(MAY 16) (NEW TAIPEI CITY,
TAIWAN) – Eighteen-year-old Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.)
announced her presence on the international scene at the
inaugural Junior and Youth World Championships in 2013 and her
first bout at the 2015 event showed that she’s still the one to
watch in her lightweight division. Known for her overwhelming
punch output and aggressive nature, Gonzalez once again used her
patented style to take a dominating win in the tournament opener
for both she and Team USA at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New Taipei
City.
Gonzalez wasted no time getting started in her four round bout
with China’s Meigi Gao in lightweight preliminary round action.
Swarming her with shots, Gonzalez gave Gao a standing eight
count in the first round to set the tone for the rest of the
match. She continued her onslaught over the next two round,
giving Gao a standing eight count in the third. She showcased
her boxing and defensive skills in the fourth while landing
powerful shots on her way to a wide, unanimous decision. The win
advances Gonzalez on to Monday’s preliminary competition where
she will face Romania’s Dana Borzei in evening action.
Two United States boxers will compete on the second day of
action on Sunday with middleweight Amanda Bermudez (Gatesville,
Texas) competing in the junior division and light flyweight
Hillary Perez (Arlington, Texas) boxing in the youth age group.
Bermudez will face off with Ukraine’s Karolina Makhno in the
early session with Perez taking on Mongolia’s Osormaa
Sarantsetseg in the first bout of evening competition.
Four more American athletes will take the ring in Monday’s
competition. Junior division athletes Heaven Garcia (El Monte,
Calif.) and Pauline Viesca (Commerce, Calif.) will both
represent their home state of California in tournament openers
on Monday afternoon. Garcia will challenge Ireland’s Shauna
Blakey in light flyweight competition while Viesca faces
Kazakhstan’s Akniyet Abdigozha in the light bantamweight
division.
2013 Junior World Champion Caitlin Orosco (Anaheim, Calif.) is
back for the second edition of the Junior and Youth World
Championships but will compete in the youth division in 2015.
Orosco opens her run at a second world title in a bout with
India’s Haobijan Mahe Devi in flyweight preliminary competition
on Monday night. Featherweight Melanie Gonzalez (Houston, Texas)
will make her world championships debut in a match-up with the
winner of Sunday’s first round bout between Italy and Chinese
Taipei.
Tuesday’s action will feature tournament openers for five
American boxers. In the day’s early action, bantamweight Yarisel
Ramirez (Las Vegas, Nev.) will kick off her tournament in a
match with the victor of Sunday’s battle between Russia and
Italy. Featherweight Zhane Crockett (Toledo, Ohio) received a
first round bye as well and she will take the ring for second
round competition against the winner of a bout between Russia
and Italy.
Three youth division athletes will also box in Tuesday’s
competition. Middleweight Iesha Kenney (Alexandria, Va.) won
bronze in the inaugural event in 2013 and she plans to return to
the medal podium in the youth division in 2015. She will begin
her second world championship event in a preliminary round
contest with Canada’s Taylor Ross on Tuesday evening. Light
welterweight Ariel Arismendez (Tolleson, Ariz.) will take on
Thailand’s Rewadee Phonok on Tuesday as well while welterweight
Annalicia Sustaita (Garland, Texas) faces Ukraine’s Yulia Stoyko.
In Wednesday’s afternoon competition, lightweight Guadalupe
Gutierrez (Sacramento, Calif.) will battle the winner of a
preliminary contest between Mongolia and India. Light
middleweight Destiny Navarro (El Centro, Calif.) will also
compete in Wednesday’s early action, facing off with Russia’s
Anastasiia Sigaeva.
Welterweight Kylie Hall (Fresno, Calif.) will be the final U.S.
boxer to take the ring at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New Taipei
City. She will take on the winner of India and Ireland in her
first bout on Friday.
Christy Halbert (Nashville, Tenn.), Kay Koroma (Burke, Va.), Don
Fain (Reno, Nev.), Caroline Barry (Boulder, Colo.), and Arthur
James (Anaheim, Calif.) are leading the United States team in
Taipei.
U.S. Result
132 lbs/60 kg: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif./USA dec. Meigi
Gao, CHN, 3-0
