Bay Ridge-raised boxer’s win streak sends him to National Golden Gloves of America tournament

A Bay Ridge-raised boxer continues to climb in the ranks.

Fort Hamilton High School alum Sebastian Mazeneth, 22, won seven straight fights in the New York Ring Masters Championships and the welterweight open class championship.

The Ring Masters Championships is a descendant of New York Golden Gloves, which was the longest running annual tournament in the United States. New York Gloden Gloves was founded in 1927.

Mazeneth’s success has given him a spot in the National Golden Gloves of America tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma from May 12-17 at Arvest Convention Center. 

On April 10, he fought at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and beat Angel Perez of Mendez Boxing Gym. Two days later, he defeated him again at the New York Fight Club in Gravesend.

“Many times, I’ve been overlooked, doubted and seen as the ‘tough guy who can’t box’ but that never deterred me,” he said. ”I work harder than anyone and had no doubt that it would show one day. I proved a lot of people wrong,” 

Last summer, Mazeneth, who boxes out of Sweatbox Gym in Sunset Park, won the silver medal in his weight class at the recent USA Boxing National Junior Olympics and Summer Festival.

The tournament, which took place at Century II Convention Center in Kansas, featured elite boxers from around the country.

Mazeneth was born in Colombia and moved to Bay Ridge when he was 7. He played football at Fort Hamilton and made the All-City and New York All Star Football Team in 2020 and 2021 as a cornerback and safety.  He currently studies finance at the College of Staten Island.

Trainer Ryan Songalia said that Mazeneth is dedicated to boxing.

“I’ve been involved in boxing for decades and can confidently state that there is no one who works as hard as Sebastian does,” he said. “The sacrifices he makes, the dedication he shows, it’s why he has gotten where he is as quickly as he has. What he does away from the spotlight is what earns him the victories on the big stage.”

At the tournament, he fights to become the best amateur boxer at his weight in the country.

“This is just the start,” Mazeneth said. “Me and my team are getting right back to work, and next month I’ll be taking over the National Golden Gloves. This makes me happy, but more than anything it just made me even hungrier. I will show even better skills soon, and you all will be seeing a lot more of me on big stages.”