Cam F. Awesome advances while Paul Kroll is eliminated in Olympic qualifier

U.S. boxers went 1-1 Monday as heavyweight Cam F. Awesome recorded his second tournament victory while welterweight Paul Kroll fell in his third bout of the tournament in preliminary competition in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Awesome put on a strong performance against Kosovo's Armend Xhoxhaj, sweeping all three rounds on the judges' scorecards to take a unanimous decision win in the Olympic qualifier. He advances to the quarterfinals against No. 2 seed Julio Cesa Castillo Torres of Ecuador Tuesday. Awesome must win the tournament to qualify for his Olympic spot so he will need three more victories to clinch a berth.

Kroll came in with two tournament victories under his belt but dropped his third bout to Hungary's Imre Balaz Acckai 2-1, thus eliminating the American from the tournament. Kroll will have one more opportunity to qualify for the Rio Olympics July 3-8 in Vargas, Venezuela.

Tuesday's action will feature Awesome and three more American boxers: flyweight Antonio Vargas, light welterweight Gary Russell and super heavyweight Marlo Moore. Vargas will face Guatemala's Eddie Valenzuela Barillas, Russell will battle Australia's David Biddle. Vargas and Russell will advance to the quarterfinals with wins, while Moore's contest with Bulgaria's Petar Rumenov Velberov is a quarterfinal matchup.

These fighters have qualified already for the Rio Games: Male light flyweight Nico Hernandez, male bantamweight Shakur Stevenson, female lightweight Mikaela Mayer, male lightweight Carlos Balderas, female middleweight Claressa Shields and male middleweight Charles Conwell.

(Cam Awesome file photo by Isaiah Downing, Paste BN Sports)