TOKYO – In a way, it didn’t matter that U.S. featherweight boxer Duke Ragan couldn’t have his family or friends present in the stands during his Round of 16 match against Kazakhstan's Serik Temirzhanov at the Tokyo Olympics.
With COVID-19 protocols restricting travel to Japan and keeping loved ones away from the Games, Olympic athletes look to other sources of energy to motivate them through their competitions. In his win by unanimous decision over Temirzhanov, Ragan found that boost through the roaring cheers of his teammates seated in the mezzanine.
“My team loves me like I love them,” Ragan said. “Knowing that I've got people here, knowing that we can't have family and stuff here, knowing my teammates is cheering me on, putting me in a better spirit, give me that extra energy.”
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Yes, Ragan could make out individuals in the cacophony of voices – shouts from Keyshawn Davis, Delante Johnson, Oshae Jones and Richard Torrez, among others, rang clear in the barren Kokugikan Arena. Ragan rained punches down on Temirzhanov to the soundtrack of his teammates’ chants, remaining consistent in his dominance through all three rounds.
Though the outcome of a boxing match rests in the gloves of the individual, the collective momentum from the U.S. team is undeniable. With Ragan’s resounding victory, the U.S. moves to 8-1 at the Olympics. Two other U.S. boxers have advanced to the quarterfinal round so far: Welterweights Johnson and Jones.
“We all take turns,” Ragan said. “Whoever's not fighting is in the stands rooting them on. Unless you've got a fight later in the day, you'll probably be back home resting. But even if one of my teammates missed my fight, I'd be at their fight.”
The Cincinnati native, who turned pro in summer 2020, is in the hunt to become the first American featherweight medalist since Rocky Juarez won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Prior to joining the Olympic team, Ragan had a 4-0 record as a professional – three by decision and one by knockout.
Last week, Ragan won his first bout of the Tokyo Games in a split decision victory against France’s Samuel Kistohurry. Between his split decision and his unanimous decision wins, Ragan said it has taken some time to get used to competing in six rounds of boxing versus just three on the Olympic stage.
“The pace of fighting is way faster knowing that you've only got three rounds, so these guys come in to try to just fight,” Ragan said. “I'm used to pacing myself, so it's a much faster pace than what I'm used to.”
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Ragan will face off against Ireland’s Kurt Walker in the quarterfinal on Sunday, August 1. The Irish featherweight defeated Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, the 2019 world champion, in the Round of 16.
“Me and Kurt Walker, we've been to a couple training camps together,” Ragan said. “So like I said, we keep our strategy to ourself, between the team. And we will go home and watch the film, probably watch over his fight and work on what we need to work on.”
Undoubtedly, Ragan will perform in front of a horde of his U.S. teammates, ready to cheer him on in his quest to top the featherweight podium and become the first American to do so in over 20 years.
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