DeSoto boxer Errol Spence, Jr. a.k.a. "EJ" thought his Olympic dream was over on Friday, but after a protest and a five-hour wait, EJ found out he would live to box another day at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Spence was the latest boxer involved in an Olympic boxing controversy after judges awarded the win in the round of 16 to India's Krishan Vikas, with a score of 13-11.
The International Amateur Boxing Association overturned the loss, saying its competition jury reviewed video of the fight and found that Spence should have been awarded more points because the referee only gave one caution despite a total of nine holding fouls in the third round alone. The final score was changed to 13-15 in favor of Spence.
EJ will go toe-to-toe with Russia's Andrey Zamkovoy in the quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon. EJ is the last hope for a medal for Team USA boxing.
A win Tuesday would guarantee EJ a medal, the semis would determine the color. In the semifinals the two losers receive bronze medals while the winners move on to a gold medal match. The winner of that match receives a gold and the loser receives silver.
Men’s bouts take place over three rounds of three minutes each. Boxers score points for every punch they land successfully on their opponents' head or upper body. Click here for a guide on how to watch boxing.
The Spence-Zamkovoy bout is the third bout in the welterweight division. The welterweight quarterfinals are scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. CT, CLICK HERE to watch it live online.
