Mexican Boxer Marco Verde Defies Odds, Claims Silver in Paris

Mexican boxer Marco Alonso Verde Álvarez illuminated Paris, the “City of Light,” in silver after becoming Olympic runner-up in the 71-kilogram category after losing via unanimous decision (0-5) to Uzbek Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev.

With great determination, the man from Mazatlán showed up in search of Olympic glory to try to emulate what he did last year at the continental level with his gold medals at the Central American Games in San Salvador and the Pan American Games in Santiago, results with which he obtained his credentials as a favorite on the way to Paris 2024.

Verde Álvarez became the fourth Aztec boxer in Olympic history to win the silver medal, after what was achieved by Francisco Cabañas in Los Angeles 1932, Alfonso Zamora in Munich 1972 and Héctor López in Los Angeles 1984.

This medal is added to the two second-place medals (judo and diving) and two bronze medals (archery and diving) that Mexico has collected in the French capital, thus equaling what was achieved in Rio 2016, an edition in which three silver medals and two bronze medals were obtained.

The national boxer's medal is the 77th for the country in its history within the Olympics, the 27th silver medal, the 14th in this discipline and the first in a weight class considered welterweight.

Despite having the advantage in reach due to the length of his arms, the man from Mazatlán could not impose his rhythm and style in the fight. It was his opponent who, through jabs and combinations at short distance, won the first round with the five cards from the judges.

For the second round, Verde Álvarez tried to propose more in the offensive aspect and managed to connect some hits that moved the Uzbek, but it was not enough to change the judges' verdict, since they again gave the score to Muydinkhujaev.

Knowing that he was at a clear disadvantage for the last round, the Mexican gave his body and soul for the final three minutes of the fight. His punch was precise and made his opponent retreat, whose face already reflected the damage caused by the opposing blows and who moved away from the Sinaloa native at every opportunity he had.

The judges valued the performance of the national boxer and gave him the five cards, but Muydinkhujaev's performance in the first two rounds was enough for him to win the gold medal by unanimous decision, so that Verde Álvarez closes a magical cycle in which he became a Central American and Pan American champion, as well as an Olympic runner-up.

I gave my all in the ring, I put my heart and soul into it: Marco Verde

The legendary Roland Garros stadium vibrated with the penultimate day of boxing in Paris 2024, where Marco Alonso Verde Álvarez, won this Friday with the silver medal in the 71 kilogram category at the Olympic Games.

The Mazatlan native gave Mexico its fifth medal in this event, the third silver, after being beaten in the final by the Uzbek Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev by unanimous decision.

“I don't leave with a bad taste in my mouth at the end, he won and I respect that. I couldn't take the gold, finish in first place with the titles in Central America and Pan America, it wasn't possible here, but I'm happy,” he said after the fight.

“I gave my all in the ring, in the end things didn't work out, but I put my heart and soul into it,” added the boxer, who in Paris 2024 had his first experience in the great sporting event.

Marco Verde's silver not only meant bringing Mexican boxing back to the Olympic podium after Rio 2016, but also breaking the 40-year streak since the last time a second place was achieved in this discipline when Héctor López achieved it in Los Angeles 1984.

“These tears are of everything, happiness, sadness for not having achieved gold. I hope that all the people were paralyzed, even if it was 15 minutes to see me,” said the now Olympic runner-up.

Boxer Marco Verde denies selling his car to go to Paris 2024

Mexican boxer Marco Alonso Verde Álvarez, Olympic runner-up in the men's 71-kilogram category in Paris 2024, denied selling his car so that his family could attend the summer event.

"The truth is that it was something that I never said, I have never had problems with CONADE and I always say that they support me," Verde Álvarez said in direct communication with CONADE on Saturday morning.

The native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, acknowledged that he has the support and backing of CONADE, as well as the National Center for the Development of Sports Talents and High Performance (CNAR), where he has held training camps during this Olympic process and cycle, in which he has shown positive results inside the ring.

In the Olympic process he won the gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023 and the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023.

Likewise, the national boxer assured that his family, which supported him at all times in the stands of the stadium at Roland Garros for his fight in the final of his category and throughout his competition, gave statements regarding what is mentioned in the media to attend his debut at the Olympic Games.

The Mexican boxer acknowledged that he found out about the fake news through social media and reiterated that it is biased information in which he and his family were not consulted.

“My family has not declared in this way either, when I get to Mexico, I will have interviews, and I will do what I always do, which is to thank everyone, and in those thanks is CONADE because I have never spoken badly and I never will,” he concluded.

Ricardo Contreras highlights teamwork and support from CONADE after Marco Verde's historic medal

The silver medal obtained by Marco Alonso Verde Álvarez at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is the result of great teamwork and support from various institutions, such as the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE), which supported the boxer from Sinaloa in this cycle, said Ricardo Contreras, president of the Mexican Boxing Federation (FMB).

"In this government administration of CONADE we had support in the last four years and that is undeniable, especially with the national team where this year the Commission covered the costs of lodging, food, transportation, payment of scholarships throughout the Mexican Republic, the payment of multidisciplinary personnel, as well as that of the coaches who are part of the Federation's staff."

The federation reiterated that it was a lie that Verde had to sell his car so that relatives could travel to the French capital.

“He already made a statement where he says that he did not make these statements and mentioned that he has received support from CONADE, that it is not true that his family sold his vehicle. For our part we can confirm it totally and absolutely because Marco Verde is a very serious, very responsible boxer and if they are attributing statements to him that he did not make I think it is necessary to clarify them.”

“He already did it and I do it on my part from the Federation in which we did receive support, as well as this last year which was the preparation for these boxers in the process of the selections for the Olympic Games such as those in Italy and Thailand where a fairly important amount was contributed, but all parties made a contribution,” he indicated.

Contreras highlighted the magnitude of the achievement reached by the Mexican in the 71 kilogram category.

“He achieved something that had not been done for 40 years with this silver medal with our dear friend Hector Lopez in Los Angeles 1984, he also managed to rescue the prestige of Mexican boxing, it is a pity that it could not be gold, but for us it was as such because of the effort he made, he did his job.”

The head of national boxing affirmed that this feat would not have been achieved without the support and teamwork of institutions and family.

“He had the support of his parents, of his association in the state of Sinaloa, of the Federation itself and of CONADE, so you can see that when you work in coordination the results come by themselves,” he said.

“We each have to do what corresponds to us: CONADE with its role as rector, the federations executing the programs that each one of us have because today we realized with the case of Marco Verde that the formula is nothing that we do not know,” he added.

Ricardo Contreras also stressed that the work in these Olympic Games leaves a good evaluation for all the members of the Mexican team.

“The balance has been positive, we all want to do better, but we have to remember that Mexico is not a medal-winning country, we also have to recognize that there were many athletes who obtained places that were not obtained four years ago and it cannot be said that they failed when they are within the first sixteen places in the world,” he concluded.