Bray Falls to Another European Fighter
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John Bray still has a world to conquer.
The Van Nuys resident is the top-ranked U.S. amateur heavyweight boxer but has yet to prove himself against Eastern European fighters, who along with the Cubans have traditionally dominated international amateur boxing.
East Germany’s Axel Schulz decisioned Bray on Friday night, 20-5, in a first-round bout in the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Moscow.
Fighting under a new scoring system designed to reward aggressiveness and eliminate controversy from decisions, Bray was tentative during the three-round fight and did not throw enough punches.
“I feel terrible,” a tearful Bray said after losing to Schulz, a silver medalist in the European championships. “I should have done what my corner told me. I didn’t listen and you saw the result.”
This is the second time in four months that Bray has looked unimpressive while fighting an Eastern European boxer. In June, he lost a unanimous decision to Viktor Akshonov of the Soviet Union.
Bray is expected to get another chance at the Eastern Europeans in November at the USA-USSR Heavyweight Invitational.
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