Cubans star at world champs

Three Cubans progressed to the finals -- light-flyweight Joahnys Argilagos, middleweight Arlen Lopez and heavyweight Erislandy Savon. But their light-welterweight compatriot Yasniel Toledo Lopez lost.

Lopez and Savon were particularly impressive. The powerful Lopez brushed aside Egypt's Hosam Abdin in front of a large number of supporters at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena in the capital, Doha.

Lopez won on a unanimous points decision and now faces Uzbekistan's Bektemir Melikuziev, who narrowly defeated Ireland's Michael O'Reilly on a split points decision, in the final.

Melikuziev, the Asian middleweight champion, won his fight two rounds to one.

Savon jabbed and blasted his way to victory against Abdulkadir Abdullayev of Azerbaijan and will take on Russia's powerful southpaw Evgeny Tischenko in the final. It could be one of the best fights of the 10-day tournament.

Another notable win among the ten semiinals on Sunday came for Ireland's Michael Conlan. The busy bantamweight beat Dmitry Asanau of Belarus on a unanimous decision.

Conlan said he was confident of victory in the final and was yet to "get out of third gear" in the tournament. "I'm really looking forward to the final. I kept my cool and held my patience. I didn't panic,” he said, adding that it would be "either be a boxing match or a war".

Conlan will face Uzbekistan's Murodjon Akhmadalievl, who beat India's last contestant, Shiva Thapa, on points. The Indian disputed the decision saying he thought he was "the clear winner".

"It is always nice when you hear people saying that you should have won, but the reality is that I didn't."

Another powerful performance came from Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Gaibnazarov who beat second-seeded Wuttichai Masuk at light-welterweight.

Filipino Rogen Ladon, who had defeated world number two Joselito Velazquez of Mexico earlier in the tournament, found the semifinals to be one fight too far, losing to Russia's Vasili Egorov in the light-flyweight division.