U.S. Olympian Gausha scores dramatic third-round stoppage

Terrell Gausha, the middleweight representative on the U.S. Olympic boxing team, stopped Andranik Hakobyan, of Armenia, in the final seconds of the their preliminary bout to advance in the London Games tournament.

The 165-pound bout was hotly contested through almost nine minutes of action, each boxer enjoying moments of success. The outcome was in doubt going into the final seconds of the third round.

Gausha, of Cleveland, Ohio, landed a double jab-right hand combination flush to Hakobyan’s chin with less than 10 seconds remaining, sending his game opponent to the canvas. The Armenian managed to get up but Gausha stayed on the offensive, dropping him once again with a left hook in the final second of the bout. The referee stopped the fight just as the clock ran out.

“Going into the third round, I knew I had to leave it all in the ring. I didn’t want to have any excuses or wish that I had done something. I just wanted to leave it all out there,” Gausha said.

“I didn’t know the exact time (when he knocked him down), but I have a mental clock in my head. I’ve been around for the game for awhile so I knew I was cutting it close.

“I felt it was a close fight, I wasn’t sure if I was winning (before the knockdowns). It was too close for comfort so I had to go for it.”

Gausha will return to action on Thursday in a second round bout.