In boxing, struggle is no stranger to athletes at any level. Boxers train mentally and physically to attune themselves for competition, where they are forced to dig deep and tap into a level of discomfort in order to achieve the highest levels of success. While that standard is consistent across the 2025 USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team, Carlos Flowers has experienced struggles throughout the year, both in and out of the ring.
After a strong showing in Richmond, Va., at the 2024 USA Boxing National Championships, Flowers earned an invitation to the USA Boxing Elite High Performance Selection Camp at the beginning of the year. Throughout the grueling selection process, Carlos exceeded the standard and secured his position on the 2025 roster at the 70-kilogram weight class, granting him the opportunity to compete internationally for the USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team in the ensuing months.
Flowers wasted no time for the United States and took part in the World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2025, where he earned arguably the most impressive boxing win of his young international career. The Dover, Del., native outclassed Australia’s Shannan Davey, a Paris 2024 Olympian, to kick off his tournament in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil.
He carried that momentum into his next bout, where he landed a massive three-punch combo on Panama’s Eduardo Beckford, dropping Beckford and earning an RSC victory in the third round. Flowers concluded his run at the World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2025 with a bronze medal, showing promise for the remainder of his international schedule.
“My pace was high and I had that dog mindset,” Flowers stated. “When I have that dog mentality of just biting down on that mouthpiece and just fighting, I am the best version of myself.”
Flowers’ bronze medal from the World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2025 marked the first international medal of his amateur career, and with two more international events on the horizon, Flowers was poised for a massive 2025 season.
However, following his performance in Brazil, Flowers experienced an injury that sidelined him for the following two international competitions. While the injury was humbling for Flowers, he remained positive throughout his physical therapy sessions and explained he was hungry to get back in the ring.
After overcoming his mid-year injury, Flowers was primed to return to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the World Boxing Championships camp at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. However, he experienced an unspeakable tragedy that extended beyond the ring. In the days leading up to the camp, Flowers learned that his brother had passed away.
In that moment, Flowers turned to the sport that drives him as an avenue to perform for more than himself. He is utilizing his position on the team as an opportunity to not only succeed for himself, but also for his brother and his family.