Be up early to cheer on our Shelley

Last Thursday the official Olympics draw was conducted by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in Rio. 

The Watts v Testa bout will be fought at 6.45am (Australian time) Saturday August 13.

Testa is just 18 years old and a towering 1.74m tall, around 10cm taller than Watts.

She began boxing in 2010 and quickly achieved success winning the Italian Women’s Junior National Championships in 2012.

Testa earned a silver medal at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, then moved up a weight category before competing at the 2015 Youth World Boxing Championships in Taipei where she used her considerable height advantage against her Ukranian opponent to win gold.

Watts is favoured to win the bout and if she progresses, will head to the quarter final to face France's world champion Estelle Mossely.

Mossley was the last woman to beat London Olympic gold medalist and five-time champion, Ireland’s Katie Taylor at the 2016 Women’s World Championships in Kazakhstan.

Her victory against Taylor in the semi final in May was a stunning shock to the Irish athlete who is the dominant force of international women’s boxing.

It was Taylor’s first loss at a world championship in 11 years. She is still the number one female light weight boxer in he world.

The result of the Olympic draw by AIBA means Watts may not face Taylor unless the two make it to the gold-medal round.

Watts said in previous interviews with the Camden Haven Courier, that coming up against Taylor would be a dream come true.

The quarter final will be fought at 6.15am Australian time Tuesday August 16.

The semi final will be on Thursday August 18 at 3.15am Australian time and the gold medal match at 5am Austrlalian time, August 20.