137 Pounds
Chris Dethlefs def. Michael “Munchkin” Kappaz
To kick off the semifinal round of Bengal Bouts, Kappaz, a junior from Alumni, was in attack mode from the start, landing numerous hits to the head of Sorin sophomore Dethlefs in the first round. This aggressive mindset forced Dethlefs in a defensive stance through the match’s opening round. The second round began with offensive flurries from both fighters as Dethlefs utilized his patient approach and powerful left hook. Kappaz landed a punch that drew blood from Dethlefs, pausing the fight. In the final round, Kappaz was getting tired, and Dethlefs’ methodical approach allowed him to take advantage. In the end, the offensive firepower in the first two rounds from Kappaz earned him the win by split decision.
Atticus “Finch” Coscia def. Matthew Muliadi
In the second semifinal of the night, the offensive firepower of Siegfried junior Coscia overwhelmed off-campus senior Muliadi. Coscia pushed Muliadi onto to the ropes multiple times in the first round. Muliadi, a native of Jakarta, Indonesia, did all he could to stay defensive and agile in an effort to avoid the strong punches from Coscia, but he was unable to do so throughout the bout. The third round saw Coscia put Muliadi on the ropes another three times as Coscia pummeled the senior. Finch won the match by unanimous decision and will face Michael Kappaz in the 137-pound final.
144 Pounds
Danny “Nacho Tigre” Espinoza def. Matthew “Mr. January” Yoder
This match began with a patient approach from both fighters. Espinoza, a junior from St. Edward’s, started the first offensive exchange after nearly 30 seconds of stalemate and missed punches. The left hook of Espinoza woke up Yoder, a sophomore from Alumni, leading Yoder to respond with multiple right hooks to the head. The second round saw a spark from Yoder, with his offensive game picking up. Yoder stayed in attack mode to begin the third round, but a determined series of swings from Espinoza brought the sophomore to his knees. Espinoza remained patient and capitalized on his opportunities to land left hooks. The match concluded with Yoder pushing the senior to the ropes, but Espinoza was declared the winner by split decision.
Alex “El Cadejo” Alcantara def. Steven Ramos
Alcantara, a junior from Alumni, began the fight in dominant fashion, executing quick, short jabs to the body and head of Ramos. Ramos, a sophomore from Zahm, recovered early in the second round, pushing Alcantara on the ropes for the second time in the match. To close the second round and gain momentum, Alcantara landed a massive left hook. The third round kicked off with both fighters trading missed punches and culminated with a convincing right jab from Alcantara to the head of Ramos. Ramos slowed down in the final round, leaving Alcantara room to take advantage offensively. Alcantara advanced to the final, winning by unanimous decision.
152 Pounds
Timothy McDermott def. Alexander “LaFotre 3” Jones
Jones, a Fort Wayne, Indiana, native and off-campus graduate student, started the fight determined to gain an edge offensively by striking McDermott with quick punches. McDermott, a freshman from O’Neill, was forced to move around the ring with the bursts of energy from Jones. McDermott came out more prepared in the second round, using his long reach to connect on blows to Jones. Both fighters were patient in the first two rounds and more focused on their defensive approaches. Jones landed a left hook on McDermott to kick off the third round, but he was unable to land most of his other punches. McDermott closed out the match strong, putting Jones on the ropes with a jolt of offensive firepower. McDermott took the fight by split decision.
Kieran Carroll def. Austin “The Sleeper” Cartier
Both fighters started the bout with a high level of energy and intensity and matched each other blow for blow. However, as the first round began to draw to a close, Carroll, a senior from Duncan, was able to force Cartier into the corner and land several strong jabs. At the start of the second round, Cartier, a junior from Dillon, landed some punches of his own, but as the round went on, Carroll regained control of the fight. Both fighters were visibly exhausted as the round closed out. In the third round, Carroll maintained control of the bout and landed a shot that forced the referee to momentarily stop the fight and check on Cartier. Carroll was awarded the win by unanimous decision.
157 Pounds
Patrick “Starsky” Lawler def. Michael “Greasy” Grasso
As was the case with each of the other semifinal contests, the first round of the bout between Lawler, a sophomore from Fisher, and Grasso, a senior from Stanford, started with the fighters matching each other blow for blow. Lawler landed a few more punches than Grasso, and the exchange ended when the two fighters got tied up. Both fighters attempted to land shots to his opponent’s head throughout the second round, and they still had plenty of energy as the third round began. It was in the third that Lawler landed a big shot that sent Grasso spinning, and Lawler followed it up with a several other blows that appeared to give him the edge. In the end, the judges awarded Lawler the win by split decision.
Sean Himel def. Chip Blood
In its entirety, the bout between Himel, a senior in Duncan, and Blood, a junior in Sorin, was marked by strategy as opposed to aggression and intensity. The first round saw only a few big shots landed, as Himel was on the attack for most of the round. Blood, however, was able to defend himself well, as he stayed low and forced Himel to extend his reach. The second round saw more frequent blows exchanged between the two fighters. Himel landed a few strong shots and even forced Blood into the ropes for a brief period of time before Blood forced a tie up. The third round saw more of the same, as the two fighters got tied up on a number of occasions, and Blood landed especially strong punches as the fight closed out. However, Himel was awarded the win by split decision.
163 Pounds
Ryan Chestnut def. Joe Quinones
Chestnut, a Kenilworth, Illinois, native and sophomore from O’Neill, started off the fight on the ropes and appeared to be in trouble, but his quick jabs to escape set the tone for the remainder of the fight. The first round saw both fighters deliver solid blows with Chestnut getting in the last strong jab as the round closed out. Each round successively started out more physically than the last, and Chestnut appeared to be getting stronger as the match went on. Quinones got in his fair share of powerful shots as well, but he took a shot to the head and had to be examined by the official late in the third. Chestnut was awarded the win by unanimous decision.
Pat “Paddy Cakes” Shea def. Rudy Bernard
It took some time before any big hits were delivered in the 163-pound semifinal, but once it got going, Shea was on the attack and never looked back. Throughout the first round, the senior from Keough delivered stronger and more frequent blows than his counterpart, Bernard. As the second round started, Shea got in multiple good hits to Bernard’s head and actually forced the referee to pause the fight so Bernard could be attended to medically. Despite some more breaks, Shea never lost his momentum and won by unanimous decision.
175 Pounds
Jack “Not the Guy From Lost” Shepard def. Michael “Muscle Hamster” Krecek
Right from the start, Krecek came after Shepard with everything he had. Not intimidated by the size difference, Morrissey freshman Krecek caught the bigger Knott senior off guard, and Shepard was forced on the back foot for most of the first round as his counterpart chased him around the ring. Shepard did manage to land some hits, but the “Muscle Hamster” lived up to his nickname as he pounded Shepard on several occasions. The second round started similarly, as Shepard tried to use his length to gain an early advantage, but Krecek continued his bold strategy of charging right into his opponent. It looked like it would pay off once again until Shepard landed some heavy hooks that hit his opponent hard. The senior was looking for more, but the bell sounded to save Krecek and set up a decisive third round. Both fighters went for it all in the final round, as Krecek continued to try and get close to counteract Shepard’s length. They traded punch after punch, but Krecek was able to get the senior on the ropes and land some good hits to take the advantage. Shepard was not done, however. Just before the bell, he managed to string together a flurry of blows that caught the freshman on his back foot, but once again Krecek was saved by the bell as the fight ended. The fight was awarded to Shepard by split decision.
Zach “Bedrock” Flint def. Wes Chamblee
The fight began with a game of cat and mouse, as both fighters sought to take an early advantage. Chamblee, a law student, had some huge swings, but the Siegfried senior Flint was able to duck and dodge his way out of danger. The round ended with neither fighter seizing the advantage. Round two started in much the same way, and Chamblee came out swinging, but Flint continued his evasive maneuvers while landing several good hits himself. Halfway through the round, Chamblee finally managed to string together some big hits that had the crowd roaring, and Flint was doing his best to hang on. The bell sounded with Chamblee seizing a clear advantage heading into the final round. Flint came out with a fury to start round three though, and it payed off. He managed to land several big hits on his opponent who was clearly tiring after chasing Flint around for so long. Chamblee did his best to hang on, but Flint kept coming and controlled the round, earning him the victory by unanimous decision.
182 Pounds
Eamon “Gravy” McOsker def. Jack “Hammer” Corrigan
Round one started with McOsker seizing the early lead, as the Fisher senior quickly asserted his dominance with some early punches. Corrigan was on the back foot and looked for an opening, but his opponent landed some big hooks to keep the off-campus junior at bay. Corrigan came out with an early flurry to start the second round and managed to get McOsker on the ropes early. But the senior in gold used his length to stay the assault, and as the round went on, he managed to get right back in it with some strong hits. Corrigan was far from done and landed some punches of his own to set up a great finale. The final round was back and forth, as both fighters came out swinging. Neither man was backing down, as first McOsker would land a hit, then Corrigan. But the junior clearly was tiring, and McOsker pounced before the round ended to score several good jabs to the head as the bell sounded, and McOsker was declared the victor by unanimous decision.
Brian “Cheese” Willis def. Patrick Rahill
The fight began in riveting fashion as both men started strong. Willis, a Duncan senior, managed to land some early hits, but Rahill came storming back with some punches of his own. Willis kept using his right hook, but Rahill managed to dodge several and land some body shots of his own. The bell sounded with both fighters’ neck and neck. Round two started in much the same way, as both big men traded punches left and right, but at last Willis managed to land a big right jab that put Rahill off balance. Rahill, a senior from St. Edward’s, tried to get back into the fight, but as the round came to a close, Willis got him on the ropes and landed several big hits to take a firm advantage heading into round three. Rahill tried desperately to fight back, but once again, Willis trapped him on the ropes and landed hit after hit. Rahill attempted to hang on, but as the round dragged on, his opponent in gold started to pull away with some good combos. By the time the bell sounded, the result was clear, as Willis won the fight by unanimous decision.
191 Pounds
Jack Considine def. Jack “Irish Lion” Ryan
Both fighters traded punches early in round one, as each looked to set the tone for the rest of the fight. But as it drew on, Considine slowly eased into the lead and kept Ryan on the back foot for the majority of the round. He landed several good hits on his opponent and didn’t let the Knott junior use his length to his advantage. The second round began with Considine picking up right where he left off, as the off-campus junior in blue scored several good hits to both the head and body. Ryan looked for an opening, but he had trouble getting a rhythm going with his counterpart dictating the fight. Ryan came out swinging in the third round, but Considine was having none of it. He continued to steer Ryan around the ring and got him in the corner on several different occasions, where he was able to string some good hits together. It was tough for Ryan to get anything, and the smaller junior proved to be the victor by unanimous decision when the fight ended.
Jason “Downtown” Ellinwood def. Courtney “Court-of-Law” Laidlaw
Laidlaw, a law student, came out swinging as the fight began, but Ellinwood, a Fisher senior, was able to dodge the blows. As the round drew on, Ellinwood started to land some punches of his own. Not to be outdone, however, Laidlaw managed to score some good hooks to keep the senior at bay, and the first round ended a tightly contested opening. The second round started with both fighters looking for an opening. Ellinwood used his length to get some punches in, but the quicker Laidlaw tried to come inside and land some big hits of his own. Both fighters went for it all in the final round, but gradually Ellinwood’s length proved to be the deciding advantage. Laidlaw could not manage to get inside and land a big hit, and so the senior continued to keep his adversary at bay as he started to string punches together on his tiring opponent. Ellinwood was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
207 Pounds
Montana “The Louisianimal” Giordano def. Chris “Mantequilla” Quiroz
The match was a fast-paced one, as Giordano, a freshman in Morrissey, got off to a quick, aggressive start. His long reach allowed him to attack Quiroz, the graduate student, from afar. Both fighters were very mobile, but Giordano appeared to have the upper hand, as he was always the first to go on the offensive. The second round appeared more evenly matched, as both fighters were able to defend themselves well. Quiroz forced Giordano to move around the ring more than he had in the first round. Giordano’s strategy appeared to be to aim for Quiroz’s head as much as possible to force him to focus solely on defense. The final round was extremely fast-paced in comparison to the other two, with both fighters taking on an aggressive strategy. Although Quiroz’s jabs were more impactful than they had been in previous rounds, Giordano effectively defended himself. He was able to turn small defensive jabs into an offensive tactic to knock Quiroz off balance, and Giordano won by split decision.
Pat Gordon def. Joe “The Hash Slinging Slasher” Stevens
Sophomore Keough resident, Gordon got off to an aggressive start right off that bat and was able to maintain the offensive upper-hand throughout the fight. Every attempt Stevens, an O’Neill sophomore, made to attack was knocked away by a Gordon counter. Gordon landed impactful punches to Stevens’ head, forcing Stevens to squat to avoid them. Even when backed into a corner, Gordon maintained his aggressive approach, using strong, strategic punches to the upper torso and head to regain his momentum. Stevens appeared tired in the second round, and Gordon took advantage. He forced Stevens to attempt to attack first and was able to catch him mid-punch with strong combinations to the face. Gordon remained completely in control in the final round, as he was able to catch Stevens against the ropes and move him around the ring on multiple occasions, culminating in Gordon’s victory by unanimous decision.
Heavyweight
Matt “Here Comes the” Boomer def. Jack “Beans” Oros
Both fighters started the first round slowly, but Boomer, an off-campus senior, made the first offensive move against Sorin sophomore Oros. His forceful approach led him to attack Oros’ head consistently, and he was able to defend himself simultaneously. Oros’ approach was to stay low and attack Boomer’s torso. Boomer became more mobile in the second round, moving around the ring, causing Oros to whiff multiple times. Oros ended the round with his first strong combination of the fight by landing punches to Boomer’s chin and face. Boomer appeared to tire slightly in the final round, even being backed into a corner at one point. However, his aggressive approach allowed him to escape. Boomer completely regained control of the round and collected the win over Oros by unanimous decision.
Fr. Nathan “The Exorcist” O’Halloran def. Matt “The Manic Hispanic” Borowiak
The fight was a tale of two strategies, as theology doctoral candidate O’Halloran’s strategic approach went up against Borowiak’s brute force. O’Halloran made the first move, but Borowiak, a senior living in O’Neill, made an immediate aggressive retaliation. Borowiak stayed low throughout the round, trying to attack O’Halloran’s torso and prevent him from defending himself. The tables turned completely in the second round, which once again got off to a slow start. Borowiak made the first move but could not land his punch. O’Halloran was able to make a more visible impact, despite being knocked off balance, and his varied combination of hits to the head and torso forced Borowiak to remain alert and defensive. Borowiak’s aggressive approach proved to be his downfall in the final round. Although he was able to trap O’Halloran in a corner, O’Halloran strategically allowed Borowiak to back away slightly before trying to defend himself. He was able to spring from the corner and attack in his most aggressive offensive showing of the match. Borowiak fell back against the ropes, giving O’Halloran the momentum he needed to land a solid punch on Borowiak’s head just as the final bell rang. This was enough to secure O’Halloran’s win by split decision.
Boxers fight for spot in championship bout
Joy Qian | The Observer
Joy Qian | The Observer
