They say every champion was once a beginner who refused to quit, and for Elijah Lugo, that cliche couldn’t be more true.
Lugo’s path to gold at the World Boxing U19 Championships in Colorado last weekend in the 80kg division didn’t start with a roar but with a stumble – and then another, and another. His journey was marked by bruises, doubts, and hard lessons but he ultimately showcased the power of perseverance, grit, and unwavering family support.
Lugo vividly recalls the start of his amateur career, a string of defeats that would have ended the dreams of many. “When I first started off, my first fight was in the Ringside World [as a novice], and I lost. I got knocked down,” Lugo told BoxingScene, the memory as clear as the bell ending a round. It was the beginning of a 13-fight losing streak that tested every ounce of his resolve. But those early stumbles? They didn’t break him – they built him.
The turning point came in December of that year, during a make-or-break moment. His father, Mike Lugo, both his coach and pillar of support, laid out the stakes. “If you don’t win this, you don’t have to box. If you don’t want to, we can find something else,” his father told him. The weight of that ultimatum was heavy, but Lugo didn’t need words to respond. “I went into that last fight of the year. It was December 14, and they raised my hand,” he said. Victory was sweet, and he spent the rest of the day proudly holding his belt, basking in the validation.
Training with his father and older brother Nathan Lugo in Marietta, Georgia, has been intense and demanding. Lugo described the grueling drills that tested both physical and mental resolve. “We focus a lot on burnout drills that drain me physically,” he said. “People think it’s just punching as hard as you can for 20 minutes, but it’s mental too. You have to tell yourself, ‘I can keep going, I can go 20 more minutes,’ even when you’re drained after one.” This mental conditioning prepared him for big moments when other fighters might falter.
The road to the U19 Championships was unlike prior camps. “Winning gold was definitely different because normally I’m with my dad 100 percent of the time,” Lugo said. “This time, I spent almost a month at camp, and I didn’t always like the styles they were teaching.” Even in that new environment, Lugo adapted, relying on self-driven training and meditation. “Every day at camp, I did my own type of training and meditation to keep my mind strong. When I got to the tournament and saw my family, it gave me my energy back.”
In the opening round, Lugo stopped Christian Sarsilli of Italy in the third round. That was followed by a tense bout with Germany’s Sofian Bizzit winning via split decision, and secured victory over Latvia’s Nikita Prohovskis in the finals with a unanimous decision.
For Lugo, the lessons go beyond the physical demands of boxing. His story underscores a universal truth echoed by countless athletes but uniquely validated by his experience. “You work hard, put in dedication, and you’ll succeed at what you’re trying to achieve,” he said. “Hard work and a strong mind – that’s what it takes.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.