World Boxing U19 Championships Is Set To Take On Pueblo In Three Weeks
by Luke Santangelo
With the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships just weeks away, World Boxing is thrilled to shine a bright light on the next generation of Olympic-style boxing. The World Boxing U19 Championships excitement continues to grow as the future of boxing will travel to Pueblo, Colo., to square off in competition from October 26 through November 2.
The U19 World Championships will showcase the best of boxing's 17- and 18-year-olds from around the world. Many of these young boxers will eventually compete at the Olympics and achieve their dream of standing atop the Olympic podium. Over 20 countries will be represented at this event with competitors looking to kickstart their Olympic journeys.
In the last decade, there were four U19 World Championships. Team USA won four medals in each of those four U19 World Championships events, including a total of nine gold medals. Of those 16 medalists, four would go and represent Team USA in an Olympic Games, including Shakur Stevenson, a 2016 Olympic Games silver medalist, who won gold at the U19 World Championships in 2014. Richard Torrez Jr. won bronze at the 2016 U19 World Championship games before claiming a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Delante “Tiger” Johnson and Jajaira Gonzalez would also win gold at a U19 World Championships before representing Team USA at an Olympic Games down the line. JJohnson won gold at the 2016 U19 World Championships before representing Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. As for Gonzalez, she won gold at the 2014 U19 World Championships and represented Team USA at the most recent Olympic Games in Paris, France.
"Winning Worlds definitley gave me more confidence in boxing and made me work harder." 2024 Paris Olympic Games boxer, Jajaira Gonzalez stated. "I treat every fight the same because of my Worlds experience. I don't get nervous and I feel like that not only helped me get to the Olympics but also fighting all those different countries and their styles at Worlds helped my experience and prepared me for the Olympic Games."
The most recent U19 World Championship was held in 2021 in Kielce, Poland. Team USA earned four medals, including one gold medal from Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas), who represented the United States at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. Dedrick Crocklem (Tacoma, Washington) captured a bronze medal at the 2021 U19 World Championships before becoming champion in the 63.5 kg weight class at the 2024 United States Olympic Trials. Crocklem held a spot on the Team USA Squad roster and also won gold at the 2024 International Invitational.
"Winning Youth Worlds was an experience I will never forget and helped shape me into the boxer I am today." 2022 Youth Worlds Gold medalist Yoseline Perez stated. "It got me closer to my faith and gave me international experience and confidence."
Any media planning to attend and cover the event may submit their information for a media credential here. To stay updated on the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships, visit the event page, located here.
Tickets are available for $10 for a single-day pass or $50 for a full-week pass, with finals-only tickets priced at $25 for Saturday’s event.