The 13 boxers representing Team USA at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games over the next nine days at the Centro de Entrenamiento Olimpico have learned their opening bout opponent, as well as their potential pathway to the top of the podium in Santiago, Chile. Full first day opponents can be seen below.
Heavyweight Jamar Talley (Camden, N.J.) will start things off for USA Boxing on Friday, Oct. 20, when he will step into the ring against two-time Olympic Champion Julio Cesar La Cruz of Cuba. The lone session of the day will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Saturday, Oct. 21 will see three Americans begin their tournament. 2021 Elite World Championship silver medalist Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) will face Cuba’s Alejandro Claro Fiz in the first session of the day, which starts at 10:00 a.m. ET. The evening session, which begins at 5:00 p.m. ET, will have Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas) and Robby “Rahim” Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.) representing the red, white and blue.
Lozano will go head-to-head against Ecuador’s Susan Aguas, while Gonzales will meet a familiar opponent in Christian Javier Pinales of the Dominican Republic. Gonzales and Pinales faced each other during last year’s semifinal bout of the AMBC Elite Championships, with Gonzales taking the 4-1 decision.
Team USA will have a busy Sunday, as four boxers will begin their Pan American Games tournament.
2022 Youth World Champion Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas) will start the team for the day against Yeni Arias, the 2020 Olympian from Colombia, while Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.) faces Angel Llanos Perez of Puerto Rico. They will both be in the first session of the day.
The second session on Sunday will feature three-time amateur World Champion Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.) and 2023 GeeBee International Tournament champion Emilio Garcia (Laredo, Texas). Gonzalez first opponent will be Garinder Takhar of Canada, while Garcia takes on Jesus Nazaret Cova Romero, who won gold earlier this year at the AMBC Elite Boxing Championships.
Featherweight duo Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) and Jahmal Harvey (Oxon Hill, Md.) will begin their tournament on Monday, Oct. 23. Mendoza, who is schedule to be in the first session of the day, will meet Canada’s Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh, while Harvey, the 2021 Elite World Championship gold medalist, will take on the winner of the opening round matchup of Panama and Guyana.
Tuesday, Oct. 24 will feature Morelle McCane (Cleveland, Ohio), Naomi Graham (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Johsua Edwards (Houston, Texas) tournament debuts.
McCane, who secured a bye in the opening round of the 66 kg division, faces Nicole Vega Moya of Costa Rica, while reigning Pan American Games Champion Graham earned a bye and will wait to see if she will face either Cuba or Mexico in her opening bout.
Super heavyweight Edwards earned his own bye and will begin his tournament against either Chile or Ecuador.
This year marks the 19th edition of the Pan American Games, which has brought 174 boxers from 27 different countries to Santiago hopes of earning their place at next summer’s Paris Olympic Games 2024.
Team USA is being guided at these Games by USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.) along with assistant coach Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).
2023 Pan American Games Team Opening Bouts
Friday, Oct. 20th
92 kg: Jamar Talley, Camden, N.J./USA, vs. Julio Cesar La Cruz/CUB
Saturday, Oct. 21st
50 kg: Jennifer Lozano, Laredo, Texas/USA, vs. Susan Meylin Aguas Chala/ECU
51 kg: Roscoe Hill, Spring, Texas/USA, vs. Alejandro Claro Fiz/CUB
80 kg: Robby Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, vs. Christian Javier Pinales/DOM
Sunday, Oct. 22nd
54 kg: Yoseline Perez, Houston, Texas/USA, vs. Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda/COL
60 kg: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif./USA, vs. Garinder Takhar/CAN
63.5 kg: Emilio Garcia, Laredo, Texas/USA, vs. Jesus Nazaret Cova Romero/VEN
71 kg: Omari Jones, Orlando, Fla./USA, vs. Angel Llanos Perez/PUR
Monday, Oct. 23rd
57 kg: Alyssa Mendoza, Caldwell, Idaho/USA, vs. Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh/CAN
57 kg: Jahmal Harvey, Oxon Hill, Md./USA, vs. winner of PAN vs. GUY
Tuesday, Oct. 24th
66 kg: Morelle McCane, Cleveland, Ohio/USA, vs. Nicole Vega Moya/CRC
75 kg: Naomi Graham, Fayetteville, N.C./USA, vs. winner of CUB vs. MEX
92+ kg: Joshua Edwards, Houston, Texas/USA, vs. winner of CHI vs. ECU