Another prestigious win for the Italian team competing at the Boxing Grand Prix in Riyadh! Muhamet “Eti” Qamili delivered a commanding performance, dominating the unfortunate Holy Dorgbetor and handing him a punishing defeat. Only the Ghanaian’s dogged resistance allowed him to hear the final bell, but the judges’ scorecards rightly reflected Qamili’s clear superiority: 60–53, 59–54, 59–54.
Anyone watching the fight live probably wouldn’t have predicted such a one-sided bout after the opening three minutes. The first round was extremely balanced, with both boxers trading shots from mid-range in the center of the ring.
Although the higher-quality exchanges clearly came from Qamili, Dorgbetor looked like a dangerous customer thanks to his long arms and explosive movements. Another concern for the Italian corner was a nasty cut that opened near Qamili’s left eye following an accidental clash of heads.
In the second round, however, the Italo-Albanian boxer made a brilliant tactical move, temporarily abandoning mid-range to pin his opponent against the ropes and unleash a relentless flurry of body and head shots.
Dorgbetor had no answers and couldn’t find room to make use of his long reach in such tight quarters. Worn down by the suffocating pressure, the Ghanaian lost his mouthguard twice and returned to his corner dazed.
Sensing that he had broken his opponent’s resistance, Qamili dared to take the fight back to Dorgbetor’s preferred terrain, willingly engaging in furious exchanges at center ring from the third round on—and he clearly came out on top. A crushing right hand in that same round sent Dorgbetor’s mouthguard flying once again, prompting the referee to deduct a point.
Energized by his success, the young boxer—brilliantly trained by Alessandro El Moety—turned into a juggernaut, marching forward behind a high guard and showcasing his full offensive arsenal. His mid-combination stance switches were especially impressive, allowing him to unleash a devastating left hook with great effectiveness.
Dorgbetor was shaken several times, but credit must go to him for never giving up. Whenever Qamili eased the pressure and circled away, the Ghanaian bravely tried to come forward again. But heart alone wasn’t enough to put the outcome in doubt; in fact, judging by what we saw in the final twenty seconds, one more round might have been enough to bring him to the brink.
I don’t think I’m getting carried away when I say that rarely, since I started following boxing, have I seen such a natural talent on our rings as what Eti Qamili displayed today. The young man moves in the ring like a fish in water: he absorbs heavy punches without flinching, can be dangerous in countless ways, and—thanks also to the advice of his coach—reads tactical situations with remarkable clarity. In short, the Italo-Albanian fighter seems born to box, and he could bring us great satisfaction in the near future.
Of course, it will be crucial for him not to rest on his laurels, as he still has room for improvement in certain areas, particularly defensively. At times today—perhaps deaf to pain due to adrenaline—he took a few too many clean shots, but these are minor flaws in the context of such a strong performance.
In the quarterfinals, Qamili will face the winner between American Troy Nash and Kazakhstan’s Zholdas Zhengissov, a match that had not yet taken place at the time of writing. There will be plenty of time to study the next opponent in detail—for now, it’s time to celebrate reaching the truly critical stage of the tournament!
Click here to read our interview with Muhamet Qamili, published after his debut in the tournament.