The 20th Annual Baraka Bouts commenced on Monday, Nov. 10. Here are the quarterfinal results from Ring A.
Lindsey “Smol Ranger” Michie def. Lauren “Half-Pint” Hubert of Farley Hall
To start the night, both women came out of the gates on the offensive, landing multiple punches on each other, and it was apparent the fight was going to be very competitive. In the second round, it was Michie who started to find a rhythm and land multiple jabs on Hubert. As the round endured, however, both boxers started to fatigue, and Hubert fought back and landed some jabs of her own. Both boxers got a newfound energy in the third round, and this time it was Hubert that came out of the gates firing. Michie would fight back, though, and land some more punches to win the fight by unanimous decision.
Annie “Big Ann” Guinan of Pasquerilla East Hall def. Catie “little boy” Ellis
Guinan came out of the gates strong in this one, landing a flurry of punches on Ellis in the opening seconds. As the round endured, Ellis changed the tide of the fight, knocking Guinan to the ground. To start the second round, Guinan went back to work, landing punch after punch against Ellis. In the third round, though, Ellis fought back, landing some punches of her own against Guinan and pinning her up against the ropes. As Guinan continued to fatigue, Ellis continued to land a flurry of jabs to end the fight. Ultimately, Guinan did enough at the beginning of the fight to win by unanimous decision.
Ryn “Rico” Weiss of Badin Hall def. Aranza “Pistolera” Sierra
Weiss landed some strong jabs early to get the fight going. As the first round endured, Weiss continued to have her way with Sierra, landing punch after punch. In the second round, Weiss flew out of her corner, going after Sierra immediately. Weiss continued to control the pace of the flight throughout the course of the second round. In the final round, Sierra showed some fight, landing some jabs of her own against Weiss. Weiss would land some more jabs to end the fight, though, and ultimately won by unanimous decision.
Monica “Mc4” Caponigro of Pasquerilla East Hall def. Delaney “D MONEY” Smith of McGlinn Hall
Both boxers came out of the gate on the offensive, and landed a flurry of punches on each other. As the round progressed, Caponigro gained some momentum, landing some jabs on Smith. In the second round, it was Smith who fought back by landing a couple of quick jabs on Caponigro. Both fighters continued to battle in the second round, and it was evident this was about to be a highly contested fight. Caponigro fought back in the third round to land some more jabs on Smith, which was enough for her to win the fight by unanimous decision.
Kim “The Grillmaster” Nguyen of Walsh Hall def. Tess “Boulder Shoulders” Kesler of Walsh Hall
In the first round, it was Nguyen who came out of the gate firing, landing a couple of jobs on Kesler to start the fight. Nguyen continued to dominate in the first round, landing a string of punches on Kesler to end the opening round. In the second round, Nguyen flew out of the gate and again continued to land punch after punch on Kesler. Nguyen finished the round on a strong note, landing some more jabs against Kesler. In the third round, it was evident that both fighters began to fatigue, but Nguyen continued to control the fight, and she would ultimately win by unanimous decision.
Maggie “Thunderstruck” Langheim def. Katie “Gilgamesh” Gilland of Howard Hall
The first round began with aggression from Langheim, landing numerous jabs with frenetic energy. While Gilland would land some punches of her own, Langheim controlled the pace and seemed to overwhelm a defensive Gilland. In the second round, Gilland came out angry and landed a flurry of punches upon Langheim, who retaliated with pointed counters. Following a brief suspension of play, Gilland would maintain her almost frantic pace and continue to strike, but Langheim remained stout in her defense. The third round was all Langeheim’s, overpowering a fatigued Gilland and dealing a number of jabs. Gilland would land some punches, albeit much less. Langheim would go on to win this spirited bout by unanimous decision.
Layann Wardeh of Lewis Hall def. Emma “Bad Intentions” Speyrer of Cavanaugh Hall
Round one began with Wardeh in complete control, pushing Speyrer into corners and landing numerous jabs upon her opponent. Speyrer would rebound, landing punches of her own, but overall, the round was defined by Wardeh’s pace and energy. The second round saw skill on both sides, with Wardeh’s light footwork and lethal punch accuracy on full display alongside Speyrer’s ability to land jabs in defenseless spots. Speyrer elevated to match Wardeh in her aggression. The third round, accompanied by deafening chanting from the crowd, saw both fighters land critical jabs and calm down from their previous energy level. Wardeh of the gold corner would go on to win by an unanimous decision.
JJ “Soldier Boy” Jorgensen of Lewis Hall def. Kylie “Fireball” Fuerbacher of Welsh Family Hall
The first round began with electric jabs from Jorgensen forcing Fuerbacher to the ground, into the ropes, and staggering all about the ring. Jorgensen’s speedy footwork and pace defined the fight, pushing Fuerbacher across the floor. The second round brought more of the same, with Jorgensen landing jab after jab, forceful hooks, and again forcing Fuerbacher onto the ground. Jorgensen again controlled the fight in the third round, with a lethal hook motion that resulted in staggering punches and hectic defense from Fuerbacher. Fuerbacher mounted a valiant defense but was again brought to the floor of the ring. Jorgensen’s furious fighting style would lead to her winning the bout via unanimous decision.
Gabi “Texan Perfection” Cano of Pasquerilla West Hall def. Caitlin “Aces” Yarusso of Pasquerilla East Hall
The first round of this fight began with brilliance from both fighters, as both landed jabs on each other, defended with poise and showed continued aggression despite their daunting opponent. Over time, Cano would come to overpower Yarusso in the round, forcing her to defend as she piled up jabs. Cano would open up swinging in round two, landing a flurry of punches and forcing Yarusso into mostly defensive positions. Cano continued to find weak spots in Yarusso’s defense, however, dealing jabs through a combination of hooks and penetration. Round three was characterized by a vigilant Cano dealing punches on a fatigued Yarusso, using a right hook motion to consistently deal jabs. Cano would win the bout by unanimous decision.
Ellie “The Hammer” Hammerschmitt of Pasquerilla East Hall def. Lauren “Spider Monkey” Glynn of Breen-Phillips Hall
Round one started off fiercely, as both fighters dealt jabs and fought with an angry pace. Hammershmitt would gradually go on to dominate, landing a flurry of aggressive punches. The second round saw more of the same, as Hammerschmitt pushed Glynn around the floor and dealt a series of jabs. Round three saw both fighters resort to aggressive defensive techniques, with Glynn taking control and bullying Hammerschmitt into the ropes. While Glynn dominated the third round, Hammerschmitt would win by unanimous decision.
Lily “The Chelsea Dagger” Whitman of Lyons Hall def. Anna “Power Tower” Prest of Ryan Hall
Whitman started out strong and controlled the pace of the first round. With a bevy of quick jabs and a strong left hook punctuating her attacks, “The Chelsea Dagger” got off to a clear advantage. Whitman’s lethal left continued its onslaught in the second round, jabbing between Prest’s gloves with great frequency. In the third round, Prest, needed to find some momentum but couldn’t avoid the corners of the ring. Whitman, who is looking to go further than last year when she lost in the semifinals, earned an authoritative victory by unanimous decision.
Hannah “Happle Apple” Vespalec of Welsh Family Hall def. Grace “Haak Attack” Haak of Ryan Hall
Haak and Vespalec commenced their bout with a frenetic pace. However, it was not with reckless abandon, as both boxers demonstrated composed defense to keep things close. Locked in a tight bout, Vespalec utilized body shots that opened up a clean right hook and a stronger attack before the bell ended the second round.
Buoyed by a strong cheering section, “Haak Attack” landed the first punches of a pivotal third round. But “Happle Apple” continued to counter and came back with a strong sequence of jabs to avoid a major momentum swing. As both boxers tired, the bout became a back and forth affair with both boxers exchanging late punches. Ultimately, it was Vespalec’s strong finishes to the last two rounds that proved decisive in a split decision victory.
Sydney “Angry Elf” Higgins of Lewis Hall def. Mary “Rozemboxer” Rozembajgier of Johnson Family Hall
This bout saw two boxers with wildly contrasting styles competing. The shorter Higgins relied on short jabs while Rozembajgier utilizing her longer reach to connect on a couple of looping hooks. Each boxer controlled one of the first two rounds, with the result remaining in doubt at the second bell.
“Angry Elf” landed a few early jabs in the crucial final round and then did a fantastic job keeping her gloves high and fending off late offensive surges from “Rozemboxer”. A high-energy bout with both boxers bringing boisterous fan sections concluded with a split-decision victory for Higgins.
Amber “The Bulldog” May def. Veronica Louise “V-Hulk” Mendoza
Two graduate students headlined this bout. Mendoza alternated left and right hooks that frequently connected with a strong jab sequence. However, she received a warning for some of those hooks morphing into open-palmed slaps. May withstood the early pressure and controlled second half of the bout. “The Bulldog” came out strong in the third round and evaded some pressure to land a few decisive left jabs. That was enough to grant May the split-decision victory in a hotly-contested round.
Nicole “Knuckles” Lies of Welsh Family Hall def. Maggie “Read the Observer” Eastland of Pasquerilla West
Editor’s Note: Eastland is an Assistant Managing Editor at The Observer.
Lies brought the pressure early in the first round, but Eastland brought strong defense to keep her opponent away from much in the way of decisive blows. “Knuckles”, a junior captain in the club, continued an onslaught of pressure that led to headgear shots. Lies stayed on the offensive throughout and slowly broke down the active defense of Eastland in a dominant second round. The Pasquerilla West junior needed late offense and found a few sharp jabs, but it wasn’t enough. Lies marched on into the semifinals with a victory via unanimous decision.
Molly “MC Hammer” Caplice of Flaherty Hall def. Colleen “Queen Colleen” Driscoll of Breen Phillips Hall
Caplice, a 2021 runner-up in the Baraka Bouts, fended off an frenetic early attack from Driscoll, allowing the bout to settle into a tence, defensive affair. “Queen Colleen” delivered a right hook early in round two, connecting with Caplice’s headgear. However, “MC Hammer” continued to be patient and her probing left jab began to frequently split the gloves of her opponent.
Caplice came out with a little more urgency in the third-round, seeking some decisive shots. She landed a handful and maintained her strong defense to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Emily ”Enemy Jane” Nowak of McGlinn Hall def. Emma “The Enforcer” Hazel of Pasquerilla West
Ring A’s finale featured a junior in Nowak taking on freshman Emma Hazel. The freshman controlled the early pace and connected on a few hooks, but Nowak found a couple of late combinations to land some punches of her own.
“Enemy Jane” controlled more of the pace in the second round, as “The Enforcer” took a more defensive approach. Neither boxer, however, landed much in the way of a decisive blow, keeping the evening’s final bout in doubt at the second bell. However, the McGlinn Hall junior demonstrated stronger stamina in a dominant final round, taking the fight to Hazel. While Hazel demonstrated impressive defense, the sustained pressure from Nowak was too much. “Enemy Jane” claimed victory by unanimous decision.
