By Lucia Aguzzi and Olivia Schatz
The semifinals of the 2022 Baraka Bouts tournament took place Thursday night. These are the results from Ring A. Final rounds take place Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
Kim “The Grillmaster” Nguyen of Walsh Hall def. Kaitlin “Mo Pain” Mohlenkamp of Badin Hall
In the first round, Nguyen came in strong on the offensive against Mohlenkamp, who deflected punch after punch. After a few hits from Nguyen, she was able to get in two strong jabs, quickly ducking from another hit. “The Grillmaster” continued to jab quickly anytime she could in the second round, chasing “Mo Pain” around the ring. The third round saw both fighters consistently deflect punches and get jabs in against the other, and the fight seemed to be an even battle between the two. In the end, Nguyen did enough to win the fight by a split decision among the judges.
Lindsey “Smol Ranger” Michie def. Olivia “Mad Dog” Mancuso of Howard Hall
The first round started off with Michie jabbing repeatedly at Mancuso, who fought back, but continuously was knocked off her stance. “Smol Ranger” came at Mancuso strongly with several body shots, pushing her to the edge of the ring. “Mad Dog” eventually got her footing after landing several punches on Michie as well. In the second round, Michie continued to land jabs on Mancuso, who was backed into the corners of the ring a few times. The third round was an aggressive fight between the two, with the referee having to separate the fighters a few times. Ultimately, “Smol Ranger” won the fight by unanimous decision.
Monica “Mc4” Caponigro of Pasquerilla East Hall def. Martha “The Menace” Gluck of Howard Hall
Gluck started the fight landing a few hard jabs on Caponigro, but “Mc4” quickly proved to be a match for the veteran fighter. They circled the ring for the duration of the first round, with Gluck hitting Caponigro with body shots toward the end. In the second round, both fighters came on aggressively, with each hitting the other with several head jabs. “The Menace” was able to push Caponigro around the ring, but “Mc4” deflected and was able to land body shots on Gluck. The third round was a very quick jab session between the two, neither landing strong punches, but rather engaging in a continuous fight. Caponigro’s hits on Gluck proved to be enough to sway the judges for a split-decision victory in her favor.
Emily “Enemy Jane” Nowak of McGlinn Hall def. Amber “The Bulldog” May
Nowak started off the first round with consistent jabs at May, but “The Bulldog” seemed to expertly duck against many hits from “Enemy Jane.” May eventually was hit with a number of head punches from Nowak, and continuously lost her footing, prompting the judge to split the two up. The second round saw much of the same, with “Enemy Jane” landing punch after punch to May’s head. In the third round, “The Bulldog” struggled to land punches, but continued to duck and deflect from her opponent as well. The decision, however, was a unanimous victory for Nowak.
Lily “The Chelsea Dagger” Whitman of Lyons Hall def. Luzolo “Power Fist” Matundu of Farley Hall
The first round started off with powerful swings from Whitman. Matundu would not be silenced, and she would quickly respond with hits of her own. Whitman would throw multiple hits in a row, sending Matundu back. With a few seconds left, Whitman sent Matundu into her corner. The second round started off just as the first, with both boxers throwing hard hits. One from Whitman would force a break from the ref. Whitman would not give up, and would immediately corner Matundu with a series of hits. Matundu, again, would not lie, landing multiple punches of her own. Both competitors came out hot again in the third round. Whitman and Matundu were throwing heavy punches up until the bell, but by unanimous decision, Whitman would win.
Lauren “Blondie” Buetow of Flaherty Halldef. Maggie “Thunderstruck” Langheim
Langheim came out hot, with multiple hits to Buetow. But, Buetow quickly found her rhythm and sent a series of hits toward her competitor. One jab to the face would send Buetow back a few steps, and Langheim would pounce, sending Buetow back and around the ring. It was then Buetow’s turn, and she would send Langheim into the corner as the bell rang. Langheim would open up the match again, raining punches on Buetow. After a ref-mandated break, Buetow would seem to find some footing and would land multiple hits on Langheim. Round three again saw aggressive hits from both competitors. Quickly, however, Langeim would hit Buetow into the ropes. Buetow would respond again by sending Langeim into the ropes, this time, however, Langheim would be able to escape it. Both women were fighting til the bell, and after a hard-fought match, Buetow won by split decision.
JJ “Soldier Boy” Jorgensen of Lewis Halldef. Molly “MC Hammer” Caplice of Flaherty Halldef.
Both women were moving quickly around the ring for the start of the first round. Jorgensen would land some major hits on Caplice to force a break. The second round opened up with a quick jab missed by Caplice. Jorgensen would take advantage of this and retaliate with a flurry of swings. A swing from Jorgensen would cause another break. Jorgensen would not give up, and after the concussion check, she would continue to land punch after punch on her opponent. Neither boxer would rest going into the third round. Jorgensen would send Caplice into the ropes for the final bell, and by unanimous decision, “Soldier Boy” was declared the winner.
Ellie “The Hammer” Hammerschmitt of Pasquerilla East Hall def. Hannah “Happle Apple” Vespalec of Welsh Family Hall
Hammerschmitt started the match by punching down on the ducking Vespalec. “The Hammer” would attempt to send Vespalec into the corner, but Vespalec was able to duck out of it. Hammerschmitt would not let up and continued to send multiple hits into her opponent. Again, Hammerschmitt would start the round by sending a series of hits against Vespalec, eventually sending her to the floor.
After a quick break, Hammerschmitt was back at it and sent Vespalec this time into the ropes. Throughout the rest of the round, Hammerschmitt was sending jabs and punches toward her opponents, and Vespalec was forced against the ropes. Hammerschmitt sent Vespalec quickly into the corner at the start of the third round. The ref called time for holding on to Hammerschmitt, but she would not let this stop her. And, at the end of the third round, by split decision, Hammerschmitt took the crown.
Jessica “The Adjudicator” Vickery of Ryan Hall def. Gabi “Texan Perfection” Cano of Pasquerilla West Hall
The final match of the night started off hot. Cano sent a flurry of jabs toward Vickery before Vickery would send Cano a few of her own. Both fighters were fast with their punches and sent a series of hits before taking a step back. Cano was able to dodge some of Vickery’s swings, but the bell would ring as Vickery was on the offense. It was Vickery’s turn to start the match with hits of her own.
But, Cano would send some, forcing a stumble from Vickery. Vickery would then retaliate, and land multiple powerful swings. This would eventually send Cano to the ground. For the last round, both women gave it their all. With the entire arena now cheering for their corner, the energy was palpable. Vickery would send a series of quick hits, and in return, Cano would send some of her own. Both boxers were swinging til the final bell when Vickery sent Cano into the ropes, and by unanimous decision, Vickery was named champion.
Contact Lucia Aguzziat laguzzi@nd.edu and Olivia Schatz at oschatz.edu.
