It's Joshua's joy as he adds to gold glow in thrilling bout against Cammarelle

By JEFF POWELL

PUBLISHED: 15:35, 12 August 2012 | UPDATED: 23:25, 12 August 2012

 

The last deafening hurrah in the arena which holds the decibel record for London 2012 came when they announced the rejection of an appeal against Anthony Joshua becoming the new Olympic super-heavyweight champion.

Thus the hapless officials of world amateur boxing rescued Big Josh not once but twice from a defeat which might have provoked a riot in the ExCeL and uproar across the country which became captivated by this large young man and this uproarious tournament.

Joshua was on the precipice of an almighty fall down the Olympic mine-shaft from gold to silver after two rounds against Italy’s defending champion Roberto Cammarelle. 

Super: Anthony Joshua with his gold medal

Good company: Joshua (centre) celebrates with former gold medallists Audley Harrison (left) and Lennox Lewis (right)

So, what is countback?

Five judges submit scores after each round. The official round score is an average of the three closest scores. If after three rounds the scores are level, judges submit total points for each boxer. The highest and lowest for each are discounted and the three left make a new total.

His reprieve came by the mixed virtue of a courageous final-round effort and some frantic pressing of blue buttons by judges who have been ridiculed for so many of their decisions at these Games.

Cammarelle’s three-point lead was duly neutralised and, after this final was declared an 18-18 draw, Joshua was given the gold medal on countback.

Then came a half-hour wait while a committee deliberated and ultimately denied the Italian protest. A nation gasped with relief, even though much of the rest of the world’s media poured derision on the decision.

That the home crowd aided and abetted his great escape cannot be denied since they screamed with every punch he threw, whether it hit the target or not. Whatever its virtues, the victory was a near-miraculous achievement by someone who cannot even remember where he was when Cammarelle won in Beijing, other than it most definitely was not a boxing gym. He did not lace up the gloves until three years ago.

Once the dust of another controversy settles, the question will remain as to whether it is too early for a novice amateur champion to turn professional. He is inclined to think so: ‘I need more experience, this GB team is the place to get it and I would like to become dominant over a few more tournaments, maybe even the next Games in Rio.'

Countback king: Anthony Joshua is awarded the win

Golden boy: Joshua celebrates his victory

JOSHUA FACTFILE

1989: Born October 15 in London.
2007: Started boxing at the age of 18 at Finchley ABC.
2009: Won the prestigious Haringey Box Cup title.
2010: Retained Haringey Box Cup.
2011: Won world super-heavyweight silver medal in only his second senior amateur tournament, beating world and Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle en route to the final.
2012: Wins the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics after edging out Cammarelle on judges' countback.

At 22, he is still young enough to make a choice. But that little word ‘if’ crept into the conversation after Lennox Lewis, one of several former Olympic super-heavy champions who congratulated him at the end, said: ‘Josh has what it takes now to become the next heavyweight champion of the world.’

As bookmakers William Hill trimmed the odds against him doing just that to 6-1, be sure the leading impresarios on both sides of the Atlantic will make their initial bids for the young giant from London via Watford. As Lewis  predicts, the offers will be even larger than he is.

‘It’s not about money,’ says this most engaging young man. ‘The Lottery funding is more money than I’ve seen in my life and my mum and I can pay our bills now. But it is about what is right for my development as a boxer . . . if that’s amateur or professional.’

With Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, here from America, world champion Wladimir Klitschko on hand to assess him, not only as a potential opponent for himself or his brother but an addition to their K2 stable, and Eddie Hearn at the head of the queue of English suitors, the money will talk loudly.

Gripping encounter: Joshua (left) in action against Cammarelle

Leader: Cammarelle was ahead after two rounds

For a boy whose fight back from a street drugs conviction has been as valiant as his third-round defiance in London’s Docklands, the lure of untold wealth will be hard to resist.

Joshua’s triumph was preceded by disappointment for Welshman Fred Evans, which left the British team holding three golds, one silver and a bronze. That haul is a testament to the head coaching of Carl Froch’s trainer, Rob McCracken.

The youngest member of the male boxing team looked tense entering the arena and virtually froze in the ring. Serik Sapiyev, the two-time world amateur welterweight champion from Kazakhstan, dominated all three rounds with his crisp right jab and snappy straight lefts.

The judges were quite generous to Evans with their verdict of a 17-9 win in the Kazakh’s favour.

Up against it: Joshua had to fight hard to scrape victory

Evans took silver and said: ‘No excuses, he was much sharper. But I’m only 21 and I am over the moon to have reached the final.’

The sense of perspective shown by most of McCracken’s team spoke of wise counsel as well as rational coaching. When asked about the gold medal, Luke Campbell remembered how his axing from the squad by a previous head coach, Kevin Hickey, had been ‘such a nightmare that I almost gave up the game.’

McCracken’s shrewd faith in him had rekindled his dream and, even at 24 and with a second child due in December, he is still considering going to Rio instead of turning pro.

But, when pressed on how tough it had been to score his tactically clever and deserved 14-11 victory over John Joe Nevin, Ireland’s new world title hope, Hull’s Campbell said: ‘One of my brother’s (Kane) is a trawlerman and the other (Chris) is with our forces in Afghanistan. They are the real fighters in my family.’

But he, too, was born with their miner father’s braveheart genes.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2187316/London-2012-Olympics-boxing-Anthony-Joshua-wins-gold-Roberto-Cammarelle-super-heavyweight-final.html#ixzz23PzM90Sg