Nothing exemplifies that point better than Alex Karchevski's early round exit this year. The 33 year old light heavyweight is a multi-division national champion and is 1-0 as a pro. But he fell to Rony Partouche in a highly-skilled battle. Karchevski kept his guard high and tight, looking for openings to unleash power shots. Partoushe used fluid combinations, picking his punches well, on route to a quality upset victory. But the 80 KG division in Israel is such that Partoushe lost in the next round of the tournament.
International stalwarts Yan Zak, Daniel Ilyushonok, and Miroslav Kapuler were also present in the ring. The 27 year old Kapuler is perhaps the most successful Israeli amateur boxer of his generation. Now a middleweight, he won the national title in a grueling fight against Ahmad Jabarin. Kapuler's 3-0 as a pro, but hasn't fought for pay in over three years. Fans of Jewish boxing would love to see the slick intelligent boxer back as a prizefighter.
Yan Zak had the most impressive performances in the tournament. The 25 year old heavyweight, who has had a number of successes on the international stage, stopped each of his three opponents. If he goes pro, he would instantly be a highly rated prospect in the cruiserweight or heavyweight divisions. Fans hope he goes in that direction soon.
Ilyushonok, a light heavyweight born in 2002, is a little younger than Kapuler and Zak and needs just a little more seasoning before jumping into the pro ranks. But he has all the tools to go a long way, particularly length and power.
Cruiserweights David Bazov, a 21 year old southpaw who nearly went pro in 2023, and Arik Prilutsky, who is younger and bigger than Bazov, fought in a competitive final at 86 KGs. Prilutsky scored a knockdown in the first, but was bloodied in that round. Bazov boxed, landing many sneaky right hooks in a rough fight that was fought at a high level. Bazov was awarded the victory, much to Prilutsky's chagrin.
Tomer Benny, a southpaw welterweight, flirted with the pro ranks last year. The 20 year old dominated his first fight, but was badly cut in the semifinal. That should put his pro debut on hold for a while until he heals. Igor Novokov eventually won the gold.
Another Benny, Benny Nizard, fared the same fate in the junior middleweight final. The former French national champion is 1-0 as a pro. He relocated to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. The 20 year old southpaw was cut by an accidental butt when his taller opponent leaned into him in the second round. The fight was stopped and the victory was awarded to his opponent, Muhammad Isa. Afterwards, Nizard teased an upcoming announcement about his pro career.
Another Benny, Benny Nizard, fared the same fate in the junior middleweight final. The former French national champion is 1-0 as a pro. He relocated to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. The 20 year old southpaw was cut by an accidental butt when his taller opponent leaned into him in the second round. The fight was stopped and the victory was awarded to his opponent, Muhammad Isa. Afterwards, Nizard teased an upcoming announcement about his pro career.
Shlomo Niazov, a 1984 Olympian with a pro record of 4-1, graced the fans and boxers with his presence.
Israeli boxing is in need of funding and hopefully some deep-pocketed benefactors will see the opportunity for the sport to grow in the country. The tournament is neither streamed nor televised. Exposure will only inspire the next generation. National champs don't automatically get to fight in international tournaments because of a lack of funding. They miss out on a chance to improve against better boxers. This needs to be corrected for Israeli boxing's future.
Unfortunately, the Israel Boxing Association is still affiliated with the corrupt International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA was suspended from running the boxing tournament at the 2020 Olympics and subsequently banned for repeated corruption. A new- hopefully less corrupt- organization called World Boxing hopes to take up the mantle and keep the sport in the Olympics. The Israel Boxing Association should recognize which way the winds are blowing and change course.
