The boxing tournament of the iconic Toronto 2015 Pan American Games begins on Saturday, July 18, as 120 of the best men’s and women’s boxers from the Central, North and South America regions compete for gold medal glory.
10 men’s weight categories from Light Flyweight (49 kg) to Super Heavyweight (91+ kg) will feature across three 3 minute rounds, while the trio of Olympic women’s weight classes will respectively fight over four rounds of 2 minutes.
“Boxing has always been one of the most popular sports in the Pan American Games. I think one of the most anticipated matches in Toronto for all fans will be women’s Middleweight clash between the unbeatable American Claressa Shields and home favourite Ariane Fortin-Brochu. The men competition should also showcase amazing bouts as the line-up features such talented and experienced athletes”, said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu.
The first edition of the Pan American Games was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1951, and since then the continent’s biggest multi-sport event has been held every four years. In 2011, women joined the boxing tournament for the very first time as the Cuban athletes dominated the men’s section of the competition with eight gold medals.
American Boxing Confederation President Mr Osvaldo Bisbal said: “Some of the best men and women boxers will be competing in Toronto and I am expecting truly great boxing performances from Latin American countries with strong boxing heritage. I’m sure Canadian and International fans will passionately support past and future Olympic and World boxing champions in truly legendary clashes”.
Cuba has enjoyed the most success in the history of the event with 116 boxing medals, while USA has earned 101 medals. Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela have also traditionally performed well, while host nation Canada has only won three boxing medals since 1951.
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