Commonwealth Games 2026: Trio progress to quarterfinals with flawless day for Team England
July 26, 2026 | by Chris Boyd
Three of the four Team England boxers who competed on the opening day returned to the ring on day three of the Commonwealth Games, with Lauren Mackie, Ellis Trowbridge and Patris Mughalzai all recording impressive victories to book their places in the quarterfinals.
After a day without English representation in boxing, Mackie was first into action once again, facing Australia’s Monique Suraci in the women’s under 54kg division.
After two closely contested rounds, the Burton Park boxer produced her strongest boxing of the contest when it mattered most. The Burton Park boxer increased the tempo in the final round, controlling the distance and landing the cleaner shots to earn a hard-fought 3-2 split decision.
The closely fought contest came as no surprise to Mackie: “I’m really happy with that. I know she’s a good girl; I’ve seen her on the circuit, so I knew it was going to be a tough fight.
“That last round, it was all down to the scorecards – it was split the first two. It was all about tactics and game planning in that last round, executing the game plan from the coaches, keep it long, keep it in my range, make sure she can’t squish the space and outwork me in the middle.
“That’s what we did, and we got the win.”
Ellis Trowbridge was next to secure his place in the last eight after overcoming Sri Lanka’s Rukmal Prasanna in the men’s under 55kg competition.
Having stopped his opening-round opponent inside two minutes, the Surbiton boxer was taken the full three rounds this time around. Backed by family and friends in the crowd, Trowbridge won the opening and closing rounds unanimously to seal victory, overcoming a point deduction in the second round for ducking.
Trowbridge welcomed the opportunity to gain more ring time and was pleased with his performance: “I listened to instructions from my corner and showed my superior ability, and it got me through today. I’m buzzing – I’m over the moon.”
“I think you can expect fireworks in the quarterfinals. We saw what my next opponent did there; he stopped his guy and got him out of there, and I’m going to be facing him on Tuesday.
“I’m going to be ready; I’ve got power myself, and I won’t shy away from a challenge, so I’ll make sure I’m ready, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Patris Mughalzai completed a perfect day for Team England with an assured unanimous decision victory over Northern Ireland’s John Paul Hale in the men’s under 65kg division.
Walking into a partisan atmosphere ahead of the home nation’s bout, the Powerday Hooks boxer received a lively reception from the Glasgow crowd. Unfazed by the occasion, Mughalzai was able to avenge a defeat to Hale from four years ago and move into the quarterfinals.
Afterwards, he reflected on both the performance and the atmosphere inside the arena: “I boxed John Paul about four years ago, and he beat me, but this time I knew the game plan.
“I’m mature now, I’m experienced. I went into the ring, he came at me, and I picked him apart. It was surreal to box in an atmosphere like that. When I came out, everyone was booing me, and I knew I had to put on a performance, and I’ve done that.”
Team England returns to the ring tomorrow, with Paddy Hewitt, Will Hewitt, Dimeji Shittu and reigning U19 World Champion Ruby White all set to make their Commonwealth Games debuts.
Monday, 27th Schedule:
Men’s U60kg, Round of 16: Sachin Sachin (India) vs Will Hewitt – 12.15pm
Men’s U70kg, Round of 16: Orlando Holley-Sotomi (Wales) vs Paddy Hewitt – 12.45pm
Women’s U51kg, Round of 16: Ruby White vs Truelove Mathiba (South Africa) – 6.15pm
Men’s U80kg, Round of 16: Dimeji Shittu vs Alfred Ojok (Uganda) – 8.45pm
Keep up to date with everything Team England boxing-related at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games by visiting our dedicated webpage here.
