A strong third round from Billy "The Kid" McEnery was not enough to overcome Phil "Papa Bull" Albonetti's early dominance, as he went on to win the split decision.
Albonetti trapped his opponent in the corner for the majority of the first round, scoring points with quick jabs as McEnery struggled to work his way out of the trap. Albonetti all but clinched the win in the second round with overpowering punches.
Patrick "Mountain Ryan" Ryan v. Andrew "Rage" Massari
Alumni freshman Andrew Massari took control of his fellow classmate Patrick Ryan from the beginning. A strong mix of body- and head-shots kept Ryan guessing throughout the first round and allowed Massari to stay on the offensive throughout.
"Mountain Ryan" came out swinging in the third round and landed a few solid punches. But the early assault from Massari had worn him down, and "Rage" secured the unanimous decision.
Alex "Fiesta" Borowiecki v. Christopher "The Canadian Crippler" Jordan
Alex Borowiecki fell to Christopher Jordan in a split decision between the 165-pounders despite drawing blood in the first round.
Two big right hooks to start off the second round for "The Canadian Crippler" put him in a solid position. Jordan took advantage of his reach and kept his opponent at a distance for the rest of the fight. Borowiecki used his speed to keep the match even, but in the end it was not enough to overcome the long right jabs of Jordan.
Adam "Steel Goat" Burns v. Frank Ragukonis
In arguably the most physical of the preliminary round bouts, both fighters came out fired up for an exciting first round. Adam Burns and Frank Ragukonis landed several punches, but Burns felt the punches more. The referee had to stop the fight twice in the first round.
The second round did not go much better for Burns. Ragukonis led with a strong four-punch combo that bloodied Burns' nose and ended the fight. It was officially called a split decision victory for the hometown sophomore Ragukonis.
Josh "Critical Pressure" Hammack v. Mike "Drunker Sailor" Hazlebeck
In a bout that featured two very different fighting styles, Mike "Drunken Sailor" Hazlebeck landed enough punches to secure a split decision.
Hammack kept calm in the center of the ring for most of the fight as Hazlebeck circled him with furious, sporadic attacks. "Critical Pressure" was able to fight off many of these attempts, but in the second and third rounds Hazlebeck connected on multiple combinations that dislodged Hammack's headgear.
The assault was enough to win one of the closest fights of the night.
Brad Amiri v. Nazur "Naz" Ahmed
Graduate student Brad Amiri kept Nazur Ahmed at bay with his jabs long enough to earn a split decision - and a berth into the quarterfinals next week.
The relentless Ahme was able to successfully work his way into the mid-section of his opponent a few times, especially in the later rounds. In the end, Amiri mixed large hooks and landed jabs as "Naz" attempted to work his way into the taller boxer.
Dillon Murphy v. Stephen "The Wrecker" Klein
Morissey's Stephen Klein landed a series of big right hooks in the second round to win the first 170-pound fight.
In the first round, both boxers traded blows while trading momentum. But in the next round "The Wrecker" lived up to his nickname by sending Murphy back to his corner with a standing eight count. Murphy, a graduate student from South Bend, finished the round, but the referee stopped the fight before the third round began, awarding Klein the victory.
Michael "Liberator" O'Connell vs. Hugh "The Christian Rite" Monahan
Hugh Monahan's strong blocking technique was not enough to hold off the barrage of punches from Michael O'Connell, who defeated the Fisher freshman in a split decision.
The match was close throughout all three rounds with Monahan consistently countering his opponent's attacks. In the end, O'Connell's experience allowed him to land enough punches to make it through the first round.
O'Neil Peart vs. Tim Flannery
Keough's O'Neil Peart won a unanimous decision over freshman Tim Flannery.
Flannery moved well early to keep himself out of trouble but was never really able to make any sustained aggressive moves. His constant motion worked against him later in the match, as Peart was visibly fresher going into the third round.
Peart left no doubt in the final round, landing a series of combinations that earned him the win.
Ryan Simmons vs. Brian Kantor
In a battle between two Keough freshmen, Brian Kantor came away with the judges' unanimous decision.
The fight started slow as the rookie fighters felt each other out by trading short jabs from a safe distance. Both boxers turned up the intensity for the remainder of match, but Kantor led the way. His combinations were too quick for Simmons, who found himself on the losing end of the final 170-pound bout.
Andy "Doogie" Houser vs. Tim "Rainbow Right" Rippinger
Andy "Doogie" Houser came out strong in the early rounds and was able to hang on for the split decision victory.
Rippinger did his best to move in and out for just long enough to land a few punches on Houser. "Doogie" was able to avoid many of the attacks, especially a huge right hook that he barely ducked under in the second round. Rippinger fought hard late but was unable to put together enough of a fight to recover from Houser's strong start.
Sturges Lochridge vs. Michael "Double Meat" Tallarico
With 30 seconds remaining in the final round, Lochridge landed a barrage of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight and award him with the victory.
The win was not a knockout because Tallarico was able to get up but not in good enough shape to finish the fight. Lochridge looked strong through all three rounds as he wore down the shorter "Double Meat."
The fight was stopped twice in the second round for a standing eight count and to clean up a bloody nose but was officially ended with the punishing third-round blow from the Knott Hall senior.
Pat "Ultimate Assassin" Nagorski vs. Brian Bylica
In the quickest fight of the night, Brian Bylica established himself as a serious threat to win his 180-pound division.
The senior from Darien, Ill. took only 30 seconds and one quick flurry of punches to take care of Nagorski. Bylica's fists were flying as soon as the bell rang. Nagorski never had a chance to defend himself. The referee quickly stopped the fight as the Alumni senior looked woozy. After consulting the ringside doctor, the referee called the fight.
Ben O'Brien vs. Greg Belatti
Sophomore Ben O'Brien advanced to the quarterfinals with a victory over senior Greg Belatti.
Belatti came out strong in the first round with a loud crowd at his back. But it was quickly evident that O'Brien was in better shape, and he began to wear down Belatti.
In the third round, O'Brien landed a monster uppercut that sent Belatti to the ground and caused the referee to call the fight. The big blow came with one minute remaining in the final round.
Leo "The Quiet Man" Rubinkowski vs. Eric "Just So Hungry" Retter
In the final fight of the night, two Stanford Griffins battled for a chance to make it to the next round. Retter, a junior, came away with the unanimous decision.
Despite Rubinkowski's large height advantage, Retter jumped out to an early lead with an impressive first round. Momentum carried into the second, as he landed an immediate forceful right. "The Quiet Man" held his own, but ultimately Retter was too much for the freshman.
