Salim Ellis-Bey closed the week for Team USA at the 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1. Ellis-Bey’s bid for a gold medal came up just short in a 5-0 defeat in the 60-kilogram final against Brazil’s Luiz Oliveira. The 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1 was hosted at the Rafain Palace Hotel in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.
The Philadelphia native showed resilience and competitiveness across all three rounds but was unable to recover after dropping the opening round 5-0. Ellis-Bey tried to utilize his power and speed in the final two rounds against the 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist and 2024 Paris Olympian, but was unable to close the gap on the scorecards.
After the final three minutes of competition, Ellis-Bey was defeated by a unanimous decision, cementing the silver medal for him.
Ellis-Bey closed the week with a 4-1 record, marking his first elite international medal and second international medal of his career. The Philadelphia native represented the USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team in 2025, earning a gold medal at the 2025 Brandenburg Cup. Ellis-Bey and the USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team will now turn their full attention to the World Boxing Cup – Stage 2 in Guiyang City, China, in June.
Team USA closed the week of competition at the 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1 with three medals, one silver for Ellis-Bey and two bronze, one for Noelle Haro (51 kilograms), and one for Simona Winkler (70 kilograms).
Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the charge for Team USA at the 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1. National Development Coach Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Elite High Performance Coach Nikki Burleson (Oklahoma City, Okla.) assisted Coach Walsh throughout the week.
To view the final USA Boxing medal count, daily recaps, and all additional tournament information for the 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1, head to the event page on the USA Boxing website, linked HERE.
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