Commonwealth Games: A bolt from the blue as Welsh boxers go for gold

The warning signs were there.

In the opening minute of his quarter-final bout, Orlando Holley-Sotomi caught his opponent with a couple of straight right hands.

At 68 seconds, he unleashed another.

The thunderous shot, followed by a left hook, sent Lesotho’s Refiloe Thai to the canvas.

“Watching tape of my opponent, he was open to my backhand,” the Newport boxer said.

“My backhand is one of my best shots so I didn’t hesitate, I just used it.”

Knockouts of this brutality are rare in amateur boxing. ‘The General’ looked every bit the pro.

After a tense silence when doctors rushed to his aid, Thai got to his feet to relieved applause from the gallery.

When the referee lifted Orlando’s dangerous right hand in victory, it marked the end of a successful hour in Glasgow for Welsh boxing on Wednesday afternoon.

Defending champion Rosie Eccles stopped Samukelisiwe Sinothile Ncube in the second round of the women’s 70kg before delaying her media duties to watch Owain Harris-Allan win unanimously on points against home favourite Nick Devlin.

Eccles, Harris-Allan and Holley-Sotomi join super heavyweight Connor Williams in guaranteeing themselves a Commonwealth Games medal. In boxing, losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze medals.

So Friday, 30 July will see them seek to upgrade their medal colours ahead of finals the following day.

Here are the four boxers chasing gold for Wales.