The boxing tournament of the 2014 Commonwealth Games ended in Glasgow, with many world class finals showcasing the excitement that only high level boxing can create.

England’s squad topped the team rankings with five gold medals, including historic victories from London 2012 Olympic Champion Nicola Adams, and AIBA Women’s World Champion Savannah Marshall.

Bout of the day
Two AIBA World Champions advanced to the final of the women’s Middleweight class (75 kg) in Glasgow.

England’s Savannah Marshall won her title in Qinhuangdao, China two years ago, and her final opponent was Canada’s Ariane Fortin who has claimed two gold medals in the history of the AIBA Women’s World Championships.

Marshall is tall for the weight class, while Fortin boasts one of strongest jabs in the world.

The Canadian boxer started the contest the better, but Marshall’s will prevailed from the second frame of their world class battle, and she eventually won via split decision.

This narrow and engrossing battle was a good omen for the both women ahead of the AIBA Women’s World Championships which is scheduled for Jeju, Korea in November.

Surprises of the day
The favourite of the Women’s Lightweight class (60 kg) was England’s AIBA Women’s World Championships bronze medallist and EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships silver medallist Natasha Jonas, who was eliminated by Australia’s National Champion Shelley Watts in the first preliminary round.

After the favourite went out early, every other competitor fancied their chances at gold, including India’s former AIBA Women’s World Champion Saritha Laishram Devi who faced Watts in the final.

The Indian veteran opened with quick combinations in the final, but Watts dominated the second part of the battle, and earned her career highlight by winning the gold in Glasgow.

England’s most inexperienced boxer Scott Fitzgerald made a name for himself by claiming gold in the Welterweight class (69 kg).

Fitzgerald shocked India’s ASBC Asian Continental Championships silver medallist Mandeep Jangra in the opening round, and demonstrated his power from the first minute.

The promising English competitor knocked down his Asian rival, and continued his domination throughout the contest.

A relatively unknown athlete prior to the Commonwealth Games, Fitzgerald is now a gold medalist and looking forward to a great future.

Team of the day
Scotland hosted a wonderful Commonwealth Games, and their two finalists gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about as both won their finals, and the gold medals.

Firstly, Charles Flynn realized his golden dreams following his triumph over Northern Ireland’s Joseph Fitzpatrick in the Lightweight class (60 kg).

Secondly, Scotland’s London 2012 Olympian Josh Taylor performed spectacularly in the final of the Light Welterweight class (64 kg), where he won all of the rounds against Namibia’s Junias Jonas.

The Scottish star was a silver medallist in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, and went one better in front of his home fans.

Ones to watch
England’s London 2012 Olympic Champion and EUBC European Continental Champion Nicola Adams defeated one of her main rivals, Canada’s Mandy Bujold in the semi-final, and the Flyweight class (52 kg) athlete fought against Northern Ireland’s new star Michaela Walsh for the first ever women’s title in the Commonwealth Games.

The Northern Irish sensation and her coaches tried to use the best possible tactics against Adams, and surprisingly took the lead after the first round.

Adams stepped up her efforts from then on, and her footwork demonstrated her amazing physical condition, which enabled her to turn the fight around, and to win yet another gold medal.

With many big tournaments on the horizon, the Adams/Walsh rivalry could be one of the biggest boxing stories of 2014.

Australia’s multiple National Champion Andrew Moloney eliminated one of the biggest surprises of the Commonwealth Games, Scotland’s promising boxer Reece McFadden in the semi-finals, and the 23-year-old controlled the first two rounds of his final against Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Muhammad Waseem.

His Asian opponent tried his best to get back into the contest, but his efforts were not enough to beat Australia’s new Flyweight class (52 kg) hero.

Fact/Stat of the day
Australia did win any boxing medal in the last edition of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi four years ago, but their new line-ups bagged two golds and a silver in Glasgow.

For the first time since 1951 New Zealand had two finalists in the boxing tournament in a Commonwealth Games.

David Nyika became the youngest gold medallist in the boxing tournament of the Commonwealth Games at 18 years old.

Northern Ireland’s two-time Olympics bronze medallist Patrick Barnes became the lone athlete who was able to defend his throne in the Commonwealth Games, and his fellow Northern Ireland boxers won nine medals, which was an incredible 75% of the entire Northern Irish squad’s medal total in Glasgow.

Quote of the day
“It’s definitely still very surreal for me at the moment! I was so excited in the ring when my hand was raised, and to finally have the medal around my neck after all of the preparation, hard-work, dedication and sacrifice.

I’m not too sure if it has actually sunk in yet, but I’m just so excited to have achieved this! The next target is the World Championships. We will have a little bit of a break, for both the mind and the body and then get back into training to prepare for November. I’m hoping to be able to get ready to challenge for the podium again and believe a top 10 ranking is totally achievable,” said Australia’s Shelley Watts after her gold medal.

Commonwealth Games in 2018
The next edition of the Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in 2018.

Medallists in the Commonwealth Games

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