(OXNARD, CALIF.) – The United States’ women have grabbed the momentum at the inaugural Women’s International Dual Series in Oxnard, Calif. Team USA enjoyed six victories in the third day of action at the Oxnard PAL gym with Poland and Hungary claiming the other three wins on Friday night.

Two former world champions book ended the evening’s competition with victories as Poland’s Karolina Michalczuk opened the night with a 20-8 victory over the United States’ Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.), and two-time world champion Maria Kovacs of Hungary claimed a 10-0 decision over the United States’ Lisbet Vargas in the final bout of the night.

Yet the United States claimed six wins on the night as well, marking the most victories in one night of the competition for Team USA. Flyweight Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) kicked off a five bout winning streak for her U.S. squad, winning a 7-1 decision over Yasmina Musa Amakhtari of Spain. Lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) continued her own winning ways, taking a 24-4 victory over Canada’s Debbie Richards. Middleweight Alyssa DeFazio (Phoenix, Ariz.) grabbed a double digit victory over her own, recording a 16-3 decision over Tamara Fabiana Garcia Zaragoza of Spain. Flyweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) pushed the string of dominating wins to three with a 22-7 win over Vivien Mizsei of Hungary. Lightweight Caroline Barry (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned the final U.S. win of the night, pulling out a tiebreaker victory over Pikacs Mercedsz of Hungary.

Lightweight Stephanie Han (El Paso, Texas) won a medical disqualification over Poland’s Karolina Graczyk due to the Polish boxer suffering an eye injury.

The Women’s International Dual Series competitors will face off in the final night of action on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Oxnard PAL Gym. The competition will be live streamed on USA Boxing’s website at usaboxing.org/live. Those interested in purchasing DVDs of the competition should contact USA Boxing at (719) 866-2300.

Women’s International Dual Series Friday Results

112 lbs/51 kg: Karolina Michalczuk, Poland, dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md./USA, 20-8
132 lbs/60 kg: Stephanie Han, El Paso, Texas/USA, won on medical walk over Karolina Graczyk, Poland, DQ

165 lbs/75 kg: Lidia Fidura, Poland, dec. Kalita Marsh, Smithfield, N.C./USA, 24-4

112 lbs/51 kg: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash./USA, dec. Yasmina Musa Amakhtari, Spain, 7-1

132 lbs/60 kg: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash./USA, dec. Debbie Richards, Canada, 24-4

165 lbs/75 kg: Alyssa DeFazio, Phoenix, Ariz./USA dec. Tamara Fabiana Garcia Zaragoza, Spain, 16-3

112 lbs/51 kg: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y./USA, dec. Vivien Mizsei, Hungary, 22-7

132 lbs/60 kg: Caroline Barry, Colorado Springs, Colo./USA, dec. Pikacs Mercedesz, Hungary, Level 2 tie-breaker

165 lbs/75 kg: Maria Kovacs, Hungary, dec. Lisbet Vargas, Portland, Ore./USA, 10-0

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

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Julie Goldsticker
President, Goldsticker Public Relations