Erin Pfeifer lands a jab in during her unanimous decision victory in the Baraka Bouts quarterfinals on Nov. 6, 2023.
The 21st annual Baraka Bouts commenced Monday. Here are the quarterfinal results from Ring A.
Lauren “Half-Pint” Hubert def. Catie “Little Boy” Ellis
In the first round of the evening, Ellis came out with a strong start. From the ring of the bell, Ellis was on the offensive, forcing Hubert to take a defensive stance for much of the first round. However, the tide turned with the start of the second round. Hubert took a much more offensive stance from the start and kept her momentum going throughout the third. Despite almost hitting the ground and needing a reset in the middle of the second round, Hubert’s change of pace in the final two rounds won her the bout in a split decision.Lily “Legends by 7” Storrs def. Maisie “I don’t have one yet” Jenuwine
Both boxers came out ready to fight right off the bat. There was lots of movement around the ring, and both Jenuwine and Storrs kept alternating who went on the attack. This trend continued for all three rounds, with each boxer continuously delivering calculated and deliberate hits. Even though Jenuwine was able to land some powerful punches, Storrs was able to maintain an advantage. In a split decision, Storrs was declared victorious.Maria “La Leche” Silvestri def. Kiera “Red Lighting” Judd
From the beginning of the first round, it was clear Silvestri held an advantage. Although Judd was able to deliver some powerful hits, Silvestri maintained a dominant position that forced Judd away from the center of the ring and caused her to keep readjusting her headgear. Judd came out with a stronger start at the beginning of the second round, but Silvestri’s dominant footing allowed her to keep her advantage. A high-energy start to round three ended in a reset for Judd. In a unanimous decision, Silvestri was declared the winner.Katherine “Bend it like” Beckman def. Emma “The Enforcer” Hazel
Both boxers came out quickly with a flurry of punches. Hazel began the first round by backing Beckman into the side, but Beckman was able to eventually gain her footing. By the start of the second round, Beckman had found her groove. Although Hazel was able to keep consistent footing throughout the three rounds, it wasn’t enough for her to take home the win. Beckman’s powerful punches and strong defensive performance won her the bout in a unanimous decision.Maggie "Read The Observer" Eastland def. Kathryn “Big Red” Forrest
Editor’s note: Eastland is editor-in-chief of The Observer.Eastland began the first round circling and throwing jabs at Forrest. There was a lot of frenetic movement from Eastland, who landed a few headshots throughout the round before Forrest landed a solid flurry just before the bell. Halfway through the second round, a stiff jab from Eastland forced a count for Forrest. After resuming the action, Forrest kept valiantly charging forward, but Eastland found the gaps in the guard and kept landing blows. Eastland kept the momentum with a few solid right hooks and mixed in a few body shots to force another count in the third round. The pace slowed considerably as fatigue set in for both fighters during the tail end of the third round. In the end, Eastland claimed the victory by unanimous decision.
Luisa "Karma" Capobianco def. Jaylene "Texas Toast 'Em" Diaz
Capobianco landed some sharp, short jabs and got Diaz uncomfortable, pushing her up against the ropes in the first round. Diaz responded in the second round, ratcheting up the pressure, but Capobianco managed to duck away from punches adeptly. Diaz's intensity paid off by landing a few solid punches, but both tired toward the end of the round and retreated to their corners. Capobianco came out strong in the third, landing early and often. A flurry of punches backed Diaz into the ropes and forced a count. After the resumption, Diaz showed great spirit, landing blows and even slightly stunning Capobianco, who lunged in for a desperate clinch just before the bell. After three rounds, Capobianco stood with her hand raised for a unanimous decision victory.Brianna "The Menace" Tennes def. Mary "Sudsy" Sutherland
Tennes started strong with a few stiff jabs that found Sutherland's sturdy guard. Sutherland seemed reluctant to throw punches and only managed to land a few despite Tennes' aggression. The fight opened up a little in the final half of the first round as Tennes began to break through her opponent's guard. Sutherland threw a few reaching body shots in the second, but Tennes still largely controlled the affair. She backed Sutherland toward the ropes and landed a solid combination of punches that highlighted the second round. Tennes continued to assert herself in the third round, sealing a comfortable unanimous decision victory.Erin "Cardi E" Pfeifer def. Kylie "Fireball" Fuerbacher
Both tentatively marched forward before Pfeifer started throwing wildly when they met in the middle. After a frenetic opening, the pace settled and Fuerbacher landed a stiff jab that forced a count just before the bell. A vicious right hook from Pfeifer merited a count just a few ticks into the second round. After a few exchanges to open the third, another right hook from Pfeifer forced Fuerbacher to stumble back. After a quick check from the referee, the fight got back underway. Fuerbacher was able to sprinkle in a few good blows, but another forceful combination from Pfeifer forced the referee to intervene. Once the bout resumed, Pfeifer was right back to it, finishing the round with a flurry buoyed by a raucous crowd chanting her name. Pfeifer claimed the victory via unanimous decision.Lauren "Blondie" Buetow def. Meghan "The Bull" Sharkey
The bout got off to a frenetic start with Sharkey landing the firmest punch of the opening exchanges, a stiff jab right up the middle that jerked Buetow's head back. The pace slowed significantly as the opening round drew to a close. Buetow opened the second round aggressively before swinging back hard. Sharkey began pushing Buetow back before a strong blow to the head forced a count from the referee just before the bell. Buetow was fiery to open the final round and a strong combination quickly forced a count from the referee.After the resumption, Buetow got back to it with a big flurry of punches. Sharkey mounted a response as best she could, but Buetow kept her foot on the gas and forced another count that brought the third round to a close and gave her the win by unanimous decision.
Shay "Z-Force" Zilvitis def. Quinnlan "T-4 Everything" Murray
In what was the loudest fight of the night up to then, Zilvitis came out strong with multiple stiff jabs landing on Murray's headgear. She kept the pressure up all round, landing combinations and eventually forcing a count from the referee. It was a quick start to the second round before a head blow jarred Zilvitis' head gear loose. After a quick adjustment, the fight was back underway. The quick pace slowed toward the middle of the round as both boxers patiently picked their opportunities to step forward and throw a punch.The third round began with another roar from the crowd and a few measured exchanges. Zilvitis threw most of the punches in the third but lacked effectiveness throughout a relatively uneventful final round. In the end, Zilvitis got the win by unanimous decision.
Ocean "The Matador" Leto def. Ella "Havoc" Haley
It was a fast start to this bout, with Haley getting the better of the opening exchanges. Leto slowly grew into the round, showing off great technique and deftly picking her punches to break through Haley's guard. Haley seemed to lose some of the thrust behind her punches throughout the second round while Leto kept landing strong blows. One hit seemed to noticeably rattle Haley to the point where she paused for a second without the referee's intervention. Leto obliged — seemingly out of confusion — before continuing her barrage until the end of the round.Haley started the third strong, but Leto kept picking her spots well, taking advantage of her opponent's visible fatigue. Soon, Leto landed a hit that started a count from the referee and even required a quick medical check. After the restart, both fighters threw with everything they had up until the bell. It was a close bout, and Leto claimed the win by split decision.
Riley “No Smiley” VandeVelde def. Ola “The Phantom” Abdalsalam
Both boxers traded a series of short, frenetic jabs in the opening moments, with VandeVelde connecting on the first major punches to force a count just seconds into the match. VandeVelde’s dominance continued throughout the first round, with the referee having to check on Abdalsalam before the end of the round. Another count ensued early in the second round. Abdalsalam showed some signs of life, especially early in round three, landing a couple of quick body blows on VandeVelde. Her late improvement was not enough, as VandeVelde won by unanimous decision.Kim “The Grillmaster” Nguyen def. Anna “Killer Punch” Kierski
Both boxers came out of the gates with plenty of energy. Nguyen connected on a quick uppercut and some more head jabs shortly thereafter. Kierski ran out of energy as the round progressed, and Nguyen didn’t hesitate to take advantage. Kierski started the second round strong, but Nguyen used her long reach to pummel her opponent. Nguyen started to run out of steam as well but was still able to consistently penetrate Kierski’s defensive efforts. Kierski connected on some wild jabs early in the final round, although both competitors were running low on fuel at that point. Nguyen took advantage of Kierski’s fatigue a bit more, earning the victory via unanimous decision.Elle “The Greek Freak” Strogilos def. Ryn “Rico” Weiss
Strogilos came out swinging but was quickly knocked to the ground by Weiss, forcing a count. She was no worse for wear, though, backing Weiss against the ropes consistently. Weiss was eventually able to maneuver away but was forced into a defensive posture for most of the opening round. The second round offered more of the same, with Weiss connecting on a few punches but often finding her back against the ropes. Strogilos didn’t let up, moving her feet well and continuing to push Weiss back in the third round. The final bout of the night ended in a unanimous decision favoring Strogilos.Sign up for our Observer Sports newsletter! Have an Irish sports question? Ask it for our Observer Sports mailbag!
