Team USA Boxing Shines In International Tournament

Joscelyn 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 shut out Sula on the scorecards for the unanimous decision victory to earn her first international medal.

Alexis Tangaro of Waianae, Hawaii  (women’s 54 kgs / bantamweight)

Alexis Tangaro followed suit with a 5-0 victory of her own over Lithuania’s Jelizaveta Jakimova. The Hawaiian was poised in the pocket and landed her shots with precision to earn her second win of the tournament. The medal marks the first international honor of her amateur career.

Lorenzo Patricio of Waianae, Hawaii (men’s 50 kgs / flyweight)

Lorenzo Patricio flustered opponent Taj Harrington of Australia with his movement and picked his shots as he circled his foe. 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.

Salim Ellis-Bey of Philadelphia (men’s 60 kgs / lightweight)

Salim Ellis-Bey bullied his Azerbaijan opponent, Babayev Subhan, to get the 5-0 win. It was his fourth victory of the week. The Philadelphia native applied heavy pressure throughout the bout and damaged his opponent with several heavy-handed shots. It was a successful result as Ellis-Bey closed out his first international tournament.

Lavant Brownlee of Louisville, Kentucky (men’s 65 kgs / welterweight)

Lavant 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 native.

Joseph Awinongya of Joliet, Illinois (men’s 80 kgs / middleweight)

Joseph Awinongya was dominant against Australia’s Khaled Bassal in the opening two rounds, then turned up the heat in the final round and forced an eight-count, convincing the Australian team to throw in the towel. Awinongya is experienced in international competition, winning his latest medal after earning three wins throughout the week.

Nnajai Wright, Richmond, Virginia (men’s 90+ kgs / heavyweight)

Nnajai Wright closed the show with an outstanding performance for the U.S. in the heavyweight division against Ahmed Abdulgamidov of Germany. Abdulgamidov had a significant height and reach advantage over Wright. But the American executed his game plan, picking his German opponent apart. Wright used 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.

Of the 13 athletes in competition for the USA Boxing Youth High Performance team at the Brandenburg Cup, 11 left with medals. All 14 athletes on the Youth High Performance roster showed tremendous potential throughout the year.

It’s been a great summer for the team, which also earned seven gold medals at the 53rd annual USA Boxing National Junior Olympics and Summer Festival in Las Vegas Nevada, in June.

Although the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games are still three years away, it’s hopeful news as the athletes progress throughout the current Olympic cycle. American boxers managed just a single bronze medal in the Paris 2024 games by Omari Jones.

Team USA is led by head coach Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, North Carolina), and assisted by Jason Hamilton (Spanaway, Washington), Ronald Wright (Columbus, Georgia), and Yessenia Montalvo (Bloomfield, New Jersey).