In Shreveport, Louisiana, Albuquerque amateur boxer Sharahya Moreu defeated California’s Carson Crawford by unanimous decision on Friday in a 139-pound Elite Division semifinal at USA Boxing nationals.
Moreu will face another California boxer, Jarira Gonzales, Saturday evening in the championship match.
Two other New Mexico boxers, Ariana Carrasco and Victoria McAuliffe, lost their bouts on Friday. In an Elite 146-pound quarterfinal, Carrasco, of Las Cruces, lost by third-round RSC (referee stopped contest) to North Carolina’s Stephanie Simon. McAuliffe, also of Las Cruces, lost by split (4-1) decision to Milwaukee’s Yazmin Rosales in a 119-pound Junior semifinal.
Crawford entered the competition as the No. 1 seed in the 139-pound Elite Division, but Friday’s bout proved to be Moreu’s easiest victory of her three thus far in the tournament. The Albuquerque boxer’s first two opponents were pressure fighters; Crawford, slightly taller than Moreu, chose to fight her on the outside. Bad idea; Moreu’s superior hand speed won the day.
All five judges scored the bout 30-27, giving Moreu all three rounds.
The victory gives Moreu a spot on the U.S. women’s national team.
Saturday’s session starts at 5 p.m. MST. All bouts will be streamed at teamusa.org.
Carrasco was a returning national champion, but at 141 pounds, not 146. Simon, meanwhile, was dropping down to 146 after winning the 2021 Golden Gloves national title at 152 pounds, defeating Moreu along the way. (Moreu had defeated Simon at 2020 nationals).
Though Carrasco and Simon both landed numerous punches, Simon’s landed with consistently more force. In the third round, three standing-eight counts levied against Carrasco by the referee brought an automatic end to the bout.
The Journal saw McAuliffe’s bout differently than did the judges, scoring rounds two and three for the New Mexico fighter.
