Category Archives: amateur boxing

Team USA Learns Its Path To Gold For U19 World Championships

PUEBLO, Colo. (October 26, 2024) — Team USA will have twelve boxers competing at the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships. These twelve boxers learned their paths to gold, including their first-round opponents during Friday tournament draw. 

The 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships boxing tournament has 20 weight divisions, 10 men’s and 10 women’s. Competition in Pueblo, Colo. will begin on Saturday, October 26 before concluding on Saturday, November 2, at the Pueblo Convention Center.

Getting it all started for Team USA is Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz (La Cruces, N.M.) and Shamiracle Hardaway (Lagrange, Ga.). Olayo-Munoz will box Chanchal Chaudary out of India in the 48 kg weight class tomorrow afternoon around 5:30 ET. Hardaway will match up with Penelope Grochau from Germany in the 60 kg weight class.

Hardaway was on the Youth High-Performance Team last year and earned bronze at the 2023 International Invitational in Germany. If both boxers win their opening bouts, they will advance to the medal round.

Sunday, October 27, Team USA will see their first male boxer in Emmanuel Chance (East Orange, N.J.) Chance is boxing in the 55 kg weight class and received a bye and will get the winner of Juan Jin from South Korea and Kelvy da Trindade from Brazil. Chance won silver at the 2023 Youth International Invitational in Germany.

Also competing Sunday is Laila Zakirova (Staten Island, N.Y.). Zakirova is boxing in the 51 kg weight class and is boxing Xian Baguhin out of the Philippines.

Team USA will see six boxers make their 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships debuts. 

Lorenzo Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii) will represent Team USA in the 50 kg weight class and received a first-round bye and will box the winner of Seiya Nakayam out of Japan and Beau Piggott out of Australia.

 Violet Lopez (Milwaukee, Wis.) also, with a first-round bye and will box Caitlyn Wise out of England in the 54 kg weight class.

In the 70 kg weight class Malachi Ross (Grandview, Mo.) earned a bye and is going up against the winner of Festim Nimani from Germany and Sumit Sumit from India.

For Team USA in the 75 kg weight class, Joseph Awinongya (Jouliet, Ill.) will go up against Connor Anerson from Australia. 

Elijah Lugo (Marietta, Ga.) will represent the USA in the 80 kg weight class and will go head-to-head with Cristian Sarsilli out of Italy.

In the heavyweight class of 90 kg, Rishon Sims (Harrisburg, Pa.) will go up against Eris Andi Lushtaku out of Germany. Sims was on the Youth High-Performance Team last year and won gold at the 2023 International Invitational in Germany.

Mesiah Nimo (Dallas, Texas) is the lone boxer going on Tuesday, October 29, and he will box in the 65-kg weight class and was given a bye and will box the victor of Simon Stojka from Czech Republic and Assylkhan Kosherbay from Kazakhstan.

Nevaeh Williams received a bye and will go head-to-head with the winner of Aaliyah Hoppema from the Netherlands or Renee Doole out of New Zealand. Due to the bye Williams is already in the medal round and will receive at least a bronze medal.

Ticket pricing for the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships begins at $10 for a single-day pass or $50 for an all-week pass. Fans can also purchase tickets exclusively for Saturday’s finals at the price of $25.

USA Boxing will be led by National Development coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Assisting Wigle will be three assistant coaches in Danilo Garcia (Oakland, Calif.), Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.), and Blanca Gutierrez (Pacifica, Calif.).

 INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing

 ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States. 

More than 180 boxers from 30 nations will compete in 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships in Colorado

RENES, Switzerland (June 20, 2024) — More than 180 boxers from 30 National Federations will compete in the 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships which get underway this week at the Pueblo Convention Center, Colorado, USA (October 26 – November 2, 2024).

The competition, for male and female boxers aged 17 and 18, is World Boxing’s first-ever global championships. It will feature athletes from all five Continents that compete in boxing and will be held across 10 weight categories for both men and women.

The action will run across one session per day, beginning at 15:00 MT for the first five days when there will be two rings in place. The penultimate day, Friday, 1 November, will have one session in one ring, beginning at 13:00 MT.  The final day, when the medals will be handed out, will also feature action in a single ring across one session of boxing, beginning at 13:00 MT.

The largest contingent of boxers taking part in this historic event are from the host nation, USA, along with India and Italy, who have all entered teams of 15 men and women.

Other National Federations that will be taking part in the U19 Championships are Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Finland, Germany, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Ukraine, United States and Wales.

Details of the draw, schedule, and all event documents can be viewed at https://www.usaboxing.org/2024-u19-world-boxing-championships.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “This competition is a significant milestone in the development of World Boxing, and I would like to thank USA Boxing for hosting our first global championships.

“World Boxing is committed to putting athletes first and delivering high quality competition opportunities for boxers at all levels is a significant part of this. I have no doubt that our colleagues at USA Boxing will deliver a top-class event which will provide a fantastic platform for U19 men and women from our member National Federations to showcase their skills and further their development as elite boxers.”

USA Boxing CEO and Executive Director, Mike McAtee, commented: “As we prepare to host the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships, I could not be more excited for the opportunity to showcase the incredible talent of our youth boxers on an international stage.

“This event marks a historic moment for World Boxing and our sport. The World Boxing U19 Championships will serve as a monumental opportunity to keep Olympic-style boxing at the heart of the Olympic movement, and we are thrilled to play a pivotal role in fostering the next generation of champions from around the world. Together, we will celebrate the spirit of competition and the dedication that defines our sport.”

The Chair of the Board of USA Boxing, Tyson Lee, added: “As Chair of the Board of USA Boxing, I am honored to welcome everyone to the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships here in Colorado.

“In a short time, World Boxing has made remarkable progress in fostering competitive international tournaments by collaborating with National Federations around the globe. We at USA Boxing are proud to contribute to this effort, and we are eager to witness the spirited competition that this event will bring.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, our dedicated staff, and the entire USA Boxing community, thank you for your participation and best of luck to all the athletes!”

The 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships will be streamed live on World Boxing’s YouTube page and World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels:

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/officialworldboxing/

• X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/RealWorldBoxing

• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWorldBoxing

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement and currently has 44-member National Federations covering all five Continents that compete in international boxing.

On 7 May 2024 World Boxing held its first meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration between the two organizations aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

Providence police officer Kyana Williams captured a bronze medal at prestigious National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions

K Williams.jpg

PROVIDENCE (May 28, 2024) –Providence police officer Kyana “Special Kay” Williams, a 2024 New England Golden Gloves Champion, captured a bronze medal in the welterweight (146-pound) division at the recent National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions hosted by the City of Detroit.

The National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions features a Who’s Who of amateur boxing in the United States. Virtually every great U.S. boxer since 1928 has competed in this prestigious competition.

Williams shutout Zamyla Thurman-Houston in the opening round by way of a unanimous decision, 5-0, and she was edged in the semifinals round, 3-2, by Brianna Gulia, the eventual runner-up.

“I proved that I’m one of the best in the country,” an ecstatic Williams said about her performance. “I’m really excited about it.”

Williams, a resident of Providence, is coached by David Keefe and Joshua Lemar at Bishop’s Boxing in Bridgewater and Veloz Boxing in Providence.

Team Williams.jpg

TEAM WILLIAMS (R-L) – Joshua Lemar, Kyana Williams and Dave Keefe

“She came out of nowhere,” coach Keefe explained. “Three years ago, I was training fighters  and Kyana was in the gym. I told her that when she was ready to contact me, I’d train her. We started together four months ago and look at what she’s done. She could turn pro right now, but I’d like to keep working on a few more things before she does.”

Williams had several obstacles to overcome to get where she’s at in life as well as boxing.  When Keefe first saw her, Kyana wasn’t ready to commit to boxing, largely because of her new career as a police officer. Today, she is in her eighth year as a member of the Providence Police Department, patrolling the North End of the city. She recently made the Detective list, and she expects to be promoted very soon.

Because her work schedule is between 6:45 a.m. ET and 2:45 p.m. ET, she is able to juggle her vocation and boxing. Her typical day starts at 5 a.m. for strength-and-conditioning training, followed by a morning run, and she does her boxing workouts at night.

“I’m an early riser,” she admitted, “so I don’t have any trouble (managing her time). I do have a job to do, rules are rules and laws are laws, and I try to make people’s days easier when I go on  call. In the ring, though, I give my opponents a hard time.”

Williams started in combat sports as a kickboxer when she was 13, competed for the first time when she was 15, and she first started boxing in 2013. She took seven years off from boxing, although she always popped into the gym like she did when she met Keefe.

“I was policing, but you can’t play boxing,” she admitted. “I wasn’t all in (boxing). It was like riding a bike. I’ve learned a few things that have helped me in boxing. I have to be calm doing police work like I do in the ring. The level of confidence I have as a police officer helps me in the ring, too.

There were a couple of other issues. In 2015, she and her father were both shot during a home invasion. Williams was shot below the hip, her father in the toe. Doctors chose not to take out the bullet because of potential nerve damage and/or infection, believing exercising would safely move the bullet away from nerve damage. “If I ran six miles,” she noted, “my leg would go numb. I needed to build strength in my left and, as long as I do yoga and stretch, I’m good now.”

During her respite from boxing, Williams added weight and when she was ready to commit to boxing, she needed to lose weight and lost 65 pounds.

“When I saw Dave,” the 27-year-old Williams added, “ I knew I had to get back in shape before I contacted him about training me. It was the best decision I ever made.”

One other pertinent question is if she will remain boxing as an amateur or turn pro.

“I’m happy being part of USA Boxing,” she concluded, “but I’ll listen if the right deal is offered. I did open a lot of eyes at The National Golden Gloves.”

Emilio Garcia one win away from Qualifying to Compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

BANGKOK, Thailand (May 29, 2024) — Emilio Garcia (Laredo Texas) is just one win away from qualifying to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Garcia defeated Joseph Commey out of Ghana in dominating fashion. Garcia won each of the judges’ votes in all three rounds including two 10-8 scores in the third round.

Garcia is now just one win away from achieving his lifelong dream and qualifying to the Olympic Games. Only one boxer stands in his way and that will be the winner of Abdallah Abou- Arab from Denmark and Oier Ibarreche from Spain.“We are on to the qualification round and make sure you tune in,” Garcia stated after his victory on Wednesday. “I feel good and look forward to Friday.”

Tomorrow, May 30, is the first day of the livestream and it can be watched here.

Team USA heavyweight, Jamar Talley (Camden, N.J.) will get things started tomorrow as he will face Leclerc Nogaus from Haiti. Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) will make her second appearance and will go against Olga -Pavlina Papadatou out of Greece. Lastly, Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) will make him Olympic qualifier debut against Yuberjen Martinez from Spain.

Team USA is represented by eight boxers in Italy who hope to punch their ticket to this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The team is being guided by USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).

INFORMATION:
Website: www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing 

ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to  promote and grow Olympic-style amateur boxing in the United States and to inspire the tireless pursuit of Olympic gold and enable athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence. Additionally, USA Boxing endeavors to teach all participants the character, confidence and focus they need to become resilient and diverse champions, both in and out of the ring. USA Boxing is one team, one nation, going for gold!

Robby Gonzales secured Team USA’s second win in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand (May 25, 2024) — Robby Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.) secured Team USA second win with a unanimous decision victory over Ahmed Badrani out of Morocco on the second day of boxing in Bangkok, Thailand.

Gonzales dominated the whole bout as he won the first two rounds 4-1 and then won the last round 5-0 leading to a unanimous decision victory over the boxer out of Morocco.

The 2021 World Champion gold medalist will now fight on Monday against the winner of Weerapon Jongjoho out of Thailand and Vladimir Mironchikov from Serbia.

“Got the first one out the way and I got four more to go,” a determined Robby Gonzales stated after his debut at the 2024 World Qualification Tournament.

Team USA is represented by eight boxers in Italy who hope to punch their ticket to this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The team is being guided by USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).

Day 2 Results

80 kg: Robby Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, dec. over Ahmed Badrani, MAR, 5-0

Day 3 Schedule

63.5 kg: Emilio Garcia, Laredo, Texas/USA, vs. Ismail Umar FIN

INFORMATION:

Website: www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxing

ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to  promote and grow Olympic-style amateur boxing in the United States and to inspire the tireless pursuit of Olympic gold and enable athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence. Additionally, USA Boxing endeavors to teach all participants the character, confidence and focus they need to become resilient and diverse champions, both in and out of the ring. USA Boxing is one team, one nation, going for gold!

Alyssa Mendoza gets Team USA’s first win 

In Bangkok at final Olympic Boxing Qualifier

BANGKOK, Thailand – May 25, 2024 —  Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) picked up Team USA first win with a unanimous decision victory over Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag out of Mongolia in day one of boxing in Bangkok, Thailand.

Mendoza, who won three medals in 2023, is looking for a similar result in Bangkok. In her first round she took the judges’ scorecards 3-2 but Tumurkhuyag grabbed the second round, and the scores were all tied up going into the third and final round.

The Idaho native came out hot in the third round and took all five judges’ scorecards and won on a unanimous decision. Alyssa needs three more wins to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“Got the first day and win out the way. It was a tougher fight than I expected, but I am moving on and will make those adjustments and get better every day,” stated Mendoza after her first win in Bangkok.

Mendoza will now wait until May 30 for her next fight. She will go head-to-head against Olga-Pavlina Papadatou out of Greece.  Mendoza is looking to make history in this tournament and be the first boxer out of Idaho to qualify for the Olympics.

Team USA is represented by seven boxers in Thailand who hope to punch their ticket to this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The team is being guided by USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).

Day 1 Results

57 kg: Alyssa Mendoza, Caldwell, Idaho/USA, dec. over Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag, MGL, 5-0

Day 2 Schedule

80 kg: Robby Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, vs. Ahmed Badrani, MAR

INFORMATION:

Website: www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxin

ABOUT USA BOXING:  The mission of USA Boxing shall be to  promote and grow Olympic-style amateur boxing in the United States and to inspire the tireless pursuit of Olympic gold and enable athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence. Additionally, USA Boxing endeavors to teach all participants the character, confidence and focus they need to become resilient and diverse champions, both in and out of the ring. USA Boxing is one team, one nation, going for gold!

USA Boxing Women’s Championships in Ohio to be delivered in association with World Boxing

The inaugural USA Boxing Women’s Championships in Toledo, Ohio, July 22-29, 2023, will be delivered in association with World Boxing.

The eight-day invitational event is open to novice (beginner) and open (experienced) boxers of all ages from pee wee (aged 8-10) to masters (35 and over) and aims to create opportunities for women of all ages and abilities to compete.

More than 200 boxers from eight National Federations across four continents are currently registered to take part.

The President of USA Boxing and a member of World Boxing’s Interim Executive Board, Tyson Lee, said: “USA Boxing is extremely proud to be able to host this event in association with World Boxing.  The Championships aim to celebrate women and create valuable competition opportunities for female boxers of all standards and ages. 

“Working with USA Boxing to deliver this event is a sign of World Boxing’s support for boxers at every level, from the grassroots to the elite, and its commitment to creating competitive opportunities that will enable all boxers to flourish.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023.  It will hold its inaugural Congress in November and plans to publish details of its competition strategy, tournament calendar and the bidding process for staging events in the latter part of 2023.

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Las Vegas’ Rahim Gonzales Wins Gold and Boxer of Tournament on Final Day of 2023 Strandja Tournament

Rahim Gonzales wins gold at 2023 Strandja.jpg

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (February 27, 2023) —  Rahim Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.) picked up his third straight international gold medal yesterday on the final day of boxing at the 2023 Stranjda Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Gonzales took all five judges’ cards over Hambardzum Hakobyan of Armenia during today’s light heavyweight championship bout. All five judges scored the bout 30-27 to give Gonzales Team USA’s lone gold medal of the tournament and sixth medal overall.

The 2021 Elite Men’s World Champion path to gold included victories over Kristian Nikolov of Bulgaria (4-0), Kein Boakye Schumann of Germany (4-1) and Jasurbek Yuldoshev of Uzbekistan (5-0).

At the conclusion of the event Gonzales was also announced as the winner of the Runner-up Boxer of the Tournament award.

Gonzales gold resulted in six Team USA medals, as the team earned five bronze medals during Saturday’s semi-final bouts.

This marked the 74th edition of the Strandja Tournament and Team USA’s first time competing in the event since 2020. USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is leading the team at the tournament, along with Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas), Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), Jose Polanco (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Richard Stephenson (Middletown, N.Y.) and Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.). This year’s event featured over 375 boxers from around the world.

Finals Results

80 kg: Rahim Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, dec. over Hambardzum Hakobyan/ARM, 5-0

INFORMATION:

Website: www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing, @therealrahim

Instagram: @USABoxing, @RahimGonzales

Facebook: /USABoxing, / RahimGonzalesEAGonzales

Georgia flyweight Sa’Rai “Warrior Princess” Brown-El the future face of women’s boxing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 14, 2022) – Georgia flyweight Sa’Rai “Warrior Princess” Brown-El is on a sensational run as she prepares to compete in the upcoming Youth World Championships, November 14-26, in La Nucia, Spain.

The 17-year-old from Marietta is a three-time National Junior Olympic champion (2017-19) who has also captured gold medals at the 2021 USA Boxing Youth National Championships, 2020 USA Boxing Junior National Championships, 2019 Junior Open and  2019 National PAL, among the many titles she owns.

She got into boxing at the age of 8 in Albany, New York, where her family was visiting, eventually leading them all to her uncle’s gym. Her father originally wanted her brothers to box, but Sa’Rai also wanted to get involved in combat sports. It was a natural transition for her, who is a legacy boxer because her father, mother and brothers have all boxed.

“Me and my mom went to find a pair of gloves after we were told there weren’t any left. I started hitting the bag and then I did mitts with my uncle. That’s where I fell in love with the sport and discovered I was naturally born to do this.”

She has excelled in every area on her remarkable roll, which she will attempt to extend at the Youth World Championships over the next two weeks.

“I am super pumped and ready to go to Spain for the Youth Worlds,” the ultra-confident Sa’Rai said. “My mindset is on gold. My manifestation and hard work will put me in top by the last day with the gold medal around my neck on that number one podium. It’s truly a blessing to be representing the USA.

“My biggest challenge is probably myself; boxing is 90-percent mental, meaning I have to have a mindset that nothing can be hard enough to stop me from reaching my goals. My short-range goals, right now, are to win the Youth Worlds and finish out the year making the Youth High Performance Team. Long range, I’d say, is to fight in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Being world champ, looked up to as an inspiration to all and, most importantly, having proven to be the most feared female boxer.”

Brown-El believes USA Boxing has helped in terms of working against other styles at tournaments, in addition to benefiting from training with her elite stablemates, and under the guidance of world-class coaches, at the state-of-the-art United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“I can show my skills and have learned many other skills and drills there (training center) to become a universal boxer,” she noted. “I’ve been able to go against every style there is in international fighting and be able to dominate every time. USA Boxing has taught me very valuable lessons: to be professional, disciplined and dedicated, because there are a lot of obstacles that come with it. For me, being professional is the only way to have a career in this sport.”
Winning at the 2021 National to be part of the 2022 Youth High Performance Team, thus far, are the highlights of her relatively young boxing career. To win that gold medal, Sa’Rai explained, she needed to push through injuries that nearly forced her to pull out of the tournament.

Brown-El has a high ring IQ. Basically, the sweet science is about hitting the opponent without getting hit, especially in Olympic style boxing. Her ring IQ is advanced beyond her years, using angles, constantly moving, and confusing her opponent with her evasiveness. And, Brown-El quickly adds, that doesn’t mean she won’t bang if needed.

“I love representing my country,” she concluded. “I want to show the world we are the greatest. Team USA will come out on top at the Youth Worlds. My message for U.S. boxing fans is to keep watching. The future of boxing is coming in hot!”

INFORMATION: www.usaboxing,org Twitter: @USABoxingInstagram: @USABoxingFacebook: /USABoxing 

ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also to oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States.