(AUG 4) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Last
Saturday, the United States closed out the 2025 Brandenburg Cup in Frankfurt (Oder),
Germany, in dominant fashion. After qualifying seven athletes for gold medal
rounds, all seven Team USA boxers finished the day with their hands raised after
the final bell. All told, the USA secured 11 medals for the week, including
seven gold and four bronze.
Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz (women’s 48 kilograms | Las Cruces, N.M.) and Alexis
Tangaro (women’s 54 kilograms | Waianae, Hawaii) were the two Team USA women's
gold medalists on Saturday. Lorenzo Patricio (men’s 50 kg | Waianae, Hawaii),
Salim Ellis-Bey (men’s 60 kilograms | Philadelphia, Pa.), Lavant Brownlee (men’s
65 kilograms | Louisville, Ky.), Joseph Awinongya (men’s 80 kilograms | Joliet,
Ill.) and Nnajai Wright (men’s 90+ kilograms | Richmond, Va.) found their way
atop the podium on the USA men’s side.
Olayo-Munoz opened the day with a flawless performance in the opening bout. She
stayed on the attack against her Italian opponent, Amelia Sula, and showed her
ability to be the aggressor and deal out punishment throughout the bout. Olayo-Munoz
blanked Sula and ultimately earned the unanimous decision victory to earn her
first international medal and set the tone for the day for Team USA.
Tangaro checked into the ring two bouts later and followed suit with a 5-0
victory of her own over Lithuania’s Jelizaveta Jakimova. The Waianae, Hawaii,
product was poised in the pocket and landed her shots with precision to score
the unanimous decision and earn her second win of the tournament. The medal
marks the first international honor of her amateur career.
Patricio stepped back into the ring with an extra day of rest behind him and put
that additional recovery to good use in his 50-kg title bout. He flustered
Australia’s Taj Harrington with his movement and danced around the ring, picking
his shots as he circled his foe. As he typically does, Patricio turned up the
volume of his attacks throughout the bout and ultimately closed it out with a
5-0 win. After receiving his gold medal, Patricio was also named the Best
Technician of the tournament after racking up three wins over the final three
days.
Ellis-Bey bullied his Azerbaijan opponent, Babayev Subhan, for three rounds
before ultimately scoring the 5-0 win, marking his fourth victory of the week.
The Philadelphia, Pa., native applied heavy pressure throughout the bout and
damaged his opponent with several heavy-handed shots. Ellis-Bey closed out his
first international tournament and claimed the medal that he focused on
throughout his 2025 preparations.
Brownlee closed out the week with two 5-0 decisions, one in the opening round
and another in the semifinals, one RSC in the quarterfinals, and a walkover
decision in Saturday’s championship bout. The 65-kg title also marks the first
international medal for the Louisville, Ky., native.
Awinongya impressed the masses once again and earned his second win by
abandonment of the week, this time against Australia’s Khaled Bassal. After
cooking Bassal for the opening two rounds, Awinongya turned up the heat in the
final round and forced another eight count with his powerful right hand, which
convinced the Australian team to throw in the towel. Awinongya is no stranger to
international success and claims his latest medal after earning three wins
throughout the week.
Wright closed the show with an outstanding performance for the United States in
the 90+ kg showdown against Germany’s Ahmed Abdulgamidov. While Abdulgamidov
held an incredible reach advantage over Wright, the Richmond, Va., native had a
strategic game plan in place to pick his German foe apart. Wright once again
utilized his agility to find his way inside his opponent’s defense and
subsequently landed a flurry of damaging uppercuts. While Abdulgamidov looked
strong in the first round, Wright was able to wear him down and drag him into
deep waters throughout the second and third rounds. Ultimately, Wright closed
the bout with a 3-0 decision, regaining favor from the judges after falling
behind early in the bout.
The USA Boxing Youth High Performance team has successfully concluded its
international schedule for 2025. Of the 13 athletes in competition at the
Brandenburg Cup, 11 left with medals. All 14 athletes on the Youth High
Performance roster have shown tremendous potential throughout the year and are
sure to leave a lasting legacy within the USA Boxing High Performance department
throughout the current Olympic cycle.
Team USA is led by head coach Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.), and
assisted by Jason Hamilton (Spanaway, Wash.), Ronald Wright (Columbus, Ga.) and
Yessenia Montalvo (Bloomfield, N.J.).
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