Shakur Stevenson did not lose the 2016 Olympic final because he lacked the skill to beat Robeisy Ramírez. He lost a close fight after changing what had worked for him. On August 20 in Rio, Shakur won the second round by picking sharper punches. In the third, he tried to protect the result instead of taking command of it.
Ramírez won the bantamweight gold medal by split decision, adding it to the flyweight gold he had taken in London four years earlier. Shakur, then 19, left with silver. It remains the last official loss of his boxing career.
The first round showed why Ramírez was dangerous. Both men were southpaws, but the Cuban was happ
