Andreas Katzourakis, the best Greek boxer, confirmed his reputation late on Friday by beating Robert Terry to advance to the final in Atlanta.
The win for Katzourakis in the semifinal matchup was not easy, as it was a split decision. One judge scored the bout 98-93 for Terry (12-1-1, 4 KOs), but the other two judges scored the bout 98-92 for Katzourakis, who improved to 14-0, 10 KOs.
In the first part of the match, Katzourakis was good with his lead left hook, which Terry took well. Terry was more active between the two. There were instances when Terry landed more punches and combinations during exchanges.
Late in the game, Katzourakis appeared much more aggressive and managed to end with a victory. The Greek fighter threw more punches, and in the final three rounds, the 26-year-old increased his punch output. Katzourakis put Terry on the defensive, with vicious hooks and crosses to the head and body.
Katzourakis will now meet Brandon Adams in the tournament final on an OTX show later in the year.
Brandon Adams scored a knockdown over Francisco Veron reaching a well-earned unanimous decision victory over Francisco Veron Friday on DAZN from Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Scores were 98-91, 96-93, and 95-94 for Adams.
Andreas Katzourakis’ career
Andreas Katzourakis was born on September 12, 1997 in Athens, Greece. He started kickboxing at the tender age of five under the direction of his father who was a former kickboxer. He was an amateur kickboxer and point fighter participating in both national and international tournaments.
After years of competing in hundreds of amateur bouts in kickboxing and point fighting, at age fifteen, he made a complete turn to boxing. Katzourakis had a short career as an amateur boxer in Greece, winning four Greek National Championships and finishing with a combined record of 21–0 and 16 forced stoppages within his home country.
Katzourakis made his professional career after moving to the United States. He made his professional debut in June 2018 at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, knocking out Chukwuka Willis in the first round of a scheduled four round fight.
In his fourth professional fight, Katzourakis fought former World Title challenger Walter Wright in Montebello, California. The Greek boxer won this fight via unanimous decision, sweeping the scorecards over six rounds.
In October 2022, Katzourakis took on veteran fighter Cameron Krael in Houston, Texas. He won the fight via technical knockout. This was after Krael’s corner stopped the fight after 5 one-sided rounds.
The yet undefeated Katzourakis is now preparing for the fight against Brandon Adams, coached by Ronnie Shields in Houston, Texas.