While USA Boxing has been enjoying a resurgence of sorts after a disappointing showing in London four years ago, no American fighters are on the schedule for Thursday’s bouts. Three weight classes will continue Round of 32 action Thursday: bantamweight (123 lbs.) and light welterweight (141 lbs.) classes, and the welterweight (152 lbs.), and light heavyweight (178 lbs.) tournaments will have Round of 16 action. USA Boxing does have a representative in the bantamweight division in Shakur Stevenson, but his first bout isn’t until Sunday against Brazil’s Robenilson De Jesus.
WATCH LIVE: Men’s boxing preliminaries, morning session -- 10 a.m. Eastern
The same goes for light welterweight Gary Russell, who on Sunday will face Thailand’s Wuttichai Masuk after winning his opener against Haiti’s Richardson Hitchins Wednesday evening. The United States doesn’t have a fighter in either the welterweight or light heavyweight divisions, but Great Britain’s Joshua Buatshi will face Elshod Rasulov of Uzbekistan in a light heavyweight bout that could be interesting. Buatshi advanced with a third round TKO of Uganda’s Kennedy Katende.
WATCH LIVE: Men’s boxing preliminaries, evening session -- 4 p.m. Eastern
A fighter to keep an eye on in the welterweight division is Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan, who won a world championship in the division in 2013 and took silver at the 2015 worlds. He faces Great Britain’s Josh Kelly, a winner by unanimous decision in his opening bout, in a Round of 16 matchup Thursday. Also of note in this division is Morocco’s Mohammed Rabii, who beat Yeleussinov at last year’s Asian Championships in Qatar.