Jajaira Gonzalez didn’t draw the easiest bracket but she made a serious statement in her opening bout.
The 27-year-old from Glendora, Calif. scored a 4-0 decision on Saturday, July 27 over home country bet and 2016 gold medalist Estelle Mossely to advance to the women’s 60 kilogram round of 16 of the 2024 Summer Olympics at Arena Paris Nord in Paris, France.
Gonzalez applied the pressure early on, working the body and forcing Mossely to retreat. Mossely, a 31-year-old from Bagnolet, France with an 11-0-1 (1 KO) pro record, lost a point in the second round due to her constant holding tactics to slow the pressure of Gonzalez, is the sister of featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez.
With the fight almost certainly hers, Gonzalez began boxing Mossely, picking her off as Mossely desperately chased a fight changing blow that never transpired.
“It was really fun, I was a little rusty but that’s the first day. I’m only going to get better as the days go on,” said Gonzalez, ho won the USA Boxing National Championships in 2021, 2017, 2016 and 2013, and finished second in the U.S. Olympic trials in 2016.
The task doesn’t get much easier for Gonzalez as she will face Brazil’s no. 2 seed Beatriz Ferreira in the round of 16 on Monday. Ferreira defeated Gonzalez by unanimous decision in the Pan American Games semifinals in October of 2023 en route to a gold medal finish.
Erislandy Alvarez of Cuba made his Olympic debut in spectacular fashion, stopping John Ume of Papua New Guinea in the second round of their men’s 63.5 kg round of 32 bout. Alvarez, 24, was dominant from the outset, timing his aggressive but outclassed opponent from the first round. Alvarez picked up the pace in the second round, opting for speed over big power punches. That tactic paid off as a combination of blows led to the first eight count. Alvarez jumped back on him once the referee continued the bout, with a right hand scoring a knockdown shortly after. Alvarez finished him off with one more count, advancing to the next round, where he will meet Algeria’s Jughurta Ait Bekka on Monday.
The boxing competition opened on a sad note, as Lionel Elika Fatupaito, the boxing coach for the Samoan Olympic team, died Friday at the Olympic athletes village. The Associated Press reports that Fatupaito died of natural causes.
Samoa has just one boxer competing in Paris as heavyweight Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali begins his campaign tomorrow against Victor Schelstraete of Belgium in the round of 16.
Results:
Women’s 54kg – Round of 32
Huang Hsiao Wen (TPE) 5-0 Bojana Gojkovic (MNE)
Jutamas Jitpong (THA) 4-1 Sara Cirkovic (SRB)
Nigina Uktamova (UZB) WO Yomna Ayyad (EGY)
Hatice Akbas (TUR) 3-2 Charley Davis (GBR)
Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg (MGL) 5-0 Sirine Charaabi (ITA)
Preeti (IND) 5-0 Thi Kim Anh Vo (VIE)
Women’s 60kg – Round of 32
Thi Linh Ha (VIE) 5-0 Feofaaki Epenisa (TGA)
Maria Jose Palacios Espinoza (ECU) 4-1 Agnes Alexiusson (SWE)
Shih Yi Wu (TPE) 5-0 Yeonji Oh (KOR)
Alessia Mesiano (ITA) 4-1 Gizem Ozer (TUR)
Donjeta Sadiku (KOS) 3-2 Thananya Somnuek (THA)
Jajaira Gonzalez (USA) 4-1 Estelle Mossely (FRA)
Men’s 63.5kg – Round of 32
Radoslav Simeonov Rosenov (BUL) 5-0 Bakhodur Usmonov (TJK)
Obada Alkasbeh (JOR) 3-2 Dean Clancy (IRL)
Men’s 80kg – Round of 32
Cristian Javier Pinales (DOM) 5-0 Weerapon Jongjoho (THA)
Kaan Aykutsun (TUR) 4-1 Salvatore Cavallaro (ITA)
Men’s 63.5kg – Round of 32
Erislandy Alvarez (CUB) RSC-2 John Ume (PNG)
Bazarbay Uulu Mukhammedsabyr (KAZ) 5-0 Oier Ibarreche Conde (ESP)
Boxers to watch for on Sunday, June 28
Roscoe Hill (USA), the 29-year-old from Spring, Tex., makes his Olympic debut against Omid Ahmadisafa of the Olympic Refugee team in men’s 51kg round of 32 action at 5 a.m. ET.
Aidan Walsh (IRL), 27, was the unluckiest boxer of the Tokyo Games, injuring his ankle after leaping in the air to celebrate his quarterfinal win. He gets a second chance at Olympic glory when he faces France’s Makan Traore in the men’s 71kg round of 32 at 5:32 a.m. ET.
Julio Cesar la Cruz (CUB) begins his quest to join the illustrious group of three-time Olympic gold medalists, facing off with Cuban-born Azerbaijani Loren Alfonso in the men’s 92kg round of 16, beginning at 10:18 a.m. ET
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