Nesthy Petecio will now go for the gold after defeating Italy’s boxer

Nesthy Petecio might seem like she is the underdog in her bout against the Italian boxer Irma Testa. Right of the bat, the Italian boxer has the reach and height advantage, which she effectively used against Petecio in the first round. The judges gave the first round to Irma Testa.

Change in Strategy

In round 2, Nesthy Petecio showed the indomitable spirit of the Filipinos by attacking the Italian fighter head-on. She closed the gap and rendered the height and reach advantage of the Italian fighter useless. After showering her opponent with a barrage of hooks and jabs, the judges gave the second round to Nesthy Petecio.

In the third round, Nesthy continued to show her will to win the bout by closing the gap even more. More punches were thrown by Petecio and towards the end of the third round, it was clear that Nesthy is the aggressor. At times, the Italian fighter was even turning her back on Petecio with hopes of stopping the barrage of punches. At the end of round three, Nesthy was declared the winner by split decision with 4 judges deciding in her favor and 1 judge in favor of the Italian boxer.

Go for Gold at the Tokyo Olympics

This win puts Nesthy into the finals of the women’s featherweight division (54-57kgs). At this time, she is assured of a Silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, but with the strong fighting spirit that she has shown in this bout, it is safe to say that she is going for that Gold.