Olympics 2024, boxing: Teremoana Teremoana’s path to Paris gold rocky after dud draw

Australian boxing figures believe super heavyweight sensation Teremoana Teremoana Jnr has been “dudded” after receiving a nightmare draw in his bid for Olympic gold.

Australian boxing figures believe super heavyweight sensation Teremoana Teremoana Jnr has been “dudded” after receiving a nightmare draw in his bid for Olympic gold.

This masthead has been leaked the super heavyweight boxing draw for Paris with Olympic authorities handing Australia’s gold-medal contender a torrid task to beat all comers and make history in Paris.

Despite being ranked fifth of eight seeds in the 16-man tournament, Teremoana Jnr is on a collision course with Uzbekistan superstar Bakhodir Jalolov, the reigning Tokyo gold medallist.

Should the pair win their first-round bouts against unranked opponents, Teremoana Jnr and Jalolov will clash in the second round _ meaning the loser goes home without a medal.

The division big guns were expected to at least face off in the semi-finals, a scenario which would have secured Teremoana Jnr a bronze medal.

Teremoana Teremoana is a major Australian Olympic hope at the Paris Olympic Games. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images for AOC

But in a draw-ranking farce, Jalolov has been seeded fourth _ despite the 201cm giant winning gold in Tokyo, being 14-0 as a pro and regarded as the undisputed super-heavyweight amateur king.

But the 120kg Teremoana Jnr couldn’t care less about the quirks of the draw and has vowed to stage a Parisian boilover by sending top-dog Jalolov home empty-handed.

“I don’t fear anyone,” the Brisbane-based man mountain said.

“Everyone can go down, including me, and this is why I am preparing hard.

“Whatever God has planned for my life, I am happy with it.

“100 per cent I can beat him (Jalolov).

“Everyone is just a piece of flesh with a heart. Everyone can bleed. Everyone can go down.

“There is nothing special about him. He is pretty good but I don’t see anything too great that I can’t handle.

“Every dog has their day … I believe it’s my time to take my chance.”

To prepare for the towering two-metre presence of Jalolov, Teremoana has been sparring Australia’s 198cm southpaw Demsey McKean, who boasts a 22-1 record as a professional.

McKean’s trainer Fidel Tukel, who formerly worked with Australia’s Tokyo Olympian Paulo Aokuso, slammed the draw, but still believes Teremoana can overcome the odds to win gold.

“Unfortunately he has been dudded by the draw,” Tukel said.

“It’s a huge disappointment to have two of the division’s best fighters drawn to fight in the second round.

“For Jalolov to be seeded fourth when he won gold at Tokyo and is one of the best we have ever seen in super heavyweight amateur boxing is a joke.

“He should be No. 1, so my personal opinion is Teremoana has been ripped off.

“But in any event, I believe he can win gold.

“He’s been sparring Demsey and Demsey says Teremoana has similar power to Anthony Joshua (British heavyweight sensation), so he’s had a great preparation for Paris.”

Australian medal hope Teremoana Teremoana Jnr at the pre-Olympics boxing camp in Brisbane. Picture: Adam Head

Brisbane-based trainer Gareth Williams, whose wife Shara coaches Teremoana, has no doubt Teremoana can shock the world at Paris.

“Jalolov is the current world champion and he is the main man, but if you speak to Teremoana, he says no I’m the main man and I will stop him,” Williams said.

“You can’t take that confidence away from a fighter.

“Most fighters you are trying to give them that confidence. Teremoana doesn’t need it.

“He has the self-belief and I would not be shocked at all if he wins our first gold medal in Paris.”

Originally published as Olympics 2024, boxing: Teremoana Teremoana’s path to Paris gold rocky after dud draw