The Filipino fighter proved too much for his younger opponent as he eased into the quarterfinals in Paris.
Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam showed no issues boxing in his new weight class as he cruised to a unanimous decision win over Jude Gallagher of Ireland in their Paris Olympics round of 16 men’s 57kg division clash Wednesday at the North Paris Arena.
Paalam won a silver in the 52kg division in Tokyo and moved up to 57kg for Paris. Despite the higher weight class and a two-inch height disadvantage against Gallagher, the Cagayan de Oro native encountered little trouble as he deftly negated his opponent’s height and reach advantages with good ring generalship and quick combinations.
Despite clearly being the aggressor from the onset, Paalam took the first round by a mere 3-2 count, prompting him to shift to higher gear in the second. He swept the scorecards of all judges, virtually ensuring him of the win that moved him on the cusp of a medal.
Sensing he was behind, Gallagher, gold medalist in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, went on the attack in the third, but Paalam did enough to eke it out by a 3-2 score. The official cards read 30-27 and 29-28 four times for Paalam, one of three Filipino boxers still in contention in Paris.
Standing between Paalam and a podium finish is Australia’s Charlie Senior, who at 5’10” poses an even more significant height advantage. The two clash on Saturday at 9:46 p.m.
Banner Image from the POC.
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