Terrell Gausha Records an Opening Round Victory at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries

Middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) opened the 2009 World Cup or Petroleum Countries with a first round victory on Thursday at the Tennis Center in Khanty-Mansisysk. Gausha recorded a 10-8 win over Kazakhstan's Murat Karalbayevon the first day of competition in Russia. 

Welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) and heavyweight Jordan Shimmell (Hudsonville, Mich.) didn't enjoy the same success, dropping their first round bouts. Spence lost a 4-1 decision to Mojko of Russia while Shimmell fell by a 7-2 margin to Ukraine's Denys Poyatskya. 

Gausha trailed throughout the first two rounds of action in his bout, facing a 2-0 deficit after the first round and trailing by a 4-3 margin at the end of the second. Yet he mounted a strong comeback in the final round to claim his first lead, and record a 10-8 final victory over Karalbayevon. 

Spence took the first lead in his bout with Mojko, holding a slim 1-0 lead after the opening round. Yet the Russian grabbed the advantage in the second, taking a 2-1 edge into the final round before winning the 4-1 final decision.

It was Shimmell grabbing the first lead in his bout as well, but his 1-0 advantage quickly disappeared in the second with Poyatskya moving out to a 5-2 edge at the end of two. The Ukrainian boxer extended his lead in the final round to take the 7-2 final decision. 

Six U.S. boxers will take the ring on Friday for the second day of action in Russia. Flyweight Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) and bantamweight Adam Lopez (San Antonio, Texas) will both take on opponents from host-team Russia in Friday's competition with lightweight Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.) opens the competition with a Belarusian foe. Gausha will look for his second straight win in a bout with Ukraine's Ivan Golub on Friday, light heavyweight Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) will battle Latvia's Nikolaj Grishunin and super heavyweight will face Ukraine's Andrey Tomchuk in the second day of action. 

Friday's quarterfinal action will be contested in two sessions beginning at 2 p.m. Russia time (4 a.m. EST) and 6 p.m. (8 a.m. EST) at the Tennis Center in Kanty-Mansisysk.

December 17th Results
152 lb/69 kg:  Mojko, Russia dec Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas/USA, 4-1
165 lb/75 kg: Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, OH/USA dec Murat Karalbayevon, Kazakhstan, 10-8
201 lb/91 kg: Denys Poyatskya, Ukraine dec Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, MI/USA, 7-2

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