LOS ANGELES – This past weekend, the ring set up at the University of Southern California (USC) was not only the stage for bouts, but for a historic moment: the official return of boxing to university life after years of absence and the crowning of the first WBC Amateur University Champion.
This event, sanctioned by USA Boxing, was no coincidence. It was the result of hard work, vision, and perseverance by a multidisciplinary team determined to prove that academic excellence and athletic discipline go hand in hand. As a member of the WBC Amateur Boxing Committee, Nancy Rodriguez oversaw every detail to ensure the success of this initiative.
A Belt with Purpose
For the first time, the iconic green and gold WBC belt was presented in a university setting. This inaugural title was awarded to Gabriel Ponce, a freshman studying Aeronautical Engineering at USC.
Ponce, an outstanding student and a model of humility, represents the ideal of the “student-boxer.” As a young Latino from a modest background, his victory sends a powerful message to the entire community: sport is a tool for social mobility and intellectual achievement.
Beyond the competition itself, the event reaffirmed the values of respect and community service that define boxing at this level. Programs such as the USC Trojan Boxing Club, in strategic partnership with the Pico-Union Boxing Club, are creating real pathways to higher education for young people in Los Angeles. In this context, the recipients of the Los Angeles University Boxing Scholarship were proudly recognized: Marlen Rodriguez, Noah Rosales, and Francisco Maldonado Velasquez, who continue their academic and athletic journeys with the dignity that characterizes this new generation.
This collective achievement would not have been possible without the generosity of sponsors and community mentors such as Acrisure, Supreme Boxing, Nancy Rodriguez, and Louis Rodriguez. The support of figures like Dr. Rudy Encarnacion, Coach Daysi Garcia, and Coach Ruben Jr. Garcia, together with the backing of The Graff Lab and Pico-Union Housing Corp., has been the driving force behind boxing’s return home.
This event was more than a show; it was a statement of principles: boxing builds leaders, and the future of the university division has never looked more promising.
