Stalker out to makeh istory; BOXING.

TEAM GB boxing captain Tom Stalker has a great chance of a medal in the light-welterweight division, writes Dan Williams.

The Scouser did not have a fight in the ring until after he was convicted of car theft when he was 19 and in a classic tale of 'boxing saved me from a life of crime', the sport helped Stalker turn his life around in spectacular fashion.

Nine years later, Stalker has won a World Championship bronze, European Championship gold, two European silvers and a gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and he is 5-1 for gold in London.

If he gets a podium finish he will make history as the first British fighter to win a medal at every major boxing tournament.

Stalker, has three obvious rivals for gold - world champion Everton Lopes of Brazil is the 5-2 favourite, followed by the man who beat him in the semi-finals of last year's World's - Ukraine's 4-1 hope Denys Berinchyk.

But Cuba's Roniel Iglesias could be better value at 9-1. Iglesias won bronze in Beijing, was world champion in 2009 and struck gold at the Pan-American games last year.

There is no GB representitive in the 49kg light-flyweight division where the dominant force is China's world champ Zou Shiming, while South Korean Shin Jong-Hun (5-2) and Russia's David Ayrapetyan (7-1) should also go well.

Recommendation Light-welterweight R Iglesias 1pt 9-1 Ladbrokes Light-flyweight Z Shiming 1pt 1-8 general 2011 WORLD CHAMPS Light-welterweight Gold Everton Lopes (BRA) Silver Denis Berinchyk (UKR), T Stalker(ENG) Bronze Vincenzo Mangiacapre (ITA) Light-flyweight Gold Zou Shiming (CHN) Silver Shin Jong-Hun (KOR) Bronze David Ayrapetyan (RUS), Purevdorjiin Serdamba (MGL)

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Title Annotation:	Sports
Publication:	The Racing Post (London, England)
Date:	Jul 31, 2012
Words:	271
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