Team USA Dominates at 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup, Securing Multiple Medals

Bangkok, Thailand – The USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team is experiencing a surge of success at the 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup, having already secured at least one bronze medal and guaranteeing a minimum of eight more medals for the event. Friday’s bouts saw five American boxers advance to the semifinals, while several others are slated to compete on Saturday.

Friday’s Results: American Boxers Shine

Guadalupe Ruiz (women’s 54 kg | Anaheim, Calif.) continued her impressive run, securing her second Referee Stops Contest (RSC) victory of the tournament with a first-round stoppage against Egypt’s Hajer Wahba. Tapology reports the bout ended at 1:42 of the first round.

Christian Paez (men’s 55 kg | San Antonio, Texas) delivered a unanimous decision victory over Spain’s Manuel Bueno Jodar, further solidifying his position in the tournament.

Lauryn Elmore (women’s 65 kg | Sacramento, Calif.) made a strong tournament debut, earning a 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan’s Aisulu Mukhit in the quarterfinals. She secured two 10-8 scores during the bout.

Asaan Jenkins (men’s 65 kg | Washington, D.C.) also achieved a 5-0 victory, defeating Morocco’s Houssam Boucheta to advance to the semifinals.

Brijhana Epperson (women’s 57 kg | Kansas City, Mo.) advanced to the semifinals via walkover.

However, Asante Lamar (men’s 70 kg | Cincinnati, Ohio) faced a 3-2 loss to Kazakhstan’s Bibarys Ashirbay, ending his journey in the tournament.

Saturday’s Schedule: Semifinal Showdowns

Several American boxers will compete in the semifinals on Saturday, March 14th. Here’s the schedule:

• Women’s 54 kg: Guadalupe Ruiz vs. Jaya Kalsi (ENG) – Session 1, Ring B, Bout 2, Approximately 12:15 a.m. ET
• Women’s 57 kg: Brijhana Epperson vs. Aknur Tursyngali (KAZ) – Session 1, Ring A, Bout 3, Approximately 12:30 a.m. ET
• Women’s 70 kg: Marley McNealy vs. Kamila Ospanova (KAZ) – Session 1, Ring A, Bout 5, Approximately 1:00 a.m. ET
• Women’s 75 kg: Ariana Chavez vs. Samira Turgunova (UZB) – Session 1, Ring A, Bout 6, Approximately 1:15 a.m. ET
• Men’s 55 kg: Christian Paez vs. Jonathan Bibriesca (MEX) – Session 1, Ring B, Bout 10, Approximately 2:15 a.m. ET
• Men’s 85 kg: Angel Blancarte vs. Nursultan Kystaubay (KAZ) – Session 1, Ring B, Bout 13, Approximately 3:00 a.m. ET
• Women’s 65 kg: Lauryn Elmore vs. Aya Essoubai (MAR) – Session 2, Ring A, Bout 2, Approximately 6:15 a.m. ET
• Men’s 65 kg: Asaan Jenkins vs. Kunimitsu Honjo (JPN) – Session 2, Ring B, Bout 3, Approximately 6:30 a.m. ET

Team USA Leadership

The USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team is led by National Development Coach Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.), with assistance from High Performance Pool coaches Holly Gregson (Idaho Falls, Idaho), Jason Hamilton (Spanaway, Wash.), Yessenia Montalvo (Bloomfield, N.J.), and Ronald Wright (Columbus, Ga.).

For more information and updates on the 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup, visit the USA Boxing website.