Sports Illustrated - USA (2020-12)

44 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED | SI.COM

IN OCTOBER, 16-year-old

Nathan Lugo (above r i ght) cruised

to a heavyweight title at the

Junior Nations Cup. His brother

Elijah, 14, wasn’t scheduled to fight

but traveled to Vrbas, Serbia, to lend

his support. After organizers waived

the competition’s minimum age

requirement of 16, Elijah won the

event’s middleweight championship.

Together the Lugo brothers have

FACE S IN THE CROWD

more national titles (36) than they

do losses (28). Though they are

trained by their father, Michael

(above c enter), it was their mother,

Angela, who encouraged Nathan to

try boxing in 2011 to defend himself

against bullies. “I would get picked

on,” Nathan says. “When I started

training, I had the confidence. I

carried myself different.”

Nathan won the first of his five

ELIJAH AND

NATHAN LUGO

Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

Sport: Boxing

Combined Record: 370–28

Weight Class (Elijah): Light Heavyweight

Weight Class (Nathan): Heav yweight

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Edited by DAN FALKENHEIMPhotograph by KEVIN D. LILES