SOFIA, Bulgaria (February 24, 2026) – The USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team continued its dominance on day two of the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament, earning four more wins throughout Tuesday’s schedule. Team USA saw three boxers advance to the quarterfinals and one boxer advance to the Round of 16 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Team USA earned its first female victory of the tournament early on Tuesday after Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas) picked up right where she left off from last year. Perez dominated from start to finish, winning every judge’s vote, and delivered an 8-count in the third round of her 54-kilogram matchup. The Houston native secured a 5-0 victory over Germany’s Tatjana Obermeier and will now move on to the quarterfinals to face Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova on Thursday, Feb. 26.

As for the men’s side, Team USA saw two more boxers make their elite international debuts. Marcus Luther (Washington, D.C.) and Joseph Awinongya (Joliet, Ill.) each nabbed statement performances in their debuts, as Luther captured a win via RSC in the second round and Awinongya won via a unanimous decision. Luther dominated the first round, winning 5-0, including a 10-8 score from one judge. He then picked up his pace in round two and landed a right hook on Turkey’s Yigit Us, forcing the ref to stop the contest. Luther will now square off with Kazakhstan’s Yertugan Zeinulinov on Thursday, Feb. 26.

As for Awinongya, the Illinois native won every judge’s vote throughout the bout, earning a dominant 5-0 victory over Romania’s Jorge Luis Mayeta. Awinongya will now move on to the quarterfinals to face Kazakhstan’s Daulet Tulemissov on Friday, Feb. 27.

Also securing a win on Tuesday was Lorenzo Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii), marking his second victory of the event. After securing a 3-2 victory over Brazil’s Michael Trindade on Monday, Patricio went head-to-head with Timur Kabdeshov out of Kazakhstan in Tuesday’s Round of 16 matchup. The Team USA 55-kilogram representative got off to another hot start, winning the first round 4-1 before closing the bout with his second 4-1 decision of the week. Patricio will now face Uzbekistan’s Samandar Olimov in the quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 27.

Team USA also saw Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas) compete on Tuesday in her tournament opener against Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova. Lozano kept it close throughout the bout and entered the final round with a 2-1 deficit but ultimately fell short to her Kazakh counterpart by a 4-1 decision.

The USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team will see six more boxers competing on Wednesday, Feb. 25, including four boxers making their tournament debuts. Kicking it off day three for Team USA is the women’s captain and Paris 2024 Olympian Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho). Mendoza will take on Mongolia’s Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal in session one, Ring A, at approximately 8 a.m. ET.

Following Mendoza is Alisha Crockett (Phoenix, Arizona), who will make her international debut against Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volossenko in session one, Ring A, at approximately 9 a.m. ET. Rounding out the women’s team on Wednesday’s slate is Marie-Angelis Rosendo (Deland, Fla.), who will go head-to-head with Kazakhstan’s Laura Yessenkeldi in session two, Ring B, at approximately 11:30 a.m. ET.

Looking ahead at the three Team USA men’s boxers competing on Wednesday, Salim Ellis-Bey (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Robby Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.) will return to the ring in the Round of 16, looking to advance to the quarterfinals, while Kelvin Watts makes his tournament debut in the Round of 16 in the 90+ kilogram division.

Ellis-Bey will face Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan in session one, Ring A, at approximately 10:30 a.m. ET, closing out the first session for the United States. Gonzales will face Brazil’s Wanderley Pereira in session two, Ring B, at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. Watts will then close the day for the United States with his tournament opener in the 90+ kilogram division, where he will take on Germany’s Younes Ouchaou.

Tournament information, including daily bout sheets, results, tournament updates, and more, can be found on the USA Boxing website, where followers can find the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament event page.

Tuesday, February 24 Results:

Women’s 54kg: Yoseline Perez, USA vs. Tatjana Obermeier, Germany | W 5-0

Women’s 51kg: Jennifer Lozano, USA vs. Feruza Kazakova, Uzbekistan | L 4-1

Men’s 55kg: Lorenzo Patricio, USA vs. Timur Kabdeshov, Kazakhstan | W 4-1

Men’s 65kg: Marcus Luther, USA vs. Yigit Us, Turkey | W RSC-2

Men’s 90kg: Joseph Awinongya, USA vs. Jorge Luis Mayeta, Romania | W 5-0

Wednesday, February 25 Schedule:

Women’s 57kg: Alyssa Mendoza vs. Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal, Mongolia | Ring A | ~8:00 a.m. ET

Women’s 60kg: Alisha Crockett vs. Rimma Volossenko, Kazakhstan | Ring A | ~9:00 a.m. ET Men’s 60kg: Salim Ellis-Bey vs. Artur Bazeyan, Armenia | Ring A | ~10:30 a.m. ET

Women’s 65kg: Marie-Angelis Rosendo vs. Laura Yessenkeldi, Kazakhstan | Ring B | ~11:30 a.m. ET

Men’s 80kg: Robby Gonzales vs. Wanderley Pereira, Brazil | Ring B | ~12:30 p.m. ET

Men’s 90+kg: Kelvin Watts vs. Younes Ouchaou, Germany | Ring A | ~1:00 p.m. ET
 

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