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Friday, April 19, 2024
The Observer

Bengal Bouts: Preliminaries, 180 pounds

Mike Doran def. Leo "Kid Italy" Dipiero

Doran, the 2009 runner-up in the 175-pound division, prevailed in a unanimous decision over the upstart freshman Dipiero. Dipiero started the fight countering the favorite Doran punch for punch. However, as the fight wore on the junior consistently landed punches to Dipiero's upper body and head. Doran's endurance was evident as he dominated the final round.

David "Played and It Pleased the Lord" Fosselman def. Adam "The Flying Otter" Twardizik

The first round brought a quick advantage to Fosselman when he knocked down Twardizik twice, despite Twardizik's height advantage. Twardizik came out fighting at the beginning of the second and his strong push continued throughout the second round, but Fosselman came back even stronger in the third, making the match a very competitive one. Fosselman's successes of the first round paid off, and the judges decared him a unanimous winner.

Giacomo "Il Capo" Minafra def. Lorenzo "El Nino" Sanchez

In a fight that would have made any of his fellow Zahmbies proud, the sophomore Minafra rode an unrelenting and wild style to a unanimous victory over his fellow sophomore. Minafra's lefty fighting stance seemed to throw Sanchez off, as he was unable to keep Minafra off the offensive for the entire fight.

Alex "Mac Attack" Macomber def. Brian "Polish Thunder" Kachmarck

Both sides came out swinging aggressively to begin the fight, and the first round ended without a clear advantage to either side, but the second round showed a change of pace when Macomber took over the ring. Despite a few bloody noses for Macomber, he managed to corner Kachmarck and make his mark. Macomber's distinction lasted until the end, when he earned a unanimous decision.

Nicholas "It's-a-ME-a" Ponzio def. Daniel "Danimal" Balcarel

This fight, between Bengal Bouts senior captain Ponzio and the freshman Balcarel, appeared to be a mismatch on paper. However, Balcarel kept the fight close and Ponzio escaped with a split decision victory. Balcarel wrapped up Ponzio a couple times after landing combos in the first round, which seemed to aggravate the captain. Ponzio then channeled his anger into a number of furious combos in close range, leading to a knockdown at the close of the fight.

Preston Bennett def. "Big" Ben Ferry

Ferry had the height advantage, but Bennett's strength evened the playing field. The first round remained fairly neutral, with both fighters throwing punches. Bennett came out hard to begin the second round, but Ferry fought back. At the start of the third round, Bennett's efforts finally paid off when his powerful punches knocked Ferry to the ground. From there, Bennett's control was clear, and he won the match unanimously.

Brian "Half-man, Half-hair" O'Connor def. Matthew "Chew ‘em Up" Enzweiler

The junior O'Connor used a combination of elusive defense and strategic headshots to play on the freshman Enzweiler's offensive style, as O'Connor took the unanimous decision. O'Connor's consistent headshots appeared to take their toll, as by the end of the bout the freshman Enzweiler was visibly wobbly and unable to put together any decent combinations.

Dominic "Warsaw War Hammer" Golab def. Matthew "Matt" Losego

Both fighters came out quickly, but when things slowed down toward the end of the first round, Golab seemed to come out on top. Golab proved his superiority in the second round, knocking Losego off his feet. Losego came out of his fall looking for revenge, but was faced once again with Golab's unyielding punches. Golab solidified his control in the third round with a series of hits right to Losego's face, and ended the match with a unanimous win.