Holyfield inspires flagging US

Police escort for Holyfield at Sydney

World heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield helped America's boxers bounce back after two major setbacks.

Morale was dented when lightweight David Jackson was forced to withdraw after failing to make his weight limit and Dante Craig was beaten in the welterweights.

But Holyfield, who holds the WBA belt, inspired middleweight Jeff Lacy to a comprehensive points win over Poland's Pawel Kakietek.

"I can get to the guys a little bit better than some of the coaches, because I've been there when bad things happen and my job is to go in and let them know that," said the 1984 Olympic bronze medallist.

Winners

"If I can inspire people to be better that's my job. These Olympic Games are the reason why I am the world heavyweight champion of the world, but everything starts somewhere and everyone who boxes at the Olympics are winners, they fight the best against the best."

Holyfield's advice certainly helped the explosive Lacy, who moved into the quarters by overcoming the awkward Kakietek.

If I can inspire people to be better that's my job

  Evander Holyfield

"I spoke with him before the fight, he talked to me about strategy and the pressure that I had to deal with," said Lacy, who lifted the US to 12-2.

"He's my favourite boxer of everyone in the pro ranks so he really loaded me up when I saw him step into the dressing room."

Lacy said Kakietek fought against the rules by pawing his jab into the American's face and measuring him up.

Fouling

"I was trying to get him back for all the fouling in there," he said.

The day began disastrously for the US when lightweight Jackson lost his battle with the scales and weighed in 1.3 kilograms over his 60-kg fight limit.

His withdrawal presented Turkey's Selim Palyani with a walkover into the quarter-finals.

"We knew we were going to have problems with maintaining that weight from the beginning," said head coach Tom Mustin.

"We had Dave set up with a nutritionist in Colorado Springs and once the guy starts getting down to weight and pushing it to maintain weight he starts getting depressed.

Liquid

"So we had a sports psychologist working with him and it just got to the point today where his body refused to give up any more liquid."

Jackson had shed 40 pounds (18 kilograms) in four months just to fight at the Olympics.

He's my favourite boxer of everyone in the pro ranks so he really loaded me up when I saw him step into the dressing room

  Lacy on Holyfield

He had been running up to four times daily and working out in the gymnasium in a bid to keep his weight in check.

Jackson's withdrawal means the US will miss out on a medal in the lightweight class for the first time at an Olympics since 1972 although in 1980 Moscow Games that was due to the American boycott.

Jackson's withdrawal will make Cuban Mario Kindelan a hotter favourite to win the lightweight gold medal and he looked sharp in disposing of Thailand's Phongsit Wiangviset 14-8 on Friday.

Medal

Kenyan policeman Suleiman Bilali battered South African Phumzile Matyhila to move one fight away from a medal in the light-flyweights.

He pounded Matyhila to have the fight stopped seconds before the end of the first round under the 15-point mercy rule.

In that time, Bilali had applied two standing eight-counts on the outclassed South African and now fights three-time Olympican Rafael Lozano of Spain in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.