2026 PBC ELITE CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DELIVER ELECTRIFYING OPENING DAY IN PUEBLA

COMPETITIONS

10/18/20263 min read

Puebla, Mexico - The opening day of the 2026 Panamerican Boxing Confederation (PBC) Elite Continental Championships concluded Sunday night in Puebla, Mexico, delivering 21 action-packed preliminary bouts across two sessions in Ring A.

Day 1 highlighted explosive stoppages and gritty battles as the Americas' top boxers began their quest for continental gold. Action resumes on Monday, October 19, with 25 bouts on schedule across two stacked sessions.

DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS & RECAP

Afternoon Session

The tournament launched with five bouts in the women’s ranks and five men’s contests, highlighted by early statements from Paraguay, Canada, and the Dominican Republic:

  • Women’s Featherweight (57 kg): Minerva Montiel of Paraguay earned a clinical unanimous points victory over Colombia’s Rosa Ternera in the tournament's opening bout. Canada’s Victoria Vergos (5:0 vs. Helen Sanchez of Ecuador) and the Dominican Republic’s Genesis De La Rosa (5:0 vs. Coraliz Cruz of Puerto Rico) also booked their quarterfinal spots via shutout decisions.

  • Host Nation Momentum: Host Mexico celebrated its first victory as Guadalupe Torres delivered a gritty 4:1 split-decision triumph over Cuba’s Magda Masso at 57 kg.

  • Piñeiro Shines at 70 kg: Puerto Rico’s Olympian Stephanie Piñeiro put on a dominant display against Mexico’s Siomara Figueroa Gomez, securing a clean unanimous decision.

  • Fastest Stoppage of the Day: In the men’s 90 kg division, Team USA standout Joseph Awinongya Jr. electrified the arena by halting Costa Rica’s Jaisen Steve Robinson Kohn via knockout in 42 seconds of Round 1.

  • Heavyweight Action: Colombia’s Harol Martinez forced a third-round RSC against Suriname’s Domelzo Schet at 65 kg, while Cuba’s Luis Vinet notched a 5:0 decision over Arnold Centurión (PAR). In the super heavyweights (+90 kg), Argentina’s Enzo Gallardo advanced with a hard-fought 4:1 win over Chile’s Andrew Salgado, while Juan Patiño (COL) received a walkover victory against Seth Lawrence (BAR).

Evening Session

Session 2 brought 12 matchups featuring thrilling technical bouts and high-class boxing:

  • Women’s 54 kg: Former World Champion Yeni Arias (COL) opened the evening by edging Chile’s Denisse Bravo in a competitive 4:1 split decision, followed by the Dominican Republic’s Estefani Almanzar sweeping Cuba’s Carysney Garcia.

  • Dominican Republic & Cuba Sweep at 70 kg: Colombia’s Alexander Rangel scored a 5:0 win over Venezuela’s Edinson Cassiani. Dominican boxer Ricardo Cuello took a split-decision victory (4:1) over USA's Lavant Brownlee in a highly competitive bout. Ecuador's Jose Rodriguez outpointed Mexico's Jorge Carreño 4:1, and Cuba's Yusnier Sorsano edged Argentina's Brandon Amaya 4:1.

  • Both Stoppages and Decisions at 80 kg: Cuba’s Jorge Cuellar proved victorious by abandonment after Robby Gonzales (USA) suffered a shoulder injury in the second round. Nicaragua’s Wilberth Jose Vega Rocha stopped Dominica’s Ali Shillingford with an RSC in the 3rd round. Noel Pacheco (DOM) and Abel Mina (ECU) picked up convincing wins. The night closed with a razor-thin 3:2 split decision as Puerto Rico’s Eliezer Brito narrowly defeated Mexico’s Brandon Fernandez.

DAY 2 PREVIEW (MONDAY, OCTOBER 19)

Day 2 will feature 25 bouts split across two sessions, officially adopting the standard championship start times of 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM local time (UTC-6).

Afternoon Session (12:00 PM Local / UTC-6)

The midday card opens directly into the Quarterfinals of the Elite Women’s 60 kg division, where semi-final berths and guaranteed continental medals are on the line, followed by the complete Round of 16 in the Elite Men’s 60 kg category:

  • EF 60 kg Quarterfinals:

    • Rebeca Santos (BRA) vs. Paula Hernandez (MEX)

    • Marie Al Ahmadieh (CAN) vs. Jajaira Gonzalez (USA)

    • Melani Girado (CUB) vs. Tianna Guy (TTO)

    • Katherine Jessica Bera (DOM) vs. Camila Camilo (COL)

  • EM 60 kg Round of 16:

    • Luiz Gabriel (BRA) vs. Joaquin Garcia (URU)

    • Ezequiel Medina Gomez (DOM) vs. Gabriel Saucedo Quiros (CRC)

    • Geronimo Seide (HAI) vs. Santiago Celes (ARG)

    • Jonathan Bonilla (PAN) vs. Brandol Perez (GUA)

    • Saidel Horta (CUB) vs. Adrian Gonzalez (PUR)

    • Santiago Montalvo (MEX) vs. Abishai Jean-Baptiste (BRB)

    • Duvan Zuleta (COL) vs. Abdul Taylor (TTO)

    • Wilson Solorzano (VEN) vs. Salim Ellis Bey (USA)

Evening Session (5:00 PM Local / UTC-6)

The evening session showcases the lighter weight classes, including five Round of 16 bouts in the women’s 51 kg bracket, a men's 50 kg quarterfinal, and seven Round of 16 matches at men's 55 kg:

  • EF 51 kg Round of 16

    • Dulce Diaz (GUA) vs. Saintelise Jean (HAI)

    • Tatiana Flores (ARG) vs. Dinaybi De Las Nieves (CUB)

    • Esther Jimenez (DOM) vs. Valeria Amparan (MEX)

    • Genesis Lopez (PUR) vs. Irismar Cardozo (VEN)

    • Yuliett Hinestroza (PAN) vs. Yerlin Quiñones (COL)

  • EM 50 kg Quarterfinal:

    • Isaiah Rock (CAN) vs. Armando Flores (PAN)

  • EM 55 kg Round of 16:

    • Max Tomines (CAN) vs. Sebastian Saucedo Quiros (CRC)

    • Diego Sosa (PAR) vs. Yoel Finol (VEN)

    • Jose Gonzalez (MEX) vs. Michael Douglas (BRA)

    • Daniel Mijangos (GUA) vs. Juan Devia (COL)

    • Yedrian Otero (PUR) vs. Yamil Sono (PER)

    • Lucas Fernandez (URU) vs. Alejandro Claro (CUB)

    • Luis Pachay (PAN) vs. Lorenzo Patricio (USA)

SCHEDULE & BROADCAST INFORMATION

Session Times for Monday, October 19 (Local Puebla Time / UTC-6):

  • Afternoon Session: 12:00 PM CST (1:00 PM EDT / CDT)

  • Evening Session: 5:00 PM CST (6:00 PM EDT / CDT)

Boxing fans across the globe can stream the entire tournament live:

Daily results, official bout orders, and bracket updates will be distributed after each session across official PBC digital channels and panamericanboxing.org.

About Panamerican Boxing Confederation (PBC):

Panamerican Boxing Confederation is the governing body for amateur and Olympic-style boxing in the Americas, dedicated to the development, governance, and promotion of the sport across its member National Federations.

Media contact: communication@panamericanboxing.org

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