Mendoza Gets Team USA First Win In Bangkok
by Luke Santangelo
Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) picked up Team USA first win with a unanimous decision victory over Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag out of Mongolia in day one of boxing in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mendoza who won three medals in 2023 is looking for a similar result in Bangkok. In her first round she took the the judges scorecards 3-2 but Tumurkhuyag grabbed the second round, and the scores were all tied up going into the third and final round.
The Idaho native came out hot in the third round and took all five judges’ scorecards and won on a unanimous decision. Alyssa needs three more wins to qualify to the Pairs 2024 Olympic Games.
“Got the first day and win out the way. It was a tougher fight than I expected, but I am moving on and will make those adjustment and get better every day,” stated Mendoza after her first win in Bangkok.
Mendoza will now wait until May 30 for her next fight. She will go head-to-head against Olga-Pavlina Papadatou out of Greece. Mendoza is looking to make history this tournament and be the first boxer out of Idaho to qualify to the Olympics.
Team USA is represented by seven boxers in Thailand who hope to punch their ticket to this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The team is being guided by USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), along with assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).
Day 1 Results
57 kg: Alyssa Mendoza, Caldwell, Idaho/USA, dec. over Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag, MGL, 5-0
Day 2 Schedule
80 kg: Robby Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, vs. Ahmed Badrani, MAR