2023 Grand Prix Draw Complete
by Brian Taylor, USA Boxing
The 11 boxers scheduled to take to the ring this week at the 2023 Grand Prix have learned their path to gold following the conclusion of the tournament draw this evening in Ústí nad Labem, Czechia. Complete first day schedule for Team USA can be seen below.
Four members of Team USA will step into the ring tomorrow, with Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas), 2022 Youth World Champion, starting the day off by making her elite international debut against Czechia’s Petra Cvoligova.
Morelle McCane’s (Cleveland, Ohio) quest to her second straight international gold medal will begin with her bout tomorrow against Leonie Mueller of Germany. McCane faced Mueller in the preliminaries of last year’s Elite Women’s World Championships, taking the unanimous decision victory.
Middleweight Naomi Graham (Fayetteville, N.C.) will face a familiar foe in Ireland’s Aoife O’Rouke, who Graham has faced on numerous occasions throughout her career, winning the last three times the boxers have met in the ring.
Emilio Garcia (Laredo, Texas) will look to pick up where he left off in Finland when he steps into the ring against Norway’s Sayeed Kazemi to begin his own journey to his second straight international gold medal and third international medal of the year.
The remaining members of the team will begin competition on Friday.
USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will lead the team throughout the tournament, along with National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), National Developmental Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).
Competition will begin tomorrow with one session beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET and concluding on Sunday with the championship bouts.Be sure to continue to check USABoxing.org and follow USA Boxing’s social media accounts to stay updated on livestream information, results and more throughout the tournament.
Day 1 Schedule
54 kg: Yoseline Perez, Houston, Texas/USA, vs. Petra Cvoligova/CZE (Ring A, Bout 5, Approx. 9:00 a.m. ET)
63.5 kg: Emilio Garcia, Laredo, Texas/USA, vs. Sayeed Kazemi/NOR (Ring B, Bout 17, Approx. 12:00 p.m. ET)
66 kg: Morelle McCane, Cleveland, Ohio/USA, vs. Leonie Mueller/GER (Ring B, Bout 10, 10:15 a.m. ET)
75 kg: Naomi Graham, Fayetteville, N.C./USA, vs. Aoife O’Rourke/IRL (Ring A, Bout 15, Approx. 11:30 a.m. ET)