despite being assessed a penalty by the Algerian referee in the last round to reach the Final Four of the light flyweight division.
Bornea, 17, goes for the finals against Uzbekistan’s national champion Muradzhon Akhmadaliyev.
But while Bornea advanced, flyweight Ian Clark Bautista suffered a stinging 12-19 loss to Kurt Walker of Ireland.
Bautista thought he did enough to lead in the first round, with what looked like clear shots to the head and body of the Irish lad who towered about four inches taller. He was shocked to find he was behind 3-6 and from then on tried vainly to turn it around.
That proved to be his undoing as the difference ballooned instead, 12-7 in the second and finally,19-12 for Walker.