New Croatian boxing world champion: Lovro Pavčec wins WBC Youth title
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Lovro Pavčec (Screenshot/Instagram/Sportklub Croatia)
ZAGREB, 20 September 2026 – Croatian boxing has a new world champion after 20-year-old Lovro Pavčec won the WBC Youth Bridgerweight title in Zagreb on Saturday night.
Pavčec defeated previously unbeaten Venezuelan Javier Contreras in the main event of the WBC Fight Night in Zagreb.
The fight ended in the fifth round after Pavčec established control from the opening bell. Contreras was knocked down in the fourth round before the referee stopped the contest in the following round.
The victory was the biggest of Pavčec’s professional career and extended his record to 10 wins from 10 professional fights.
Contreras had also arrived in Zagreb unbeaten, with 12 victories from 12 professional contests, all by knockout.
The bout was contested for the WBC Youth world championship in the Bridgerweight division, which has a limit of 101.6 kilograms. The WBC Youth title is for boxers under 23.
Pavčec, from Velika Mlaka near Zagreb, had entered the fight following an undefeated professional start and with a strong amateur background.
The event was promoted as a major night for Croatian boxing, with several domestic fighters also appearing on the card.
The World Boxing Council had announced earlier this month that Zagreb would host the title fight, highlighting Pavčec as one of the division’s emerging prospects.
His victory comes shortly after another major success for Croatian boxing, with Filip Hrgović having secured a world title earlier this year.
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The result gives Croatian boxing another internationally recognised champion and adds a new name to the country’s growing professional boxing scene.
For Pavčec, meanwhile, the Zagreb victory represents a significant step in his young professional career. His perfect 10-0 record remains intact following the biggest test he has faced to date.
