Panam Sports AMERICA VS. EUROPE: A MUST-SEE CONTINENTAL BOXING SHOWDOWN AT THE PAPP CUP

AMERICA VS. EUROPE: A MUST-SEE CONTINENTAL BOXING SHOWDOWN AT THE PAPP CUP

Ten Pan American champions and ten European champions will face off this Saturday, November 14, in Budapest, Hungary, in a first-of-its-kind tournament paying tribute to the legendary László Papp. The event will be broadcast on the Panam Sports Channel.

This Saturday, November 14, will be a historic day for Olympic boxing. For the first time, 10 Pan American champions and 10 European champions will go head-to-head in the Papp Cup, a team competition between continents to be held in Budapest, Hungary.

The Papp Cup is the result of a partnership between the Hungarian Boxing Federation and the Pan American and European boxing confederations. Its format offers something unusual in boxing: the best fighters step into the ring not only for personal victory, but for the success of their continental team.

The tournament is named after the late boxer László Papp, an icon of Hungarian sports and the first athlete to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals: London 1948, Helsinki 1952, and Melbourne 1956. Beyond his titles, Papp is remembered for his fair play, sportsmanship, and integrity—values that the Papp Cup seeks to pass on to a new generation of boxers and fans.

The card features 10 bouts: five in the men’s division and five in the women’s, with representatives from 18 countries across both continents.

The ones to watch

Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland, 75 kg). The star of the night: 2025 world champion in Liverpool, two-time Olympian (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), and five-time European champion, most recently in Sofia 2026. She faces Colombia’s Luisa Montiel.
Saidel Horta (Cuba, 60 kg). World runner-up in Tashkent 2023, silver medalist at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, and Olympian at Paris 2024. He represents the historic Cuban wrestling school against Artur Bazeyan of Armenia.
Jajaira González (United States, 60 kg). An Olympian at Paris 2024 and Pan American bronze medalist at Santiago 2023, with world titles in youth categories. She faces Turkey’s Gizem Ozur.
Laura Fuertes (Spain, 51 kg). The first Spanish female boxer to win a world medal (bronze in 2022) and to compete in the Olympic Games. She arrives as the reigning champion of the 2026 Taranto Mediterranean Games. Her opponent is Mexico’s Valeria Amparán.
Mahamad Abdullayev (Azerbaijan, +90 kg). Two-time Olympian and three-time world bronze medalist (2021, 2023, and 2025) in the super heavyweight division. He faces off against Gilbert Kabamba of the United States.|
Luca Hámori (Hungary, 65 kg). The home favorite: the first Hungarian female boxer to compete in the Olympic Games, a quarterfinalist at Paris 2024, and three-time winner of her country’s Best Female Boxer award. She faces Lucía Muello of Argentina.