Paris 2024: Nishant goes down to Verde in 71kg slugfest
The Indian went down in a split decision despite narrowly taking the first two rounds in a bout that could have gone either way
New Delhi: Nishant Dev went down to Mexico’s Marco Verde in the 71kg quarter-final, falling short of what could have been the first boxing medal by an Indian man since Vijender Singh’s bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Games. Up against the 2023 Pan American Games champion, Nishant showed ample skills and heart to put up a memorable fight on Saturday night.
A 2023 World Championships bronze medallist, Nishant had beaten Jose Gabriel Rodriguez Tenorio of Ecuador in his Round of 16 bout to advance to the quarters while Verde was coming off a win over Mozambique’s Tiago Muxango.
Quick off the blocks, both boxers came out swinging. The Mexican landed two solid rights towards the closing seconds of the rounds, forcing a standing count on the Indian. Still, the Indian had done enough to take the round, thanks to his underhooks and rights that hit Verde flush.
The second round was more of a slugfest with the Mexican cornering the Indian and Nishant responding with a rasping right uppercut that shook his opponent. The rigours of the gruelling round were apparent on both boxers as they began to breathe heavy and their movements became increasingly laboured.
Verde swung a right hook that Nishant ducked but a returning left found his jaw. Undeterred, the Indian kept punching, his right hook working on the big night. The judges ruled in the Indian’s favour, giving him the advantage heading into the final round.
The final round though was dominated by Verde as he repeatedly pushed Nishant to the corner before letting his combinations work. Verde’s two lefts found Nishant, who ploughed on gamely, returning the favour in kind. The result was a split 4-1 result for Verde but Nishant will take a lot of heart from the slugfest. This means only Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) remains in the medal contention among Indian boxers.