Team USA went undefeated with three international wins last weekend at the Melee Gala X in Winnipeg, Canada. The United States sent six boxers with much anticipation, but due to unforeseen circumstances with the event, three boxers, including Noelle Haro, Marcus Luther, and Joseph Awinongya, were unable to step into the ring for their international bouts.
Marie Rosendo (Deland, Fla.), Marcellus Smith (Cleveland, Ohio), and Salim Ellis-Bey (Philadelphia, Pa.) each secured an international win for the Stars and Stripes on Saturday, September 27. Rosendo and Smith both secured their first international victories, while Eliis Bey earned his first elite international win, having made the jump to the Elite division after winning gold in Germany at the 2025 Brandenburg Cup as a Youth competitor.
Smith made his international debut and defeated Canada’s Karan Sembhi with a 3-2 split decision. Rosendo returned to the international stage after winning silver at the 2025 World Boxing Challenge Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem, this time securing a dominant unanimous decision against Canada’s Simran Takhar. In his first international competition without headgear, Ellis-Bey continued his commanding run of victories and also earned a 5-0 win over Canada’s Aayan Khokhar.
USA Boxing was led by coaches Edward Fonteneaux and Eric Zimmerman during the duel against Canada.
USA Boxing will now shift its focus to the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships, which will take place at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Lubbock, Texas, from December 6 to 13. This event will be USA Boxing’s fourth and final national event of 2025, and will be open to PeeWee, Bantam, Intermediate, Junior, Youth, and Elite divisions.
USA Boxing is expected to host the nation’s top Olympic-style boxers during the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships. Boxers who finish top two in Olympic weight classes in the Youth and Elite divisions will then earn a spot in January’s High Performance Selection Camp at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. There, those boxers will be evaluated and scored with the opportunity to earn a spot on USA Boxing’s 2026 Elite and Youth High Performance Teams.
