When it comes to gold medals and sheer dominance in Olympic boxing, Cubans might have edged Team USA in the recent past. Despite being the most successful boxing nation historically, Team USA’s last few outings have not been too encouraging. In Paris this year too, the tale has not been bright. With the quarterfinal exit of featherweight Jahmal Harvey, the USA’s last hopes for a medal now rests on Omari Jones.

On August 7, the Orlando resident will face Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev in the men’s 71 kg (156 pounds) semifinal at the Roland Garros Stadium. Winning the gold remains the primary objective. If Jones achieves this, he will be the first male boxer from the United States to do so after Andre Ward in 2004. However, boxing has the rare distinction of handing out two bronze medals to the losers of the semifinal fights. So even if he ends up with a bronze medal, Jones will make history. The last American man to win a medal in the weight category was Kenneth Gould in 1988. As things stand, even if Jones loses, he could take home a medal for his country. In the lead-up to the fight against Muydinkhujaev, let’s explore how both boxers measure up against each other.

Omari Jones (USA) vs. Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev (UZB): What do the numbers tell us?

On November 7, Omari Jones will turn 22. Standing 5 feet and 11 inches, or 180 centimeters tall, he seems to be enjoying a slight height advantage over his opponent. Muydinkhujaev is recorded at 5 feet and 8 1/2 inches, or 174 centimeters. Unfortunately, details regarding the hand reach of both boxers remain unavailable.

Unlike the regular weigh-ins of the professional circuits, in the Olympics, strict adherence to weight categories is a given. Hence, both Jones and Muydinkhujaev would have met the weight requirements of the men’s 71 kg., or 156 pounds, weight class.

Per the available records, Omari Jones has an amateur record of 40 fights. Since making his debut in 2016, he has won 30 fights while facing reversals in 10. Only two of his victories came through knockouts, giving him a knockout-to-win rate of 6.67%. Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev, on the other hand, started his amateur career two years later. In the last six years, he has amassed a record consisting of 53 fights. Winning 47 times, like Jones, the Uzbek boxer prefers going the whole distance against his opponents. That’s why, given the only knockout win appearing on his resume, his knockout-to-win rate shows 2.13%.

Omari Jones (USA) vs. Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev (UZB): Who has the edge?

On July 31, Omari Jones defeated Wei Chia Kan from Chinese Taipei in the round of 16. Two days later, the quarterfinals saw him inflict a loss on Bulgaria’s Mofid Rami Kiwan. Earlier, the 21-year-old Florida native won four fights consecutively to ensure a berth at the Paris Olympics.

The 2020 United States national champion, whose training includes his father Karl Jones as well, had reached the quarterfinal stage of last year’s Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Prior to that, his first international experience came in 2021, when he participated in world championships. In the finals, he lost the fight to Japan’s Sewon Okazawa.

In the round of 16, Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev defeated the Egyptian Omar Elawady. Later, he followed it with a quarterfinal win over the Dane, Nickolai Terteryan. He is the two-time national champion of Uzbekistan. In 2022, the Southpaw grabbed a bronze medal at the Asian Championship. He bettered his records with a gold medal at last year’s world championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Thus, strictly based on the records and past performances, both the young boxers appear on equal footing. Both enter the semi-finals riding on the backs of two unanimous victories. Discussing his prospects for a medal win, Jones reportedly said, “I just feel like my style, my belief, and the game plan that I have that I’ve put in so much work… Everything that I’ve been through to get to this point just showed [up] when it came down to the Olympic qualifying match. I was in a position I wasn’t really familiar with, but I had to adjust to blood streaming down both eyes… my face.”

Come Wednesday, fans will get to see whether Omari Jones can become the pioneer who breaks the gold medal jinx and does his country proud.

Do you feel young Omari Jones has what it takes to create history at the Olympics? Please let us know in the comments below.