(FEB 25) SOFIA, Bulgaria – USA Boxing earned
three more wins at the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament in Sofia,
Bulgaria, on Wednesday. Team USA saw six boxers enter the ring throughout the
day, and the three winners secured their positions in the quarterfinals of their
respective weight classes.
Team USA’s women’s captain, Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho), kicked off the day
for the Americans and nabbed her first win of 2026. The Paris 2024 Olympian
earned a unanimous decision over Mongolia’s Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal to advance
to the quarterfinals, where she will face Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek on
Thursday, Feb. 26.
As for the men’s team, Salim Ellis-Bey (Philadelphia, Pa.) secured his second
victory in Bulgaria by claiming a unanimous decision, his first of the week,
over Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan. Ellis-Bey will now square off against Brazil’s
Luiz Oliveira, a 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist and a Paris
2024 Olympian, on Friday, Feb. 27.
Earning Team USA’s final victory of the day was the super heavyweight Kelvin
Watts (Chesapeake, Va.). The two-time international medalist stamped his first
win of the year with a decisive 5-0 result over Germany’s Younes Ouchaou. With
the win, Watts advances to the quarterfinals to take on Bulgaria’s Yordan
Morejon.
Also competing for the United States on Wednesday were Alisha Crockett (Phoenix,
Arizona), Marie-Angelis Rosendo (Deland, Fla.) and Robby Gonzales (Las Vegas,
Nev.). While each of their Americans went the distance in their respective
bouts, Crockett, Rosendo and Gonzales each fell by a 5-0 decision.
Team USA will see another active day on Thursday, Feb. 26, with six Americans
competing, four of whom will contest quarterfinal matchups. With medal rounds
implications on the line, Team USA has its first opportunity to guarantee medals
in those quarterfinal matchups on Thursday. Winners in the quarterfinal rounds
will advance to the medal rounds and continue their pursuit of gold medals.
The USA Boxing Elite High Performance team will face four Kazakhstan boxers on
Thursday, beginning with Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas) against Zhaina
Shekerbekova. After Perez, Mendoza will return to the ring for the second
consecutive day of competition, this time against Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek.
Simona Winkler (Seattle, Wash.) and Naomi Graham will make their tournament
debuts in the quarterfinals, with Winkler facing Ukraine’s Anastasiia
Chernokolenko and Graham taking on Kazakhstan’s Mariya Sidorenko.
As for the United States’ men’s contingent, Marcus Luther (Washington, D.C.)
returns to the ring after earning a second-round RSC in his elite international
debut against Turkey on Tuesday. Luther will face a 2025 World Boxing
Championships bronze medalist from Kazakhstan, Yertugan Zeinulinov. Lavant
Brownlee (Louisville, Ky.) will then close the day for Team USA and will do so
against Armenia’s Harutyun Hakobkokhyan.
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.
Wednesday, February 25 Results:
Women’s 57kg: Alyssa Mendoza vs. Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal, Mongolia | W 5-0
Women’s 60kg: Alisha Crockett vs. Rimma Volossenko, Kazakhstan | L 5-0
Women’s 65kg: Marie-Angelis Rosendo vs. Laura Yessenkeldi, Kazakhstan | L 5-0
Men’s 60kg: Salim Ellis-Bey vs. Artur Bazeyan, Armenia | W 5-0
Men’s 80kg: Robby Gonzales vs. Wanderley Pereira, Brazil | L 5-0
Men’s 90+kg: Kelvin Watts vs. Younes Ouchaou, Germany | W 5-0
Thursday, February 26 Schedule:
Women’s 54kg: Yoseline Perez vs. Zhaina Shekerbekova, Kazakhstan | Ring A |
~8:00 a.m. ET
Men’s 70kg: Lavant Brownlee vs. Harutyun Hakobkokhyan, Armenia | Ring B | ~9:45
a.m. ET
Men’s 65kg: Marcus Luther vs. Yertugan Zeinulinov, Kazakhstan | Ring A | ~10:15
a.m. ET
Women’s 57kg: Alyssa Mendoza vs. Ulzhan Sarsenbek, Kazakhstan | Ring A | ~11:00
a.m. ET
Women’s 70kg: Simona Winkler vs. Anastasiia Chernokolenko, Ukraine | Ring A |
~12:30 p.m. ET
Women’s 75kg: Naomi Graham vs. Mariya Sidorenko, Kazakhstan | Ring B | ~1:00
p.m. ET
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