BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Light-flyweight Ron Siler, welterweight Anthony Thompson and light-welterweight Juan McPherson gave the struggling United States its first victories Monday at the World Amateur Boxing Championships.

Siler, of Cincinnati, won an 18-7 decision against Varoclas Midyk of Ukraine. Thompson, of Philadelphia, beat Daniel Geale of Australia 13-4. McPherson, of Cleveland stopped Dong Yu Sheng of China in the third round.

Five other U.S. boxers failed to make it through their opening bouts in the first two days.

"Now I hope I'm on my way to the medals," Siler said. "We were all down in the dumps on Sunday evening after losing three boxers in the disastrous opening day. It's my first time in the world championships, and I knew it was going to be a tough start for me."

In the flyweight division Monday, Vladimir Aleksadrov of Bulgaria beat Roberto Benitez, of Brooklyn, N.Y., 22-15. In a bantamweight bout, Abdusalom Khasanov of Tajikistan defeated Johnny Vasquez Jr. of Snyder, Texas, 12-9.

On Sunday, light-heavyweight DeAndrey Arbon of Youngstown, Ohio, and heavyweight Francisco Palicos of New York were both beaten, and featherweight Andre Dirrell failed to make weight.

In addition to losses in the ring, U.S. officials were upset that they were not offered transportation. The U.S. team elected not to stay in the boxers' village.

A Belfast city council official termed the mixup a "misunderstanding" and said organizers would provide taxi service for the team.

In other action Monday, Cuban flyweight Maikro Esquirol Romero beat Antti Pelli of Finland 17-1. Romero, the 1996 Olympic and 1997 world champion, next faces Volodymyr Sydorenko of Ukraine.

Cuban Olympic bantamweight champion Guiller Ortiz Rigondeaux stopped Japan's Kazumasa Tsujimoto in the second round. The 20-year-old Rigondeaux was so far ahead, at 15-0, that amateur rules forced the referee to stop the fight.

Cuba's Martinez Luna -- the Olympic bronze medalist last year -- advanced when his fight against Domingos Santos of Brazil was stopped in the second after Luna took a 15-point lead.