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Saturday, April 20, 2024
The Observer

Bengal Bouts: Preliminaries, 167 Pounds

William "I Sunk your Battleship" Hull def. Giovanni Angles

Hull, a senior, used lots of jabs in the first round, while the law student Angles utilized a set of combos in his arsenal. Both knocked the other to the ropes once before the first bell. Hull used supreme footwork to avoid most of Angles' attempts in the second round, while landing many combos, to take control. In the third, both fighters consistently traded punches, but Hull used the advantage he gained in the second round for the unanimous decision.

David "Mountain Man" Gray def. Terrence "The Relentless" Rogers

Both the senior Gray and the graduate student Rogers landed a few punches early in the bout, but Gray gained the upper hand late in the first round with some uppercuts and combos. The 55-year-old Rogers, three-time Bengal Bouts runner-up in the 1970s, landed a big punch early in the second round, but as the round continued, Gray's youth allowed him to take advantage of Rogers' fatigue and gain control of the fight. Rogers, with help from an enthusiastic and supportive crowd, came out aggressively in the third round, but as it drew on, he struggled to maintain his momentum. Gray took over late in the fight with his footwork and punches to earn a unanimous decision victory.

John Healy def. Timothy Sweeney

Early on, very few jabs and close punches were thrown by either the senior Sweeney or the sophomore Healy. Both fighters attempted to land many punches, with each connecting on a few. The aggressive, high-intensity fight continued in the second round, with both fighters landing big punches. Healy took the advantage late in the second round. In the third round, the referee had to check Healy after a big punch. Healy, however, rebounded and hit Sweeney with a sweeping punch and continued unleashing a barrage of blows. Sweeney knocked Healy to the floor against the ropes just as the match ended, but it was not enough, as Healy won the split decision.

Brian "Yeah, Cool Beans" Salvi def. Dallas "Bonzi" Bunsa

In the first round, law-student Salvi initiated multiple jabs to the head with his quick left-right combo, overwhelming his sophomore opponent. At the same time, he showcased agile footwork in dodging Bunsa's counter-blows. Salvi's domination continued in the second round, with the referee temporarily stopping the fight for Bunsa to recover. While Bunsa started the third round by pinning his opponent against the ropes, Salvi finished with a flurry of punches and earned the unanimous decision.

Daniel Griess def. James "Rambo" Fultz

After a slow start to the fight where each fighter sought to exploit the other's weaknesses, the freshman Griess took control towards the end of the first round, cornering the sophomore Fultz and landing multiple jabs to the face. Griess carried this aggression into the second round, sending Fultz into a defensive stance by landing numerous jabs to his head. Needing a strong third round to turn the tide, Fultz came out aggressive, but Griess weathered the storm and reasserted control over the fight. Griess proved victorious by unanimous decision.

Christopher "Fuhaluvus" LaCosta def. Nick "Ice Cream Paint Job" Grady

Both fighters used similar styles in employing footwork and athleticism to dodge the other's blows. These styles resulted in a fight with few successful punches by either competitor and much movement around the ring. The junior LaCosta, however, landed more successful punches, especially in the first and third rounds. This effort allowed LaCosta to prevail in a unanimous decision.

Jake "One Blow" Joe def. Andrew "Hitmonchan" Kwasnieski

Joe, while not knocking his competitor out in one actual blow, didn't waste many in defeating Kwasnieski, Joe's domination began in the middle of the first round when his powerful left-right combo to Kwasnieski's face caused the junior's nose to bleed, which forced the referee to delay the contest. When the fight resumed, the sophomore Joe continued to land shots to his opponent's face, and, early in the third round, the referee ended the match due to the damage to Kwasnieski's nose, and Joe won by the referee stopping the contest.