Four World Champions Crowned: Panamerican Boxing Confederation Caps Historic Campaign at 2026 World Boxing U19 Championships

COMPETITIONS

10/28/20262 min read

BUDVA, MONTENEGRO – Panamerican Boxing Confederation concluded a historic campaign at the 2026 World Boxing U19 Championships on Tuesday, capturing four World Championship gold medals, one silver, and seven bronze medals. Across the championships in Budva, confederation boxers claimed 12 total podium finishes, led by world title triumphs from Argentina, Brazil, and the United States.

Tuesday’s championship sessions featured five Panamerican finalists. Confederation boxers seized four gold medals across diverse weight divisions:

Elissandra Santos (BRA | Women’s 48 kg): Santos delivered a masterclass in the tournament's opening world final. Setting a ferocious pace behind sharp lead hooks and lateral movement, Santos dominated Japan’s Hiyori Miki to take a unanimous points decision and secure World Gold for Brazil.
Edgardo Nicolás Peralta (ARG | Men’s 60 kg): Capping an extraordinary tournament run that included an explosive third-round stoppage and a tactical semifinal upset, Peralta put on a technical clinic against Ireland’s Kalib Walshe. Working behind a punishing jab and clean combinations, Peralta swept all five judges’ scorecards (5:0) to become the U19 Men's Lightweight World Champion.
Marley McNealy (USA | Women’s 70 kg): Continuing her destructive championship form, McNealy outfought Uzbekistan’s Maftuna Yangieva in a high-tempo battle. Blending heavy body attacks with relentless ring pressure, McNealy took a clear 4:1 decision to claim world gold.
Lauryn Elmore (USA | Women’s 65 kg): In an evening session thriller, Elmore executed a tactical showcase against Russia’s Bella Zueva. Dictating distance and countering with precision, Elmore swept all five scorecards for a 5:0 unanimous points victory, sealing her crown as World Champion.
Ruby Lopez (USA | Women’s 51 kg): Battling fiercely in the women’s flyweight final, Lopez battled through three grueling rounds against Uzbekistan’s Nazokat Mardonova, finishing with a hard-earned World Championship Silver Medal (1:4).

Overall Tournament Conclusion: A Benchmark Era for Panamerican Boxing

The 2026 World Boxing U19 Championships marked a breakthrough showing for Panamerican Boxing Confederation on the international stage. Across the global field, the Americas contingent asserted extraordinary depth, competitive resilience, and technical versatility:

Elite Global Standing: Panamerican federations finished prominently in the final medal standings, with the United States finishing 3rd in the world (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) and Brazil placing 10th (1 Gold, 2 Bronze), while Argentina ranked 12th with its gold medal.
Continental Breadth: Medal achievements spanned across North America, the Caribbean, and South America, with six separate national member federations—Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, the United States, and Venezuela—earning hardware. Supported by a deep quarterfinal run from Mexico, the confederation displayed remarkable competitiveness across both men’s and women’s rosters.
Decisive Execution: Panamerican boxers recorded an array of highlight-reel stoppages (RSC), clean knockouts, and clinical 5:0 unanimous shutouts against traditional powerhouses from Europe and Central Asia. The performance of our female athletes was especially notable, yielding three world titles and five additional podium placements.

Congratulations to all athletes, coaches, and National Federations for a strong showing from our region.

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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