Joshua Edwards of Houston Becomes Second Texan to Qualify for Olympics, Joins Jennifer Lozano

A second Texan has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Texas now represents the two extremes. The Smallest Women's Weight class (Jennifer Lozano 50 KG) and the largest Men's Weight class Super Heavyweight Joshua Edwards are both secured by Texans. Edwards is the first male boxer from H-town to qualify for the Olympic games since Rocky Juarez in 2000. Houston natives Marlen Esparza and Virginia Fuchs have competed in the Olympics in recent games on the Female side.

Edwards closed out the action on Friday evening Pan Am games in an exciting come-from-behind victory of Cuban Fernando Arzola. Arzola jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the opening round of the. Both fighters scored with clean and effective blows. It appeared that the Texan took the close opening round. However, the majority of the scoring judges disagreed. So Edwards bit down and really got going in the second stanza and dominated the second round, using his jab effectively to set up accurate power shots.

With the bout very much in the balance heading into the third and final round. Edwards saved his best for last and showed his heart and determination. Dominating the final three minutes, applying pressure, and staggering the Cuban several times, scoring with clean combinations and mixing in some effective bodywork to take the round 5-0 and secure the 5-0 unanimous decision victory and his ticket to the 2024 Paris games.

Laredo Native Jennifer Lozano Qualifies for 2024 Olympics

The Gateway City has quickly become a boxing hotbed. The city of about 230,000 people has been producing high-level professionals and amateur boxers at break-neck speeds. Laredo now has its first-ever Olympian. Jennifer "La Traviesa" Lozano needs no introduction in The Gateway City, and the 50-kilo (110-pound) female fighter has her ticket to the 2024 Paris Summer Games.

The 20-year-old qualified for the games with a dominant 5-0 points victory over Canadian Mckenzie Wright in the quarter-finals of the Pan-Am Games in Santiago, Chile. In an emotional moment, Lozano gave her ticket to her mother, who was in the stands, and the pair celebrated Lozano qualifying for the Olympics.

"We are going to Paris, baby. La Traviesa es de Laredo, Texas. We are ready for all of the world. We are going to the Olympics," The Laredoan exclaimed and went on to say, "Being the first Olympian from Laredo means a lot to me."

The Border town will have an excellent chance to get its second Olympian later in the year as Emilio Garcia, who came up just short in the Pan Am games, will have two more chances to qualify for the games in the 63.5 Kilos men's division.