Two-time Irish Olympian Michael Conlan reckons that Vladimir Nikitin did a runner.
The Russian featherweight was slated to meet Conlan in Belfast on August 3 in a pro rematch of their controversial Rio 2016 quarter-final but withdrew because of an injury.
Conlan said that he always felt that Nikitin would back out of the fight and had a tongue in cheek message for his fellow Olympic bronze medallist who was adjudged to have beaten him in Rio.
“I heard that when they were at the European Games there that he’d rang his old Russian coach, “what do I do, how can I win?” remarked the Belfast native.
“The Russian coach, the coach at the Olympics, said “there’s nothing you can do, you have to learn to take a beating for ten rounds. He probably freaked out there!”
All 36 refs and judges at the 31st Olympiad were indefinitely suspended over the Nikitin and Conlan result and other controversial decisions in Rio.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA), who fined Conlan a maximum 10,000 Swiss Francs for calling them corrupt in Rio, has also been suspended from any involvement with Tokyo 2020.
Conlan turned pro after the Nikitin fight and said he will never pay the AIBA a cent. The unbeaten Irishman will name a new opponent for the August 3 promotion in the next 48 hours.
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