Veteran Olympian Harry Tañamor made up for his disappointing performance in the Beijing Olympic Games by putting on a classic exhibition of skill and courage in winning the gold medal in the fiercely competitive "World Cup" of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) in Moscow.

With eight of the top fighters in the world in each weight division invited to compete in Moscow, Tañamor capitalized on a favorable draw to enter the finals with a 12-4 victory over Poland's tough Lukascz Masczczyk in the semi-finals and arranged an eagerly-anticipated battle with stylish Yampier Hernandez of Cuba for the gold medal. 

The 31-year-old Tañamor, who qualified for the Beijing Olympics by winning a silver medal in the World Championships in Chicago in 2007, put on one of his finest performances in recent years when he out-boxed the Cuban to win by a handsome 15-7 margin. 

The victory of Tañamor was all the more significant since Cuban fighters won 6 of the 11 gold medals at stake while host nation Russia won 3. 

Tañamor had earlier pounded Poland’s Masczczyk to enter the finals, carrying the fight to his opponent from the opening bell and capitalizing on his longer reach and excellent defense. 

Tañamor, who was picked by Sports Illustrated to win a medal in Beijing, was the only Filipino invited to the World Cup and didn't disappoint. 

A staff sergeant in the Philippine Army, Tañamor was not awed by Cuban star Hernandez who also scored a comfortable 13-3 victory over Kazakhstan's Birhan Zakhypov in the semi finals. 

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines vice president Manny Lopez who was also recently elected vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee had predicted an exciting bout for the gold medal since Tanamor and Hernandez had previously been “ slugging it out in their training in Cuba for the Beijing Olympics."