Diaz beats Athens boxing champ to win lightwelterweight gold

BEIJING – Felix Diaz won the first gold medal in Olympic boxing for the Dominican Republic with a 12-4 battering of defending champion Manus Boonjumnong of Thailand on Saturday night. In a brawling four rounds, Diaz continuously beat the Thai to the punch, scoring heavily with rights to the head and a series of body blows. Diaz pulled away in the third round and Boonjumnong never rallied. The bronze medals went to Roniel Iglesias of Cuba, and Alexis Vastine of France. – AP