Yanez and USA Boxing should move on

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Kate Hairopoulos

BEIJING-Take the incessant talk of the Olympic gold medal, the sharp, black Silk Market suit made here to go with it and Luis Yanez's on-again, off-again relationship with USA Boxing. The Duncanville boxer knows how to give you something to talk about.
He also knows when it's truly over.
Yanez, 19, might've mustered a little bravado after his Olympic experience ended Saturday night in a tight bout, an 8-7 loss to Mongolian Serdamba Purevdorj at Beijing Workers' Gymnasium.
But the kid's heart wasn't in it. It felt like it was broken - no matter what he'd spew later about how he should've advanced to the quarterfinals.
And, clearly, USA Boxing is broken too.
"This is the most important tournament of my life," said Yanez, his mind on his family and home, where he's wanted to be all these months preparing for the Games. "Before I came up here I talked to my dad [Bulmaro] and he told me to go in there and do everything I can, and I'm in his heart.
"And I feel like I let him down."
But, here's the last gasp...
"I went in there and gave it my all and to tell you the truth I think I should've won this fight," Yanez said.
There continues to be a major disconnect between the boxers and the coach, Dan Campbell. This is what led in part to Yanez's dismissal - though he was eventually reinstated - from the team in July.
These boxers don't want to leave home and their personal coaches - Dennis Rodarte, at GTO Gym in Oak Cliff, in this case -- to live in Colorado and turn their faith over to others.
And Campbell and Yanez -at each other's throats, in July, making nice in Beijing - were on opposing sides again Saturday even as they met in the same corner.
(Photo by Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News)

Yanez "basically did the opposite of what we wanted him to do," Campbell said.
Campbell wanted Yanez to be more aggressive early, but Yanez said that wasn't his style.
Campbell said the U.S. boxers - Yanez and others - were calling home too much to get advice that wasn't working.
All this dysfunction has amounted to this: only two American boxers, Demetrius Andrade and Deontay Wilder, advanced to the quarterfinals.
Yanez should've had a shot to meet Chinese hero Zou Shiming in the light flyweight (106 pounds) final.
But Yanez played it safe in the first two rounds Saturday, wanting to keep it close, but trailing.
Then, agreeing with Campbell, who told him before the third round "You got to go out there and throw punches. C'mon, man," Yanez scored three straight points in a flurry tto head into the final round tied at 6-6.
But, two major things happened:
The boxers engaged and tumbled to the ground. Purevdorj, in red, got a point; Yanez, in blue, said it should've been his.
Soon after, Yanez threw a wild swing and the Mongolian countered with what turned out to be the winning punch. Big mistake.
"I know I led in with the straight left, and he caught me with his hook," Yanez said, "I'll give him that."
Yanez earned back a point but "I couldn't get that last point," he said.
A reporter asked Yanez to comment on the turmoil in USA Boxing, but, for once, the Latin Legend knew when to keep quiet and, for what it's worth, move on.
"I really don't want to put anything out on that subject," Yanez said. "I just want to go back to my family right now."


Another US boxer loses in his bid to reach the quarterfinals. The States will now only send two boxers to the medal rounds, the least since boxing became an Olympic sport in 1904. Very, very disappointing. I might as well pick up the training and try to qualify for London in 2012.