Team USA Collects Three Bronze Medals on Day Four in Brazil
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by USA Boxing
Day four of the World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2025 concluded for Team USA on Thursday, April 3, in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. Team USA was led on the day by 54 kg boxer Yoseline Perez, who captured a split decision win over Italy's Srine Charaabi to advance to the gold medal bout of her weight class.
Perez put on a gritty performance despite falling behind 4-1 after the opening round. With plenty of work to do heading into the second round, she did just that and cut her deficit to 3-2 after the second round. She then carried that momentum into the final round and earned a 3-2 win to secure her spot in the gold medal match. Following the win, Perez will return to the ring on Saturday, April 5, in bout No. 96 against Poland's Wiktoria Rogalinska. She is guaranteed a medal as she approaches her final bout of the week, which will be her first international medal in the elite division.
In addition to Perez, Team USA also secured three bronze medals on the day from Carlos Flowers (70 kg), Morelle McCane (65 kg) and Kelvin Watts (90+ kg).
Flowers was the first American boxer to compete on Thursday, and he did so against England's Odel Kamara. Flowers carried a wave of momentum into his semifinal bout but was defeated 5-0. Although he suffered a setback against Kamara, Flowers' bronze medal marks the first international medal of his career.
McCane made her tournament debut in the evening session on Thursday, marking her first international appearance since the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Cleveland, Ohio, native battled against England's Sacha Hickey for all three rounds, but came up on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision, securing her first international medal of the year.
Watts closed out Thursday's evening session and squared off against a lengthy boxer from England, Damar Thomas. Watts entered the semifinal matchup with plenty of confidence after knocking off Brazil's Abner Junior, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, in the quarterfinals, but was defeated by Thomas, 5-0. Watts closed out his first international tournament with Team USA, marking a strong start to his young amateur boxing career.
Team USA will see one boxer in action on Friday, April 4, with Jennifer Lozano in action against Italy's Lucia Elen Ayari in bout No. 84. Lozano, another 2024 Olympic for Team USA, will make her second appearance of the week in the semifinal matchup with a path to the gold medal match on the line.
Thursday, April 3, Results:
70 kg: Odel Kamara, ENG defeats Carlos Flowers, Dover, DE/USA, 5-0
54 kg: Yoseline Perez, Houston, TX/USA defeats Sirine Charaabi, ITA, 2-1
65 kg: Sacha Hickey, ENG defeats Morelle McCane, Cleveland, OH/USA, 3-2
90+ kg: Damar Thomas, ENG defeats Kelvin Watts, Chesapeake, VA/USA, 5-1
Friday, April 4, Schedule:
51 kg: Jennifer Lozano, Laredo, TX/USA vs. Lucia Elen Ayari, ITA | Bout 84
