Elijah Lugo: The Making of a Champion

Elijah "Kaboom" Lugo and his journey to the top of amateur boxing has not been smooth or easy, in fact, it has proven quite the opposite. His story is one of grit, determination and, above all, growth.

Lugo's journey into ring began when he was just six years old. Inspired by his older brother Nathan Lugo and his dad, Elijah found himself tethered to the sport through those sturdy family ties.  His first competitive bout was not a fairy-tale ending, in fact, the first time he stepped into the ring he was knocked out. While that conclusion served as a humbling experience that could have shattered the confidence of most, it ignited Elijah to persevere to become great.

While he took many lessons from his first loss, her persisted through 12 more losses, bringing his record to 0-13. At times, he questioned whether boxing was truly his path; however, he ultimately found his footing and captured his first victory in his 14th fight, a moment Lugo still treasures to this day.

“When I won that fight, it felt like all the hard work paid off. It is my proudest moment so far,” he reminisces with a big smile lighting up his face.

But even with that victory, Lugo knew the journey was far from over. The next fight ended in another loss but then once he picked up that second and third win, he explained that he instantly became addicted to winning.

From that point on, Lugo's career caught fire, not in giant leaps, but in steady, consistent growth. By the time he was 13, Elijah "Kaboom" Lugo was a force to be reckoned with in the ring. He began to dominate his opponents.

The support of his family, especially his older brother Nathan, has been a key factor in Lugo’s success. The brotherly love also comes with competitiveness, as they would try and see who could win the most USA Boxing national events in their amateur career. They also would try and see who could win by the most RSCs.

“Nathan is my best friend,” Elijah says. “We understand each other’s goals, and we hold each other accountable. We’re warriors, and we push each other to be better.”

But no boxer achieves greatness alone. Elijah credits much of his success to his dad, Mike Lugo, who has been both his coach and his role model throughout his life.

“My dad is more than just a coach,” Elijah says. “He’s a leader. He shows me how to get the job done, even when things are tough. He doesn’t break under pressure, and that’s something I admire. Not just in boxing, but in life.”

But the Lugo family’s support doesn’t stop there. Elijah’s mom and his local gym, Lugo’s Gym, have been constant sources of encouragement throughout his amateur career.

“Everyone thinks it is one person in the ring, but it is so much more,” Lugo stated. “The fight is decided by two boxers who box, but to get the result you want it’s everyone around you that leads up to the fight.”

Elijah has now claimed 26 USA Boxing national titles and is continuing his dominance with an impressive 90-percent stoppage rate over his last 20 amateur bouts. He recently carried his talents to the international stage and won a gold medal in the 80kg weight division at the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships. He cemented his position in history with that gold medal at the inaugural World Boxing World Championships, and he did it his way, with confidence and dominance. On the way to that World Boxing U19 Championships gold medal, his wins featured a RSC(3), a 3-2 split decision victory and a unanimous decision in the championship bout.