Los Lunas 13-year-old wins national boxing title at Silver Gloves

AnaBelle Zavala has given Los Lunas a national champion to rally around. The 13-year-old won the 125-pound title at the 2026 National Silver Gloves Championship in Independence, Missouri, beating Nela Real-Cruz of Oregon by unanimous decision.

Zavala’s win was built far from the bright lights of a national final. She trains at TNT Boxing Club and Youth Mentoring Center in Los Lunas, and coach David Adame said she “just will not quit.” That resolve showed in the ring, where Zavala said her jab was a key scoring weapon and that she felt she dominated the bout. Her preparation, workouts and diet, she said, helped her step into the ring ready to fight.

The title adds weight to a journey that began about three years ago, after a doctor warned her, “If you don’t lose weight, you’re going to die.” That moment pushed Zavala into boxing, and the results have followed quickly. She had already won the Silver Gloves of America regional title in Compton, California, before advancing to nationals in Independence, where the tournament ran Feb. 25-28 at the Stoney Creek Hotel.

For Valencia County, Zavala’s victory says as much about the local pipeline as it does about one gifted athlete. The Youth Mentoring Center and TNT Boxing Club have become part of the county’s youth development network, giving young people a place to build discipline, confidence and habits that carry beyond the gym. Zavala, who is now home-schooled after attending Valencia Middle School, reflects that system: a homegrown boxer shaped by local coaching, routine and support.

The national title also points to what could come next. Zavala is already training for the USA Boxing Junior Olympics & Summer Festival, which begins June 20 in Wichita, Kansas. She won a bronze medal in that same event in 2025, and Adame called it “literally the biggest tournament in the world.” Silver Gloves itself has deep roots, with a national tournament held every year since 1967 after being founded in Illinois by Frank Hess and the late Frank Granados. For Los Lunas and the rest of Valencia County, Zavala’s championship is both a proud moment and a sign that the next generation of fighters is already coming up strong.