Lightweight (57-63 kilograms), Men

As part of the continuing plans to restructure Olympic boxing, the lOC increased the maximum weight limit from 60 to 63 kg. Far more important to the outcome of the medals was the lack of international competition since 2019 and the sheer luck of the draw. The top seeded Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha had the misfortune to be drawn against Keyshawn Davis for his first bout. Davis had seemingly given up on his Olympic ambitions by signing a contract to box professionally, but the COVID-19 pandemic gave him an unexpected reprieve.

Davis had won three pro bouts when it became apparent that both the Pan-American and final world qualifying events would not take place and Pan-American qualification for Tokyo would be via the world rankings. As the only American eligible via those rankings, Davis was asked to take the US Olympic team spot and performed well in Japan. After a win over Enrico Lacruz he took out Oumiha in the second round of their bout, then completed his rout of Europeans with wins over two other highly rated fighters in Gabil Mamedov and Hovhannes Bachkov.

Over on the other side of the draw something similar was happening via the fists of Cuban Andy Cruz. Ranked in a lowly position due to a lack of competition, the two-time world champion reached the final with three comfortable wins.

The gold medal bout was a throwback to the great Cuba-USA rivalries of the last quarter of the 20th century. Cruz and Davis shared the first two rounds so the title came down to the three final minutes. One of the judges believed Davis had done enough to win but the other four came down in favour of the Cuban fighter, which earned Cruz the gold medal.

The traditional award for the best boxer of the Games, the Val Barker Trophy, was not awarded in 2021 due to the AIBA not being involved in running the Olympic tournament, but Cruz won an award bearing the same name that was given out at the 2021 AIBA men’s World Championships later in the year.