Semi-finals took place in all 13 divisions on Friday ©AIBA

Six home boxers booked their places in finals of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Junior World Championships after the Russian team produced a series of impressive performances in St Petersburg.

Edgard Tcambov, winner of the last two editions of the European Confederation Schoolboys Boxing Championships, delivered an excellent performance in the under 66 kilograms division, overcoming Poland’s Eryk Apresyan.

Apresyan had earned a comprehensive victory in his quarter-final tie but found himself on the back-foot throughout his bout with Tcambov, with the home favourite being awarded a unanimous points victory by the three judges.

The second notable result involving a Russian boxer was a win for Magomedbek Makhmudov, unbeaten in the under 75kg middleweight division this year.

Makhmudov had a difficult encounter with Romania’s Alberto Biro, but eventually secured a split decision victory to set up a gold medal bout with Uzbekistan’s Asian junior champion Kosimkhon Kosimov.

Marc Castro defeated Azerbaijan’s Orkhan Hasanov in the under 58kg bantamweight event
America's Marc Castro defeated Azerbaijan’s Orkhan Hasanov in the under 58kg bantamweight event at the AIBA Junior World Championships in St Petersburg ©Facebook/American Boxing Confederation

It was not a completely successful day for the Russian team, however, as Vladislav Ivanov lost the most entertaining contest of the day to Cuba’s Dainier Pero in the under 80kg light heavyweight division.

The pair traded a series of heavy punches throughout the bout before Pero began to take control of the tie, securing a unanimous win.

There was also a victory for the United States’ Jesse Rodriguez in the pinweight under 46kg semi-final against Welsh fighter James Probert, achieving a technical knockout in the second round.

“I felt it was a very good fight for as long as it lasted,” Rodriguez said afterwards.

“I am satisfied with my performance but tomorrow I have to step it up a bit.

“I felt really strong in the fight, and I knew my punches were effective enough to hurt my opponent, so I had to finish him off.

"James Probert is a very skillful, tough, fast fighter and he has my respect.”

Rodriguez’s compatriot Marc Castro also achieved a technical knockout against Azerbaijan’s Orkhan Hasanov in the first round to advance to the under 58kg bantamweight division final.



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