2024 Olympics Men’s Boxing Preview: Schedule, seeding, medal picks

A deeper look at the field for all men’s boxing divisions at the Paris Olympics.

The Olympics are back! And that means Olympic Boxing coverage is back! Bad Left Hook will once again have full live coverage and recaps of all 14 days and 236 fights across the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Here’s a division-by-division primer of the men’s tournament that will have you following along like a scholar.

Below, you’ll find the schedule for every session in every division, the eight seeded fighters for each weight class, predicted medalists, and a handful of fun facts about each group of fighters. Anything and everything you’ll need to impress and/or alienate your friends, who would all probably rather be watching gymnastics.

Three important notes

• Fighter seeds are NOT an objective ranking of presumed talent or ability. Because of the International Boxing Association’s complex and precarious situation with the International Olympic Committee, this year’s event is overseen by an ad hoc committee called the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit. They determined the seeds for each division by random draw based on the results of the five 2023 Continental qualifying tournaments. The five gold medalists were randomly drawn for seeds 1-5, and the silver medalists from Europe, Asia, and the Americas were drawn for seeds 6, 7, and 8.
• Medal predictions do consider potential matchups among seeded fighters. For example: In the 92 kg division, Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine and Keno Machado would both be presumptive picks for medals in a blind draw. But, we already know they’d have to face each other before the medal rounds, and that’s factored into the medal projections. But, the final draw for the full bracket won’t be known until July 25th. We don’t know what the path looks like for the unseeded boxers yet, and the results of that draw will obviously render some of these medal picks impossible.
• Finally, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, of course, actually happened in 2021. Rather than repeatedly typing something wordy and awkward like “the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021” when discussing results from those games, they’ll just be referred to as “2020.”

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Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

92+ kg / 203+ lbs

Schedule:

• 7/29 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 6:36 a.m., 10:50 a.m., 3:20 p.m. ET
• 8/2 – Quarterfinals – 11:38 a.m., 4:08 p.m. ET
• 8/7 – Semifinals – 4:02 p.m. ET
• 8/10 – Final – 4:51 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Joshua Edwards (United States)
2. Delicious Orie (Great Britain)
3. Mourad Kadi (Algeria)
4. Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan)
5. Teremoana Junior (Australia)
6. Abner Teixeira (Brazil)
7. Kamshybek Kunkabayev (Kazakhstan)
8. Mahammad Abdullayev (Azerbaijan)

Four picks for four medals

Joshua Edwards (United States), Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan), Kamshybek Kunkabayev (Kazakhstan), Nelvie Tiafack (Germany)

Observations and analysis

• Jalolov is fast proof that seeding here is not a ranking based on expected results.He’s in his third Olympics, earning the gold in 2020 and losing to Joe Joyce in the 2016 quarterfinals. He has 11 wins against this year’s field, and the only man here that’s ever beaten him is Kunkabayev, who last accomplished it in 2017 but lost to Jalolov in their five meetings since then. With Jalolov on the top half of the bracket and Kunkabayev on the bottom, it’s very possible they’ll face each other yet again for the gold medal.
• Abner Teixeira is fighting on an injured ACL, and put off surgery to allow himself to compete in Paris. After qualifying by making the Pan Am Games final last October, he withdrew and gave Edwards the gold medal there to avoid worsening the injury. Teixeira won a bronze medal in 2020, and he’d be a favorite for another medal here if he were on two good legs.
• Joshua Edwards would have to face Jalolov in the semifinals, but a potential loss there would still be enough to secure him a bronze medal. Jalolov and Teixeira have beaten him before, but neither could face him before the medal rounds.
• Nelvie Tiafack is 10-2 against potential opponents not named Kunkabayev or Teixeira, and the Teixeira loss predates the ACL injury. He’s 2-0 against Orie, and a path to the semis that doesn’t run through Jalolov or Kunkabayev could result in a medal.
• If the draw isn’t in Tiafack’s favor, keep an eye on Diego Lenzi (Italy), who has wins over seeded fighters Orie and Abdullayev. He’s one of the shorter men in the weight class, but he’s had success against several in the field.

Fun facts and assorted nonsense

• Delicious Orie’s father took inspiration for his son’s name from Delicious Kennedy of the 90s R&B group All-4-One. For many of us, the sounds of “I Swear” and “I Can Love You Like That” were just the backdrop for middle and high school dances spent shuffling awkwardly, hoping no girls would notice how sweaty our hands were. But for Justin Orie, those songs inspired the name of a champion boxer.
• Teremoana Junior finished an apprenticeship and planned on being a plumber, but stuck with boxing.
• Dmytro Lovchynskyi (Ukraine) is a graduate of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi Hryhorii Skovoroda State Pedagogical University in Pereiaslav. Their mascot is an owl.

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Photo by Rodolfo Buhrer/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

92 kg / 203 lbs

Schedule:

• 7/28 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 6:04 a.m., 10:02 a.m., 2:16 p.m., ET
• 8/1 – Quarterfinals – 7:08 a.m., 11:54 a.m., 3:52 p.m. ET
• 8/4 – Semifinals – 7:08 a.m., 11:38 a.m. ET
• 8/9 – Final – 4:16 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali (Samoa)
2. Davlat Boltaev (Tajikistan)
3. Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine (Italy)
4. Julio Cesar La Cruz (Cuba)
5. Olaitan Olaore (Nigeria)
6. Keno Machado (Brazil)
7. Jack Marley (Ireland)
8. Han Xuezhen (China)

Four picks for four medals

Loren Alfonso (Azerbaijan), Julio Cesar La Cruz (Cuba), Keno Machado (Brazil), Aibek Oralbay (Kazhakstan)

Observations and analysis

• La Cruz is a four-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist, winning in 2016 and 2020, and losing in the quarterfinals in 2012. There were five other potential medalists I considered for this writeup, and he’s already beaten four of them. He doesn’t appear to have ever fought the fifth (Oralbay).
• Machado was a tough call over his potential quarterfinal opponent, Mouhiidine. Both of them are capable of making it through to a medal, but only one actually can because of the seeding.
• Loren Alfonso was born in Cuba, but fights for Azerbaijan now. He won a bronze medal in 2020 at 81 kg, losing to eventual gold medalist Arlen Lopez.
• Aibek Oralbay has a twin also fighting in this Olympics at 80 kg. Keno Machado once beat his brother, and I suppose we have to at least consider the possibility that it might have been Aibek in some sort of Parent Trap scheme gone wrong. Aibek has lost to Mouhiidine before, so that matchup could be a problem if he gets a bad draw.
• If Oralbay does get an unfavorable result, another contender to watch is Enmanuel Reyes (Spain). Reyes made the 2020 Olympics, losing in the quarterfinals to eventual gold medalist La Cruz. He’s 31, which is young enough to compete, but old enough to realize this could be his last shot at a medal. I would have picked him to win one outright if not for a loss in his only previous fight with Oralbay.

Fun facts and assorted nonsense

• Adam Olaore really likes describing himself as “a hunter.” He’s been through a few nicknames, but right now he’s known as “Big Future.” His role model? Himself in five years.
• Patrick Brown (Great Britain) trains out of a firefighter gym.
• Ato Plodzicki-Faoagal left school at 16 to focus on boxing. He really liked rugby, but his dad made him quit.
• Jack Marley (Ireland) met Katie Taylor after her 2012 Olympic triumph, when she visited his elementary school.

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Photo by Ou Dongqu/Xinhua via Getty Images

80 kg / 176 lbs

Schedule:

• 7/27 – Prelims / Round of 32 – 11:38 a.m. and 4:08 p.m. ET
• 7/30 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 5:48 a.m., 10:18 a.m., 2:32 p.m. ET
• 8/2 – Quarterfinals – 11:06 a.m., 3:36 p.m. ET
• 8/4 – Semifinals – 6:52 a.m., 11:22 a.m. ET
• 8/7 – Final – 4:51 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan (China)
2. Arlen Lopez (Cuba)
3. Oleksandr Khyzhniak (Ukraine)
4. Abdelrahman Abdelgawwad (Egypt)
5. Callum Peters (Australia)
6. Wanderley Pereira (Brazil)
7. Eumir Marcial (Philippines)
8. Gabrijel Veocic (Croatia)

Four picks for four medals

Oleksandr Khyzhniak (Ukraine), Arlen Lopez (Cuba), Nurbek Oralbay (Kazhakstan), Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan (China)

Observations and analysis

• Lopez is defending consecutive gold medals from 2016 and 2020, and he’s already beaten talented professionals like Christian Mbilli, Bektemir “Bek the Bully” Melikuziev, and Ben Whittaker to earn them.
• Khyzhniak is one of the best pro boxing prospects in any division, with a relentless attacking style that makes for entertaining viewing, and should translate very well to the professional ranks. He took silver in 2020 in a shocking last round upset stoppage. Khyzhniak continued pressuring Hebert Sousa in the gold medal match despite leading on all cards, and got caught with a hook for his courage. A potential semifinals matchup between Khyzhniak and Lopez is one of the most mouthwatering possibilities in any weight class, and must-see viewing if (likely when) it happens.
• Tuohetaerbieke (sometimes referred to as Toqtarbek Tanatqan) was a 2020 Olympian, losing in the second round to eventual gold medalist/Khyzhniak slayer Hebert Sousa. He’s 7-2 against opponents in this division, with both defeats (and one victory) coming against Nurbek Oralbay, all by split decision.
• Eumir Marcial (Philippines) was honored with a postage stamp after he won bronze in 2020. But, this year’s seeding would have him in the quarterfinals against Khyzhniak, who eliminated him in the 2020 semis. Another potentially great fight in this division, but unfortunately one likely to eliminate Marcial short of the medals this year.
• Nurbek Oralbay is the second, lighter twin brother of the Kahzakh Charlos. Khyzhniak is the only man in the field he’s faced and not beaten, including a 2-1 record against #1 seed Tuohetaerbieke. As long as Oralbay doesn’t end up on the nightmare side of the bracket with Lopez, Khyzhniak, and Marcial, he’s a very strong medal contender.

Fun facts and assorted nonsense

• Abdelrahman Abdelgawwad (Egypt, sometimes referred to as Abdelrahman Oraby) is 36, which I believe makes him the oldest man in any division this year. He’s in his third Olympics, losing in Round 1 in 2016 and Round 2 in 2020.
• Pylyp Akilov (Hungary) is a Ukrainian refugee who only received Hungarian citizenship about a year ago. His house was bombed with his parents nearby, and his dad had to have shrapnel surgically removed from his back.
• Hussein Iashaish (Jordan) is also fighting in the Olympics for the third time, losing in the quarterfinals in 2016 (to Tony Yoka) and 2020. His brother is fighting in the 71 kg division this year, but they aren’t twins like the Oralbays, which makes them slightly less interesting to me.

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Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images

71 kg / 157 lbs

Schedule:

• 7/28 – Prelims / Round of 32 – 5:32 a.m., 9:46 a.m., 2:00 p.m. ET
• 7/31 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 5:32 a.m., 10:18 a.m., 2:48 p.m. ET
• 8/3 – Quarterfinals – 10:02 a.m., 2:32 p.m. ET
• 8/6 – Semifinals – 3:30 p.m. ET
• 8/9 – Final – 3:30 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Shannan Davey (Australia)
2. Marco Verde (Mexico)
3. Sewonrets Okazawa (Japan)
4. Nikolai Terteryan (Denmark)
5. Omar Elawady (Egypt)
6. Vakhid Abbasov (Serbia)
7. Jose Gabriel Rodriguez (Ecuador)
8. Kan Chia-wei (Chinese Taipei)

Four picks for four medals

Okazawa, Aslanbek Shymbergenov (Kazahkstan), Verde, Terteryan

Observations and analysis

• Arguably three of the four medal favorites are all seeded on one side of the bracket. The one with the clearest medal path is Marco Verde from the No. 2 seed. The only man in the unseeded ranks he’s lost to is India’s Nishant Dev. He’s 7-0 against every potential opponent he’s faced already, and the safest pick to make it through to the semifinals.
• Unfortunately, Sewon Okazawa and Vakhid Abbasov can’t avoid each other in the quarterfinals, and only one can potentially advance to the medal rounds. Give the slight edge to Okazawa, a 2020 Olympian who also had the misfortune of running into two-time gold medalist Ronel Iglesias in the second round in Tokyo.
• Aslanbek Shymbergenov is the oldest man in this division, and one of the tallest. Beyond experience and size, he’s also very capable, splitting a pair of fights with Okazawa and winning against everyone else in the weight class he’s faced before. If the draw puts him in the top half of the bracket, pencil him in for a medal. And if he ends up on the bottom side with Verde, Okazawa, and Abbasov, make sure you tune in for the preliminary rounds, because a very good fight will have to happen early.
• Nikolai Terteryan has a very favorable seeding draw. The only one in the field that’s beaten him before is Abbasov, and they can’t meet until the gold medal match. Terteryan has been the scourge of the English speaking world, tallying wins against No. 1 seed and potential semifinal opponent Shannan Davey from Australia, Great Britain’s Lewis Richardson, and Team USA’s Omari Jones.
• Aidan Walsh (Ireland) won a bronze in 2020, but his record against opponents in this year’s tournament isn’t great. A favorable draw into the top side of the bracket might be enough for him to repeat as a medalist, though.

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Photo by Zhijian Liu/Getty Images

63.5 kg / 140 lbs

Schedule:

• 7/27 – Prelims / Round of 32 – 11:06 a.m. and 3:36 p.m. ET
• 7/29 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 5:48 a.m., 10:02 a.m., 2:48 p.m. ET
• 8/1 – Quarterfinals – 6:52 a.m., 11:38 a.m., 3:20 p.m. ET
• 8/4 – Semifinals – 6:36 a.m., 11:06 a.m. ET
• 8/7 – Final – 4:34 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Wyatt Sanford (Canada)
2. Lai Chu-en (Chinese Taipei)
3. Jugurtha Ait Bekka (Algeria)
4. Sofiane Oumiha (France)
5. Harry Garside (Australia)
6. Bunjong Sinsiri (Thailand)
7. Lasha Guruli (Georgia)
8. Miguel Angel Ramirez (Mexico)

Four picks for four medals

Ruslan Abdullaev (Uzbekistan), Lasha Guruli (Georgia), Sofiane Oumiha (France), Bakhodur Usmonov (Tajikistan)

Observations and analysis

• Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have two of the best amateur boxing systems in the world, and Ruslan Abdullaev trained in both of them. He’s unseeded because he lost in his Continental qualifying tournament, but the guy who beat him there failed a drug test. Abdullaev has won his share of other tournaments, and multiple gold medals in competitive regional tournaments are a good indicator of Olympic potential.
• The random seeding process will deny either Sofiane Oumiha or Harry Garside a chance to repeat as an Olympic medalist. Oumiha had a disappointing 2020, running into Keyshawn Davis in the Round of 16. But he had great success in 2016, beating Teofimo Lopez in the opening round on the way to a silver medal. Garside won the bronze in 2020, losing to Andy Cruz in the semifinals. The potential quarterfinal matchup is a coin flip fight; Garside probably has the better professional prospects, but Oumiha feels slightly more likely to advance and claim another medal.
• Lasha Guruli lost to Oumiha in the finals of the 2023 European qualifying tournament, but they’re on opposite sides of the bracket here. He has a notable win over Garside, and a very good record against the unseeded fighters.
• You could argue a medal case for unseeded fighters Bakhodur Usmonov and Erislandy Alvarez (Cuba). I’d favor Usmonov, who fought in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and won a head-to-head matchup with Alvarez back in March.

Fun facts

• No. 1 seed Wyatt Sanford is married to another Olympian, diver Jennifer Ware. They both competed in 2020, and Ware also dove? dived? doved? dovved? …jumped off a bouncy board into water in Rio 2016.

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Photo by JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images

57 kg / 126 lbs

Schedule:

• 7/28 – Prelims / Round of 32 – 5:16 a.m., 9:30 a.m., ET
• 7/31 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 5:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. ET
• 8/3 – Quarterfinals – 9:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. ET
• 8/8 – Semifinals – 3:30 p.m. ET
• 8/10 – Final – 3:47 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Abdumalik Khalokov (Uzbekistan)
2. Javier Ibanez (Bulgaria)
3. Jahmal Harvey – USA
4. Charlie Senior (Australia)
5. Dolapo Omole (Nigeria) (Omole has withdrawn due to injury)
6. Saidel Horta (Cuba)
7. Shudai Harada (Japan)
8. Jose Quiles (Spain)

Four picks for four medals

Jahmal Harvey, Javier Ibanez, Abdumalik Khalokov, Carlos Palaam (Philippines)

Observations and analysis

• The random seeding actually gave us a pretty good bracket! Khalokov is a worthy No. 1 seed, with a long string of tournament gold medals and his record against the field making him arguably this year’s gold medal favorite. Ibanez was born in Cuba and started his youth career there, and I’d have given him the same No. 2 seed the random draw delivered. Harvey is widely considered Team USA’s best chance at a boxing medal, and he already beat potential quarterfinals opponent Saidel Horta at the Pan Am Games.
• Carlos Palaam was a 2020 silver medalist, losing to Galal Yafai in the finals. He also got a stamp in his honor in the Philippines, and a made-for-TV biopic celebrating his performance. Khalokov eliminated him at the Asian Games, and Sweden’s Nebil Ibrahim could be a banana peel based on Ibrahim’s win back in January. Beyond that, Palaam has a solid history against this field, and a very good chance to repeat as a medalist.

Fun facts

• Brazil’s Luiz Olivera is the grandson of Brazil’s first ever boxing medalist, Servílio de Oliveira, who won a bronze at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

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YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

51 kg / 113 lbs

Schedule:

• 7/28 – Prelims / Round of 32 – 5:00 a.m. ET
• 7/30 – Prelims / Round of 16 – 5:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. ET
• 8/2 – Quarterfinals – 10:34 a.m., 3:04 p.m. ET
• 8/4 – Semifinals – 6:20 a.m., 10:50 a.m. ET
• 8/8 – Final – 4:34 p.m. ET

Seeds:

1. Billal Bennama (France)
2. Hasanboy Dusmatov (Uzbekistan)
3. Patrick Chinyemba (Zambia)
4. Junior Alcantara (Dominican Republic)
5. Yusuf Chothia (Australia)
6. Thitisan Panmot (Thailand)
7. Samet Gümüs (Turkey)
8. Michael Trinidade (Brazil)

Four picks for four medals

Saken Bibossinov (Kahzakstan), Alejandro Claro (Cuba), Hasanboy Dusmatov (Uzbekistan), Amit Panghal (India)

Observations and analysis

• Hasanboy Dusmatov already has a gold medal from Rio 2016. He didn’t compete in 2020, but he’s back, still just 31 years old, and should be the favorite to take gold yet again.
• The bracket draw for unseeded boxers will decide the medals here. Bibossinov won the bronze in 2020, losing in the semis to gold medalist Galal Yafai. Panghal got a taste of the Olympics in 2020, losing in the second round, and beat several in this year’s field on the way to qualifying for Paris. Claro is a bit of a riskier pick, but he’s got at least one notable win against a strong contender this year.
• On that note, tough crowd for Billal Bennama this year. Bibossinov knocked him out of the 2020 Olympics in the Round of 16. Panghal beat him in the qualifying cycle for Tokyo. Claro beat him in a fight earlier this year. Bennama is very good, but it’s tough to see a medal path for him that doesn’t run through someone that’s had his number before.

Fun facts

• 29-year-old Roscoe Hill (USA) was literally baptized by George Foreman. He quit boxing in high school, but was inspired to take it up again watching Shakur Stevenson in the 2016 Olympics, making him perhaps the only person ever to see a Shakur fight and somehow want more. He finished 3rd in US qualifying for 2020, and finally earned a spot this year.
• Thitisan Panmot qualified for Tokyo as a 19-year-old, but tore his ACL and had to withdraw.
• Omid Ahmadisafa (IOC Refugee Team) was an Iranian kickboxer before defecting to Germany in 2021. He beat No. 7 seed Gumus in the qualifying cycle for Tokyo, so he might have better prospects here than the typical invitational qualifier.
• 18-year-old Juan Manuel Lopez (Puerto Rico) is the son of two division WBO champion Juanma Lopez. He goes by “Juanmita.”
• Rafael Lozano Serrano (Spain) is the son of Rafael Lozano — coach of the Spanish national team. Papa Lozano was a three-time Olympian and two-time medalist (1996 bronze and 2000 silver).

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