Four U.S. Boxers Claim International Victories at the USA vs. Italy Dual in Rome

(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Four U.S. boxers recorded strong victories at the first of two USA vs. Italy duals in Rome, Italy on Wednesday. Welterweight Alex Martin (Crest Hill, Ill.), middleweight Luis Arias (Milwaukee, Wis.), heavyweight Steve Geffrard (Boca Raton, Fla.) and super heavyweight Lenroy Thompson (Uniondale, N.Y./Lenexa, Kansas) all defeated their Italian foes on foreign soil.

Martin claimed the first victory of the evening for his United States team and he did so in impressive fashion, winning a third round stoppage over Diego Di Luisa of Italy. Arias continued the winning streak in the following bout, claiming a 14-8 decision over Italy’s Luca Podda. The U.S. squad closed the event with two victories with Geffrard taking an 11-9 victory over Italy’s Biago Imbesi and Thompson claiming an 11-5 victory over Francesco Rossano of Italy.

Team USA got off to a rough start in the dual, dropping the first four bouts. Light flyweight Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) lost his rematch with Italy’s Alex Ferramosca by a 12-7 margin. Flyweight Miguel Cartagena (Philadelphia, Pa.) kept his bout with 2008 Olympic bronze medalist close, but eventually suffered a 16-10 loss. Featherweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (El Monte, Calif.) lost a razor-thin 4-3 decision to Italy’s Ciro Cipriano in the fourth bout of the night.

Lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) faced off with the second Olympian of the evening and fell just short, losing an 11-9 decision to 2004 Olympian and 2009 World Champion Domenico Valentino of Italy. In light welterweight competition, Italy’s Dario Vangeli won a 9-2 decision over the United States’ Pedro Sosa (Bronx, N.Y.) while light heavyweight Jeffrey Spencer (Fort Carson, Colo.) dropped a 7-2 decision to Simone Fiori of Italy.

The United States and Italy will face off in a second dual on Saturday night in Assisi in an event commemorating the anniversary of September 11th. Two-time Olympian and 2007 World Champion Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) will join the U.S. team for the second dual event.

USA vs. Italy Dual Results

108 lbs: Alex Ferramosca, Italy dec. Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo./USA, 12-7
114 lbs: Vincenzo Piccardi, Italy dec. Miguel Cartagena, Philadelphia, Pa./USA, 16-10
123 lbs: Ciro Cipriano, Italy., dec. Joseph Diaz Jr., El Monte, Calif./USA, 4-3
132 lbs: Domenico Valentino, Italy, dec. Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif./USA, 11-9
141 lbs: Dario Vangeli, Italy, dec. Pedro Sosa, Bronx, N.Y./USA, 9-2
152 lbs: Alex Martin, Crest Hill, Ill./USA stopped Diego Di Luisa, Italy, RSC-3
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis/USA., dec. Luca Podda, Italy, 14-8
178 lbs: Simone Fiori, Italy, dec. Jeffrey Spencer, Fort Carson, Colo./USA, 7-2
201 lbs: Steve Geffrard, Boca Raton, Fla/USA., dec. Biagio Imbesi, Italy, 11-9
201+lbs: Lenroy Thompson, Uniondale, N.Y./Lenexa, Kansas/USA, dec. Francesco Rossano, Italy, 11-5

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).