‘The Tank’ rolls to Commonwealth boxing triumph
Ian Chadband |
Jye Dixon has lived up to his nickname of “the Tank” as he steamrolled his way to becoming Australia’s first boxing champion of the Commonwealth Games on the penultimate day of the Glasgow program.
The gifted 21-year-old Queensland fighter produced a devastating display to earn a unanimous points verdict over India’s Jadumani Singh Mandengbauma to lift the 55kg bantamweight title at the SEC Centre on Saturday.
But there was ant-climax in the final that followed as Victorian teenager Jacob Cassar, watched by his champion jockey dad Eddie, got schooled in the 65kg welterweight final by slick Russian-born Englishman Patris Mughalzai and had to settle for silver.
Dixon, a quicksilver, switch-hitting star from Brendale, reckons he’s a slow starter but was still unfortunate to lose the first round 3-2 to the impressive Indian southpaw on the judges’ card.
He then took control for the rest of the contest, working brilliantly at close quarters, catching the Indian regularly with his right cross lead, and landing the cleanest shots as he powered to a clear-cut victory.
The young flamboyant Queenslander, with his bleached hair and tied-back ponytail, is considered one of the brightest young talents in Australian amateur boxing and the biggest win of his career left him in tears afterwards.
The judges scored it 29-28, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 as Dixon was left hugging his cornermen after the exceptional display.
But there was to be no joy for Dixon’s 19-year-old teammate Cassar, who was outclassed by the brilliant Mughalzai who, scoring at will behind a rapier right lead, won every round on every judge’s card, taking the verdict with four scores of 30-27 and one of 30-26.
Cassar’s father cheered on his son, for whom he acts as a fitness trainer, but it was all in vain as the teenager could never get to grips with the slick Mughalzai, who learned his boxing in London.
This AAP article was made possible by support from Commonwealth Games Australia.
AAP