By Tom Degun

Magomedrasul Medzhidov_fighting_for_Baku_FiresJuly 1 - Reigning amateur super heavyweight champion Magomedrasul Medzhidov (pictured left), one of the biggest stars in amateur boxing, will lead a seven-strong Azerbaijan boxing team at London 2012 in a sport that represents the nation's biggest chance of an Olympics medal.


The 25-year-old, who is the reigning International Boxing Association (AIBA) Elite Boxer of the Year and the world number one ranked amateur super heavyweight, proved his class in the gold medal match of the 2011 World Championships in Baku where he defeated Britain's highly-rated Anthony Joshua (pictured below, left) 22-21 in a thrilling contest.

Earlier this month, Medzhidov became one of the first boxers to sign up to new AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) programme, which will launch next year and looks to roll back decades of tradition by offering contracts that allow fighters to box professionally in the APB while retaining their Olympic eligibility.

Another major Olympic medal hope for Azerbaijan at London 2012 is the accomplished 19-year-old heavyweight Teymur Mammadov, who is ranked top in the division, winning silver at the 2011 World Championships.

Magomedrasul Medzhidov_and_Joshua_Antony_June_29
Vatan Huseynli, the 20-year-old light heavyweight, is a rather unknown quantity despite competition in the AIBA-run World Series of Boxing (WSB) and winning silver in the European Olympic qualifying competition.

Middleweight Soltan Migitinov, who also competed in the WSB, could also prove a dark horse for a medal at London 2012.

Heybatulla Hajialiyev, the 21-year-old light welterweight, will be an outside contender for a medal as will 25-year-old bantamweight Magomed Abdulhamidov, who is unranked by AIBA.

The team is completed by talented flyweight Elvin Mamishzadeh, the number three ranked flyweight.

The London 2012 boxing competition will take place from July 28 to August 12 at ExCeL in London's Docklands.

There will be 10 men's weight categories and three women's weight categories, with female fighters set to compete at the Olympics for the first time ever.

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