ATHENS, Aug 24 (AFP) - Furious Greek fans rained plastic water bottles onto the Olympic boxing ring Tuesday when local hero Elias Pavlidis lost his light heavyweight (81kg) quarter-final to Egypt's Ahmed Esmail.
The ringside doctor ordered the fight to be stopped after inspecting the Greek's cut left eye with 1min 38sec of the third round remaining and Pavlidiis leading.
The 26-year-old Pavlidis likes to play Rachmaninov's second piano concerto before pulling on his gloves.
But it was Zorba the Greek and We will Rock You that filled the stadium between rounds, and the Greek was encouraged to throw caution to the wind by his emmotional fans who could not see the difference between professional boxing and Olympic boxing, where keeping the scoreboard ticking over is all that is necessary.
He got involved in a messy scrap with the Egyptian.
The two men wrestled themselves to the floor twice in a game of musical chairs before Pavlidis changed tempo and started back-pedalling
But he was already cut, and it led to his departure.
Egypt, which had never won an Olympic boxing medal, has now won at least three bronzes.
Superheavyweight Mohamed Aly, a name which conjures up great things, and heavyweight Mohamed Elsayed have already won through to the semi-finals and a guaranteed bronze.