Venezuelan Surge, Brazilian Precision, and Stoppage Drama Headline Day 5 at XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026; PBC Previews Loaded Finals in Rafaela

COMPETITIONS

9/18/20263 min read

RAFAELA, ARGENTINA – The boxing tournament at the XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026 delivered an electric 12-bout card on Thursday afternoon at the sub-venue in Rafaela, featuring dominant sweeps, a thrilling stoppage, and major shifts in momentum across six weight categories.

Venezuela engineered a massive day in the ring, claiming four commanding victories. Diana Marquez controlled her Women’s 54kg contest against Chile’s Denisse Vilches for a 5:0 sweep, while Omailyn Cegovia shut out Paraguay’s Minerva Mereles 5:0 at Women’s 57kg. At Women’s 75kg, Maryelis Burguillos delivered a clinical 5:0 performance over Uruguay’s Ailen Victoria Cabrera. Edinson Alvarado completed the Venezuelan charge by defeating Argentine crowd favorite Mateo Tavarone by 5:0 unanimous decision at 70kg.

Brazil matched that authority with four key victories. Star featherweight Jucielen Romeu earned a 4:1 decision over Argentina’s Luz Arancibia at W57kg. In the men's brackets, Yuri Reis swept Venezuela’s Joiser Medina 5:0 at 65kg, Kaian Reis earned a 5:0 unanimous nod over Ecuador’s Jose Rodriguez at 70kg, and Wanderley Pereira put on a tactical masterclass to shut out Diego Mejias (VEN) 5:0 at 80kg.

Host nation Argentina earned two pivotal wins to keep the home crowd cheering. Melanie Martinez dominated Colombia’s Kely Benitez with a 5:0 unanimous decision at W54kg, while middleweight Lorena Balbuena provided the session's lone stoppage, forcing a third-round RSC victory over Brazil’s Adriele Nascimento at W75kg.

Rounding out Session 5, Uruguay’s Santiago Cardozo took a 4:1 points win against Fabian Williams of Curaçao at 65kg, and Ecuador’s Gustiniano Mina edged Colombia’s Juan Ortiz in a razor-thin 3:2 split decision at 80kg.

Session 5 Results Summary (Thursday, September 17)

W54kg: Melanie Martinez (ARG) def. Kely Benitez (COL), WP 5:0
W54kg: Diana Marquez (VEN) def. Denisse Vilches (CHI), WP 5:0
W57kg: Omailyn Cegovia (VEN) def. Minerva Mereles (PAR), WP 5:0
W57kg: Jucielen Romeu (BRA) def. Luz Arancibia (ARG), WP 4:1
W75kg: Maryelis Burguillos (VEN) def. Ailen Victoria Cabrera (URU), WP 5:0
W75kg: Lorena Balbuena (ARG) def. Adriele Nascimento (BRA), RSC R3
65kg: Santiago Cardozo (URU) def. Fabian Williams (CUW), WP 4:1
65kg: Yuri Reis (BRA) def. Joiser Medina (VEN), WP 5:0
70kg: Kaian Reis (BRA) def. Jose Rodriguez (ECU), WP 5:0
70kg: Edinson Alvarado (VEN) def. Mateo Tavarone (ARG), WP 5:0
80kg: Gustiniano Mina (ECU) def. Juan Ortiz (COL), WP 3:2
80kg: Wanderley Pereira (BRA) def. Diego Mejias (VEN), WP 5:0

Finals Preview: High-Stakes Continental Clashes Across Twelve Divisions (Friday, September 18)

The final session begins this afternoon at 15:00 local time with a marquee 12-bout card featuring continental rivalries across five women's and seven men's divisions.

The women’s action kicks off with Colombia’s Yerlin Quiñones facing Venezuela’s Irismar Rojas at W51kg, followed by Argentina’s Melanie Martinez clashing with Diana Marquez (VEN) at W54kg in a meeting of Thursday unanimous winners. At W57kg, Omailyn Cegovia (VEN) challenges Brazilian standout Jucielen Romeu. Argentina’s Lucia Muello meets Brazil's Haziel Santos at W65kg, before Venezuela’s Maryelis Burguillos battles Argentine puncher Lorena Balbuena at W75kg.

The men’s card features top contenders across the board. In the 55kg division, Ecuador’s Billy Arias faces Lucas Garcia of Uruguay. At 60kg, Argentine crowd favorite Santiago Celes squares off against Luiz Oliveira of Brazil. Uruguay’s Santiago Cardozo meets Yuri Reis (BRA) at 65kg, while Brazil’s Kaian Reis takes on Venezuela’s Edinson Alvarado at 70kg. At 80kg, Gustiniano Mina (ECU) tests Brazil’s Wanderley Pereira.

The heavy hitters close out the session. At 90kg, Brazil’s Isaias Filho meets knockout threat Jhojan Caicedo (COL), followed by a super heavyweight (+90kg) showdown between undefeated stoppage artist Joel da Silva (BRA) and Ecuador’s Gerlon Congo.

Session 6 Bout Order (Friday, September 18 – 15:00 Local Time)

Bout 57 (W51kg): Yerlin Quiñones (COL) vs. Irismar Rojas (VEN)
Bout 58 (W54kg): Melanie Martinez (ARG) vs. Diana Marquez (VEN)
Bout 59 (W57kg): Omailyn Cegovia (VEN) vs. Jucielen Romeu (BRA)
Bout 60 (W65kg): Lucia Muello (ARG) vs. Haziel Santos (BRA)
Bout 61 (W75kg): Maryelis Burguillos (VEN) vs. Lorena Balbuena (ARG)
Bout 62 (55kg): Billy Arias (ECU) vs. Lucas Garcia (URU)
Bout 63 (60kg): Santiago Celes (ARG) vs. Luiz Oliveira (BRA)
Bout 64 (65kg): Santiago Cardozo (URU) vs. Yuri Reis (BRA)
Bout 65 (70kg): Kaian Reis (BRA) vs. Edinson Alvarado (VEN)
Bout 66 (80kg): Gustiniano Mina (ECU) vs. Wanderley Pereira (BRA)
Bout 67 (90kg): Isaias Filho (BRA) vs. Jhojan Caicedo (COL)
Bout 68 (+90kg): Joel da Silva (BRA) vs. Gerlon Congo (ECU)

Watch Live

You can catch all of the action on ODESUR's YouTube Channel starting at 15h00m local time / BRT. You can also stream on Panam Sports Channel.

All brackets, results, and bout sheets will be available on our homepage at 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

Contact

Reach out for event details or support by emailing support@panamericanboxing.org | Privacy Policy