Team USA picked up another five wins last night at the 2022 AMBC Elite Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, advancing three to their respective finals and two to their semifinals, making the Americans medal total to be 13.
Amelia Moore (Colorado Springs, Colo.) began the day by picking up the 4-1 decision over 2020 Olympian Yenia Arias of Colombia. Moore has now advanced to tomorrow’s semifinal bout against Ashleyanna Lozada Motta of Puerto Rico.
Joining Moore in tomorrow’s second day of semifinals is 2021 Elite Men’s World Champion Rahim Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.). Gonzales finally made his tournament debut today, and did so in dominating fashion, taking all five judges’ cards over Johjan Sinisterra of Colombia to secure a medal and a spot in tomorrow’s bout with Dominican Republic’s Cristian Pinales.
Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas) kept Team USA’s winning momentum going by stopping her opponent, Genesis Gomez of Colombia, in the second round. Lozano, who is competing in her first international tournament, gave her opponent a standing eight count in the first and second rounds before the referee waved the contest off. Lozano will now go for gold on Thursday against Tatiana Milagros of Argentina.
Three-time World Champion Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.), who is competing in her first international bouts since a duel in 2018, continued to show she should not be counted out at the highest stage. Gonzalez kept her composure over a difficult opponent, Angie Pana of Colombia, to punch her ticket to Thursday’s finals against Rebeca Santos of Brazil with her 3-2 victory.
The final Team USA win came by way of walkover. Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Mass.), who had a bye in her weight classes first round, will now have to wait another day to finally step into the ring. Ellis will meet a familiar boxer, Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira, the 2019 World Champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist, on Thursday.
Flyweight Kayla Gomez (El Paso, Texas), who was a late minute replacement in this tournament, made the successful transition to elite international boxing this week, taking the bronze medal after falling short against Colombia’s Ingrit Valencia, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. Gomez, who won gold at the first ever Junior Pan American Games last year, is one of the few boxers to go from youth continental medalist to elite continental medalist, in less than six months’ time.
Today will be a busy day for the Americans, as nine boxers will compete for their shot at advancing to their finals. Follow all the action here.
Day 5 Results
50 kg: Jennifer Lozano, Laredo, Texas/USA, won by RSC over Genesis Gomez/COL, RSC 2
52 kg: Ingrit Valencia/COL dec. over Kayla Gomez, El Paso, Texas/USA, 5-0
57 kg: Amelia Moore, Colorado Springs, Colo./USA, dec. over Yenia Arias/COL, 4-1
60 kg: Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass./USA, won by walkover over Camila Bravo/COL, WO
63 kg: Jajaira Gonzlez, Glendora, Calif,/USA, dec. over Angie Paolo Pana/COL, 3-2
80 kg: Rahim Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, dec. over Johjan Caicedo Sinisterra/COL, 5-0
–boxingscene.com
