Bengal Bouts continues with Quarterfinal bouts

Ryan “Short Stack” Smith (Morrissey) def. Ryan Campbell “‘s Chicken Noodle Soup” (Dillon)

The fighters squared off in the middle of the ring at the start of the fight. Morrissey junior Ryan “Short Stack” Smith quickly made the first strike, diving under his opponent, Dillon freshman Ryan Campbell “‘s Chicken Noodle Soup”’s, reach and landing a combination. Both fighters had a similar short and stocky build. Smith, the more experienced fighter, timed his attacks well. Campbell did a very good job of jabbing and keeping a perimeter throughout the first round. At the start of the second, Campbell tried asserting himself more. Smith did not allow him, matching every punch with a shimmy and volley of his own. Campbell was consistent with his jabs, not showing signs of fatigue at all. Both fighters charged into the third round. Smith brought the heat, not allowing Campbell to comfortably land his jabs. This round, Campbell seemed to be dancing to the rhythm of Smith’s drum. Looking to gain points, Campbell abandoned his strategy and got closer to Smith’s body. The victor by unanimous decision was Ryan “Short Stack” Smith.

Lenny “Typhoon” Calvo (Keough) def. Hector “Bueno” Juarez (Fisher)

At the start of the contest, the fighters were quick to engage each other. Keough junior Lenny “Typhoon” Calvo quickly asserted his strategy of getting low and sneaking under Fisher freshman Hector “Bueno” Juarez’s range. Calvo was forceful early in the fight, pushing Juarez around the ring as he pleased. With that, Juarez did not relent, matching every one of Calvo’s volleys with a punch of his own. At the start of the second, Calvo came out of his corner hard. He was met by a better-adjusted Juarez, who started throwing more uppercuts. This did not dissuade Calvo from keeping the pressure and landing plenty of body shots. In the middle of the second, Juarez forced Calvo into the ropes, showing some signs of an offense. Both fighters were fatigued at the end of the second. In the third round, everything was left out on the canvas. Calvo, clearly tired, no longer dominated the contest. Instead, Juarez traded punches with him more comfortably. At the end of the fight, it was clear that Juarez had earned Calvo’s respect. The winner, by unanimous decision, was Lenny “Typhoon” Calvo. 

Barry “Big Hoss” Lee (Dillon) def. Mike “Magic Mike” Shannon (Keenan)

At the first bell, the fighters were hesitant to make contact. Both had long reaches and appeared to be applying similar strategies. Keenan junior Mike “Magic Mike” Shannon, gaining confidence, made early advances on Dillon junior Barry “Big Hoss” Lee.  The fighters kept each other at bay for the majority of the first round. Going into the second round, both fighters were eager to gain points. The pair exchanged blows in the middle of the ring. Lee had more confidence this round. The same middle distance was kept between the fighters throughout the second round. The decision of this fight surely appeared to come down to the third round. Lee came out of his corner swinging in the third round. Shannon, shaken by Lee’s sudden burst of energy, had to adjust his stance and strategy. With renewed confidence, Shannon landed a series of punches of his own. With a bloody nose, Shannon pushed through to the end of the fight. The crowd went wild as the pair fought until the end. The winner, by unanimous decision, was Barry “Big Hoss” Lee.

Conor “Con Con” McConville (Keenan) def. Brendan “Wavy” Gage (Dunne)

The fighters rushed to the center of the ring at the sound of the first bell. The pair was slow to get started, feeling each other out before engaging. Keenan junior Conor “Con Con” McConville landed the first series of combinations as Dunne sophomore Brendan “Wavy” Gage attempted to retaliate. At the start of the second, Gage came out swinging. McConville retaliated with a dodge and series of punches. McConville seemed to pride himself on his ability to dodge and block all of Gage’s punches. Looking for an opening, Gage did not let up the pressure at all. At the start of the third, Gage once again looked to bring the heat from the start. McConville, in response, swung more in the third than he had in the rest of the fight. The pair were intense until the end, at which point both appeared to be worn out. The winner, by unanimous decision, was Conor “Con Con” McConville.

Aidan “Ace” Becklund (Dunne) def. Ryan “The Barnimal” Lokhorst (Morrissey)

At the start of the fight, the fighters were quick to engage. Morrissey senior Ryan “The Barnimal” Lokhorst was aggressive from the start, looking to assert himself early. Dunne sophomore Aidan “Ace” Becklund, not showing signs of hesitation, started off aggressively as well. In the middle of the first, Becklund forced Lokhorst into a corner and landed a brutal combination. The referee paused the fight to check on Lockhorst. Once resumed, Lokhorst showed no fear as he jumped back into action. In the second, Lokhorst chose to dance around the ring a lot more. With that, Becklund still landed some heavy blows, forcing the ref to stop the fight once more. Through the rest of the second round, the pair exchanged blows and wrapped each other up on multiple occasions. Both fighters left it all in the ring by the end of the third round. The competitors exchanged blow after blow, with neither showing signs of slowing down. Lockhorst had a headgear malfunction that haunted him and slowed the fight down dramatically in the third round. The winner, by unanimous decision, was Aidan “Ace” Becklund.

Will “Manly” Hanley (Stanford) def. Jamal “The Arabian Prince” Hourani (Siegfried)

Both fighters began probing, hitting each other’s gloves, before Hourani landed the first shot to Hanley’s head. “The Arabian Prince” landed successive shots, but “Manly” Hanley countered with a few hits of his own. Hourani leaned into his punches, looking to connect on a haymaker; in doing so, Manly was able to dodge and score to the head as Hourani exposed himself. In the second round, Hourani looked to advance first, but Hanley continued to counter. The competitors repeatedly found themselves body to body, as Hourani looked to close the distance as much as possible to give Hanley no space to build up an attack. Hanley landed a strong series to begin the final stanza, and he managed to keep Hourani at bay as the round progressed. Ultimately, “Manly” Hanley won by unanimous decision.

Sam “The Hammer” Miller (St. Edward’s) def. Ben “Bengineer” Fitzgerald (Alumni)

“Bengineer” looked to be the aggressor from the outset, with his brute strength being met by the Hammer’s precise counterattacks. Eventually though, Fitzgerald managed to assert himself somewhat, forcing “The Hammer” back. However, Miller did land a few more shots to close the round. Fitzgerald continued using his overwhelming strength against Miller, but the latter still found openings from Fitzgerald’s aggression. However, Fitzgerald forced a stoppage as he drew blood from Miller. As the fight resumed, little changed with Fitzgerald briefly forcing Miller into the ropes. Miller had desperation in his eyes coming into the final period, and he fought valiantly to avoid Fitzgerald’s wailing attacks. In the end, Miller managed to block and counter enough to emerge victorious by split decision.

Elton “Rocketman” Zhang (Dillon) def. Connor “The Milkman” Tsikitas (Duncan)

Tsikitas came in out of control, closing the distance and swinging wildly around Zhang’s head before immediately falling on his rear. After coming back in, “The Milkman” continued his all-out aggression, willing to take any hit Zhang threw at him. Eventually, however, “Rocketman” connected on a big headshot that stunned Tsikitas and caused the referee to check him as the round ended. There was an extended break between the first and second rounds, as Zhang’s shot was so fierce that Tsikitas was inspected for a concussion. After resuming the fight, Zhang came out looking to match Tsikitas’s ferocity. “Rocketman” closed the space and would not let Tsikitas charge at him to build momentum, effectively countering “The Milkman”’s strategy. After further shots to Tsikitas’s head, the referee put a definitive stop to the fight, awarding Zhang the win by referee-stopped contest.

Matt Hardiman (Morrissey) def. Max “The Ukrainian Stallion” Chuma (O’Neill Family Hall)

Chuma took a vertical approach while Hardiman took a lateral one initially. Eventually though, Hardiman closed the gap and looked to duck and counter Chuma. Both competitors landed several shots to the other’s head, but Hardiman won the battle of strength by continually forcing Chuma back. “The Ukrainian Stallion” looked to be the aggressor from the outset, but Hardiman again put his strength to good use, landing a brutal headshot that caused the referee to check Chuma. Hardiman began to tire and pulled back on his aggressive strategy, as he and Chuma fought through exhaustion to keep trading blows. Hardiman began the last round with hands on his hips, and Chuma caught a second wind and forced his opponent into the ropes. Hardiman woke up and looked to counter, while Chuma continued landing shots. However, Hardiman landed three consecutive hooks to the head that caused Chuma to be inspected. The war of attrition finally ended with Hardiman’s brute force paying off in a split-decision victory.

Dan “Pilgrim” O’Brien (St. Edward’s) def. Josh Williams (St. Edward’s)

In an intra-dorm matchup between two St. Edward’s Hall gentlemen, it was the junior O’Brien looking to find an opening with some preliminary jabs. Both fighters looked to be technicians, but “Pilgrim” was soon looking to land big hits with his power punch. Williams managed to block and counter some, but received a headshot that caused a referee check and headgear fix. O’Brien landed some solid body shots to close the opener. Williams began the second looking to find a rhythm. He connected a few times and continued trying to expose any openings, but he found himself being chased by more than pursuing O’Brien. Even so, the freshman still held his own. The third round began with Williams biting too much and being countered by O’Brien, but the former remained aggressive and looked to score as many points as possible. Ultimately, O’Brien’s approach won out as he received the unanimous victory.

Chris “tmas” Lembo (Dillon) def. Eddie “Push Me to the Ed, All My Friends are Ed” Prein (Alumni)

Lembo fought with aggressiveness, swinging wildly at Prein, while Prein responded with a more tactical approach. In between rounds, Lembo’s coach gave him a pep talk and he received a boost from a strong contingent of fans in the crowd. Lembo proved more cautious in the final round looking for an opening, but Prein remained cautious. Eventually however, both exchanged a barrage of headshots. Chants of “let’s go Chris” were met with cheers of “Eddie” as the crowd came to life. Lembo was forced into the ropes in the final round, but he shoved Prein off him, causing the latter to fall to the floor, but the fight concluded before any more fire could be exchanged after the stoppage. In the end, Lembo’s initial assertiveness created enough separation to give him the win by unanimous decision.

Andrew “The Irish Goodbye” Turzai (Off Campus) def. Rogba “The Bug” Ayoola (Morrissey)

Chants of “Rogba” rang through the Dahnke ballroom to start, as “The Bug” came out with a ferocious attack. He swung wildly with hooks and used his strength to drive Turzai back. However, “The Irish Goodbye” would not go quietly, responding with his own series and landing a head shot that caused the referee to check Ayoola. Ayoola promptly responded with his own strong series, landing a headshot and pushing Turzai to the ropes. Turzai wrapped up the round with a couple more blows to the head. Both fighters seemed more tentative in the second round, but they quickly got entangled as Ayoola threw multiple body shots in close quarters. Turzai tried to approach, but Ayoola countered with a headshot that sent him back. The latter found a defensive rhythm, blocking and dodging before landing a solid series to close the second. Ayoola was fueled in the final round by cheers of “Bug” as he again looked to use his strength to his advantage. However, he backed off and tried to use the quick series and retreat strategy employed in the second. Turzai took advantage and fought desperately to score points in the final round. The momentum swung Turzai’s way until Ayoola threw a few more punches in the final seconds. Chants of “Turzai” and “Rogba” competed after the final bell, but the judges awarded Turzai the win by split decision.

Eric “Cristero” DeVilliers (Off Campus) def. Mike “Bing Bong” Breslin (Siegfried)

Two Virginias squared off in this bout, with the Fairfax native Breslin circling the ring and looking to find an opening. However, the Fredericksburg native DeVilliers wouldn’t seem to offer one. Eventually, though, Breslin used his strength to force DeVilliers back. However, in the very opening sequence, Breslin took a shot that seemed to injure his shoulder, and the referee quickly brought the bout to a stop for it to be tended. The injury proved too serious to continue. The victory was awarded to DeVilliers by referee-stopped contest.

Matt “Money” Cyrs (St. Ed’s) def. Maxx Hamm (Grad Student) 

Hamm landed the first blows of the match, and he leaned into Cyrs through the latter’s punches. Cyrs was briefly forced to the ropes but quickly escaped, yet Hamm would not relent in his pursuit. “Money” briefly landed a couple of jabs before Hamm pushed him back again, but Cyrs found an opening and landed a shot that caused the referee to fix Hamm’s headgear. Hamm continued his aggressive approach, but Cyrs managed to once more find an opening to expose. Cyrs opened the second looking to land quick shots while Hamm violently pursued, with the latter losing his balance and stumbling into the ropes as the official inspected him. Hamm seemed to be more cautious coming out, but quickly fell back to instinct and was knocked into the ropes again. Cyrs began looking to land a devastating blow, but Hamm parried and forced Cyrs into the ropes as time expired in the second. The third round played out similarly to the first two, with Cyrs continuing to find chances and landing big blows to Hamm’s head. After the referee stopped the contest to check Hamm, the fight resumed, and Cyrs landed a haymaker that visibly concussed Hamm. The referee ended the contest then and there as Hamm stumbled to his feet and a stool needed to be brought to him at center ring so he could be evaluated. Cyrs won by referee-stopped contest.

Kevin “The Wild One” Sanchez (Grad Student) def. Andrew “Razor” Sharpe (Knott)

Both fighters tapped gloves to begin, with Sharpe rapidly backing Sanchez into a corner. Sanchez desperately wrapped Sharpe up, but Sharpe continued to pound Sanchez’s obliques. Coming out of the wrap ups, Sanchez tried to find an opening, but Sharpe blocked the high shots, with Sanchez only managing to connect on body shots in close quarters. Sanchez looked to stay light on his feet to begin the second, avoiding getting cornered by Sharpe, and even managing to force Sharpe back. The fight evened out some as the tight space allowed both fighters to land shots. It became a wrestling match as the fighters continued to get tangled and give and take multiple hits. Sanchez came out violently in the third, throwing hooks and again looking to close the space. He backed Sharpe into the ropes once more and would not relent in blocking Sharpe’s attacks and looking to keep scoring hits. Sharpe mustered every last drop of energy he could in a final push to end the bout. However, to even Sanchez’s surprise, he himself was awarded the victory by unanimous decision.

James “The War Machine” Warren (Off Campus) def. Remi Astronomo (Carroll)

Astronomo looked to get low and land a few body shots to start, but Warren countered with a vicious series of blows. “The War Machine” clearly had the speed advantage and went from body to head in quick repetition. Astronomo was knocked down as the referee stopped the fight to evaluate him, but competition resumed as Astronomo kept his head down and kept pumping his fists against Warren. After Astronomo got his shoelace fixed, he continued his strategy of closing the space and barreling into Warren with his head down. Warren was more patient and looked for opportunities to throw several punches at once. Astronomo continued looking to counteract Warren’s height advantage by attacking the body while Warren attacked the head. Warren looked visibly worn down with the second round coming to a close, but he still threw strong punches. Both fighters probed in the final round, until Warren caught one of Astronomo’s punches and briefly wailed on his midsection. Still, Astronomo would not relent and fought valiantly to keep competing. Warren landed more shots to end the round, but fighters were on the brink of exhaustion as the fight ended. Ultimately, Warren overwhelmed with speed and power and won unanimously.

Kieran “Mr. Wurlwide” Wurl (Siegfried Hall) def. Alex “ATV” Trahe-Valencia (Carroll Hall)

Both fighters took little time to get started in this match, both coming out aggressively and clashing in the middle of the ring. Trahe-Valencia, a senior representing Carroll Hall, did find himself against the ropes as time dwindled down in the first round as Wurl, a junior in Siegfried, landed a combo on the head of his opponent. Wurl was patient in the second, dodging Trahe-Valencia’s punches early on, but soon the senior from Orlando landed a few. Wurl responded with a series of quick two jabs followed by a retreat. Both fighters came out swinging hard in the third and final round and Trahe-Valencia wrapped up Wurl immediately but caught a breath and continued to land blows after the referee separated the two. Wurl responded with a huge series of combinations in the closing seconds of the third to seal the deal and was declared winner by unanimous decision.

Kyle “Nemo” Mettler (Alumni Hall) def. “Lion” Judah Maxwell (Zahm House) 

Both fighters traded blows and at one point Maxwell, a graduate student in Zahm House, slipped onto the mat. Mettler, a junior representing Alumni Hall, continued to try to exploit Maxwell’s aggressive style. Maxwell landed a huge series of punches in the second, but Mettler responded with punches of his own. Both fighters traded huge shots to the head but Mettler’s seemed to be stronger. Neither fighter had been dropped, save for Maxwells slip in the first round, but both fighters landed massive shots on the other. Midway through the third round the referee paused the fight after Mettler landed a combo on Maxwell and opened a cut on his nose. Maxwell came back swinging after the blood subsided, but after the final bell it was determined Mettler was the winner by unanimous decision. 

 Will “No Tarps” Jones (Off Campus) def. Nolan “Schwef” Schwefler (Knott Hall)  

Both fighters were circling the other in the first round of this fight between Schwefler, a sophomore, and Will Jones, a senior. Jones was able to land plenty of shots on the sophomore in the first once he figured out Schwefler’s defensive strategy. At the beginning of the second, Jones landed a shot that sent Schwefler stumbling backwards, and he landed a few more after the referee checked on Schwefler. Jones landed a few more and the referee paused the fight, ultimately ending it right there. Jones was declared the winner with plenty of time remaining in the second round of the fight by a referee stoppage. 

Ryan “Hoodie” Melotik (Carroll Hall) def. Jack “Shic-fil-a” Schichtel (St. Edward’s Hall) 

This fight between Schichtel, a freshman, and Melotik, a junior, saw both fighters come out swinging and landing but with neither establishing any clear dominance. This changed at the end of the first when Melotik connected on some huge body shots that led Schichtel to lose his guard and allowed Melotik to go right in. Schichtel came out as the aggressor in the second but it seemed to backfire on him as Schichtel got Melotik against the ropes with his aggression. Melotik responded with huge blows that sent the freshman retreating. Schichtel came out swinging for a knock-out again in the third and this time was able to connect on a few of his attacks. But Melotik replied, and for the better part of the third and final round, the junior was able to keep his opponent at bay. After the final bell was rung, Melotik was declared winner by unanimous decision.

“Northside” Nick Fahrney (Dillon Hall) def. Zach “Mahmoud” Austin (Dillon Hall) 

This Dillon Hall showdown saw Austin, a sophomore, and Fahrney, a junior, get to swinging on the canvas quickly. Austin landed a few punches in the first but Fahrney responded. Austin kept his composure and was patient with his attacks. Fahrney landed some more before the bell to conclude the first round sounded. Both fighters were swinging heavy in the second round and Austin connected early, but Fahrney was not phased and continued to unload on Austin. Austin wrapped his opponent up early in the third round, and was able to land some punches after the referee separated the two. Fahrney kept his foot on the gas until the end, however, and Austin was far too gassed to come away with a lucky late round big shot. Fahrney was declared winner by unanimous decision. 

Luke “Big Chunky” Sheridan-Rabideau (Keenan) def. Ethan Meyer (Dillon) 

This fight between two underclassmen saw both fighters, Meyer, a sophomore in Dillon and Sheridan-Rabideau, also a sophomore, in Kennan come out swinging hard. Sheridan-Rabideau was able to get the crowd on their feet after he landed a huge blow on his opponent. Meyer hit the deck quickly but got up just as fast. The referee checked Meyer and the fight continued. Sheridan-Rabideau was able to land some more big combos at the start of the second but Meyer was able to land a few in response. Sheridan-Rabideau did get the better of his opponent in the second, but he made a mistake in the third swinging at the head of a spun around Meyer. Sheridan-Rabideau was able to land some clean shots after this but the dirty blow seemed to give Meyer an extra edge. Meyer unleashed a flurry of punches on Sheridan-Rabideau, and although the exchange provided a good argument for Meyer to be declared winner, Sheridan-Rabideau was declared winner by split-decision. 

Parker “High Gear” Revers (Off Campus) def. Kevin “Blood and” Gore (Grad Student)

This high energy matchup saw the president of the club, Parker Revers, a senior, and Gore, a graduate student, face off in one of the most anticipated fights of the evening. Revers got off to a good start and it looked like he would have no trouble holding off Gore. Revers did end up getting knocked a couple times as the clock ran down in the first, but after returning to the mat from his stool, Revers seemed to have caught a second wind. Revers was able to land a series of combos in the second and was able to dodge Gores attack for the most part, right up until the end of the round when Gore caught Revers napping and was able to stun him with a few big jabs. No fighter had a clear advantage going into the third and final round and this would likely be the round which would decide it all. The third round played out much the same way the previous two rounds had went with Revers holding off his opponent right up until the closing moments. Revers was declared the winner by unanimous decision. 

Luke Slahor (Duncan Hall) def. Nico “All-Business” Young Robles (Dunne Hall) 

This fight between a pair of underclassman saw Robles, a sophomore, square off against Slahor, a freshman. Both fighters traded punches in the first and the referee ended the round having to check on Robles. Both fighters came out swinging hard in the second. Robles and Slahor both connected on their combinations; still, after a lot of good fighting in the second, no one held a clear advantage over the other. Slahor land a handful more of his combinations in the final round and was thus declared winner by unanimous decision. 

Dean “(Sug)ar)” Maloney (Fisher Hall) def. George “I Want Chocolate” O’Sullivan (O’Neill Family Hall)

Both fighters came out swinging as soon as the first bell sounded. O’Sullivan, a senior, was landing on nearly every combination he threw. By the end of the first, Maloney, a sophomore, had some ground to make up. O’Sullivan sensed this and started the second round on the defensive. This strategy did not pay off for O’Sullivan as Maloney connected with a series of his own big hooks. At the end of the third it seemed each fighter had dominated one round a piece and the third and final round would be the deciding factor. Maloney started on the attack, and although O’Sullivan was able to land some shots of his own, Maloney kept on the offensive. Maloney was declared winner by unanimous decision. 

Chasen “Gumdrop” Brutocao (O'Neill Family Hall) def. Mitch “Dirty Birdie” DeBoskey (Alumni Hall) 

This match between two juniors saw both fighters come out aggressive. Both DeBoskey’s and Brutocao’s arms were flailing in the first, but by the time the bell rang Brutocao had established a clear dominance after landing several combinations on DeBoskey. Brutocao continued this trend into the second round and landed another series of heavy shots. DeBoskey attempted to respond but never with the same energy as Brutocao. Brutocao’s attack was enough to establish him the winner by unanimous decision.

Fr. Nathan “Last Rites” O’Halloran (Off Campus) def. Carson “Moosejaw Smash” Lee (Zahm House) 

This heavyweight bout saw Fr. O’Halloran, a graduate student, facing off against Lee, a sophomore. O’Halloran came out swinging; after landing a solid combination, he was able to send Lee stumbling to the floor. Lee bounced back up, but when the bell ended to conclude the first, O’Halloran had established a clear advantage. Lee would take the mat with cloth in his nose to stop the bleeding. Lee came out throwing haymakers in the second round, but O’Halloran slipped through cracks in Lee’s defense and was declared winner by referee stoppage after the cut on Lee’s nose opened up again. 

Diego Silva-Cruz (Stanford Hall) def. Colin Gutzmer (O’Neill Family Hall)

The second heavyweight match of the night saw a pair of sophomores squaring off. Sparks were flying early as both fighters traded early haymakers. Silva-Cruz found himself tangled up in the ropes in the first after a dominating series of combos by Gutzmer. But Gutzmer had dropped his mouthpiece in the onslaught and the referee was forced to pause the action, a time loss that disadvantaged Gutzmer. Gutzmer forced his opponent up against the ropes on two more occasions in the first round and held a clear lead heading into the second. Gutzmer continued his attack in the second and forced Silva-Cruz against the ropes several more times. The referee stopped the fight in the second round and Gutzmer was declared the winner. 

Fouad “The Foreign Fury” El Zoghbi (Sorin College) def. Emmet “The Punisher” Flood (Dunne Hall)

The final fight of the evening saw El Zoghbi, a sophomore, come out landing punches early against Flood, a senior. Flood slipped through the cracks in El Zoghbi’s defense, and Flood forced his opponent against the ropes on multiple occasions in the first round. El Zoghbi had ground to make up if he wanted to win the fight, but nonetheless he was cheering on the crowd before the bell sounded to start the second. Flood snuck through El Zoghbi’s defense even more in the second; he forced his opponent up against the ropes several more times during this round. El Zoghbi came out as the aggressor in the third and final round, but when he got inside the range of Flood, he stood no chance. El Zoghbi was declared winner by unanimous decision.

Luke “Cool Hands” Fraser (Alumni) def. Steve “Certainly” Provencher (Sorin)

The fight started very aggressively, both fighters battering each other in the first round. Provencher pinned Fraser against the ropes multiple times, seemingly the stronger of the two in the first round, but Fraser landed some solid punches as well. 

Fraser opened the second round well, but Provencher countered with multiple blows to the head as the round wore on. After a brief stoppage, Fraser landed multiple shots towards the end of the round. He carried that strong momentum into the the third round, as Provencher seemed to tire. He caught Provencher off balance multiple times towards the end of the bout. Fraser’s strong finish was enough to earn him a split-decision victory.  

Austin “Automatic, Still Is” Derrick (Dunne) def. Dominick “EverestAutomotiveMarket.com” Oddo (Grad Student)

The fighters each dodged punches for much of the first round, but both were very aggressive and landed blows. After a stoppage in play, in which the referee appeared to admonish Oddo, he controlled the end of the round, landing a flurry of punches on his opponent. Derrick gained momentum in the second round, as continued stoppages from the referee appeared to help him. He landed the majority of blows, but Oddo continued to land shots as well. Both fighters continued to be aggressive in the third, each landing punches to the head and body. It was a competitive fight throughout, but Derrick’s second round dominance led him to a unanimous-decision victory. 

Tim “Dirty T” Mikulski (Duncan) def. Zach “Big Z” Zarzaur (Stanford)

Mikulski opened the fight on the front foot, appearing to catch Zarzaur off balance on multiple occasions, even pinning him on the ropes, forcing a stoppage in the action. Zarzaur did land punches on the counter attack as the first round ended. The fight was more even in the second round, as Zarzaur landed headshots early in the round, but Mikulski continued to throw a barrage of punches, catching his opponent with multiple uppercuts late in the round. The boxers maintained their aggression into the third round, each landing hits to the body, but Mikulski did not take nearly as many hits throughout the bout, and he was awarded a unanimous-decision victory.

Marcelo “Iron Liver” Castellanos (Alumni) def. Louis “The bad scientist” Caves (Grad Student)

Castellanos began aggressively, throwing punch after punch, but Caves was able to parry most of them away, and he took advantage, landing hits of his own. Caves began the second round on the attack, making up for his early defensive play. Castellanos continued to be aggressive, and each fighter landed many shots on his opponent in the round. The fighters appeared to tire towards the end of the round, but Castellanos landed a resounding uppercut just before the bell. The fight continued to be competitive, with Caves landing hits to the body, but Castellanos landed hits as well. In what was a close bout, Castellanos earned a split-decision victory. 

Pat “Good Guy” Rafferty (Duncan) vs Jack “E for Everybody” Concannon (Dunne)

Both boxers came out swinging in the first round. Rafferty landed the majority of the early hits, pinning Concannon on the ropes multiple times, but Concannon was able to counter with some shots of his own near the end of the round. Rafferty continued his dominance into the second round, battering his opponent early before knocking Concannon down, causing a stoppage in the action. Concannon was able to continue and landed punches of his own right before the bell. The third round was much more evenly matched, as both fighters were tired, but Rafferty landed another major shot to the head near the end of the bout. Rafferty dominated the bout throughout, and he took home the unanimous-decision victory.

Drew “Mr. Nice Guy” Nicely (Off-Campus) def. Colin “Can’t Touch This” Capece (Dunne)

The pace was quick from the start, with both boxers dancing around the ring, but it was the older Nicely who controlled the pace of the round, pushing Capece up against the ropes on several occasions. “Mr. Nice Guy” split his opponent’s gloves several times to land clean blows on the headgear. In the second round, Nicely came out even more aggressive and dominated the first few seconds before Capece settled in to land some counterstrikes. Nicely’s stamina held up throughout the round and he landed several more strong blows before the second bell. Capece was more competitive in the third round, but he struggled to land more than a few hooks, which was not enough to turn the tide of the bout. Nicely took the victory via unanimous decision. 

Matt Muliadi (Off-Campus) def. Connor “Juice” Roncagli (O’Neill Family Hall)

The first round was hotly contested and featured boxers of contrasting styles. Muliadi, boxing at an almost unsustainable speed, stayed low and tried to get under his opponent’s gloves, while Roncagli tried to block Muliadi’s body shots and land shots to the headgear. Although neither gained a decisive advantage, Muliadi’s quickness opened up some space for a few shots near the end of the first round. The second round saw Roncagli become the more aggressive fighter, but he only landed a few of his efforts, while Muliadi, who settled his pace considerably, stayed defensive and composed and landed a few shots on the counterattack. Feeling a need to stay aggressive, Roncagli landed his first major combination at the start of the three round, but Muliadi responded in kind, canceling out the O’Neill junior’s efforts. Although Muliadi won by unanimous decision, the bout was a highly competitive quarterfinal. 

Arthur “Rice Cage” Ortiz (Off-Campus) def. Pat “Yellow Hat” Campbell (Knott Hall) 

In an action-packed first round, Ortiz utilized a patient and highly efficient approach, dancing around the taller Campbell. “Yellow Hat” kept up his defense, but “Rice Cage" managed to control the pace and land some powerful right hooks. Much of the same transpired in the second round, as Campbell struggled to handle Ortiz’s uppercuts. The match stopped twice for the referee to check on the Knott Hall sophomore, but the round ended with Ortiz delivering a ringing right hook to the side of Campbell’s head, giving himself a decisive edge heading into the final minute. Unfortunately for Campbell, his patient and defensive style played into the hands of Ortiz, who launched himself into several combinations to secure victory in the third round via unanimous decision. 

Patrick “The Collector” Donovan (Off-Campus) def. Kevin “Bad Intentions” Bhatt (Off-Campus) 

After an even start to the round, it was Donovan who got the early edge with a right hook followed by a jarring left uppercut that nearly lifted Bhatt off his feet. Seconds later, “The Collector” sent Bhatt backpedaling into the ropes with a vicious right hook that ensured his advantage at the end of the first round. Bhatt came out more aggressive in the second round, but his variety of hooks and jabs were largely evaded by Donovan. He finally landed a clean right jab late in the second round, but Donovan matched the effort with a strong right hook, dazing Bhatt enough for the referee to temporarily stop the bout, bringing the second round to a close. Bhatt needed a strong comeback, but Donovan met every attack with a combination of his own, steadily pounding Bhatt’s gloves and body throughout the final round. It was plenty enough for “The Collector” to see out his win by unanimous decision and advance on to the semifinals. 

Jaimie “Greek Freak” Marines (Morrissey Manor) def. Greg “The Leg” McKenna (St. Edward’s Hall) 

Marines controlled the pace of the first round, and after initially running into a brick wall of defense, the Morrissey sophomore found gaps in the later portion of the first round, shooting a couple hard jabs through McKenna’s gloves. The second round followed a similar pattern to the first, as McKennna held strong defensively, but “The Greek Freak” responded with a couple strong hooks to glean a strong advantage heading into the final round. Marines did not let up and avoided major damage by evading several of “The Leg’s” attempts. Although the fight was competitive throughout, Marines never suffered any decisive blows, and thus he saw out a victory by unanimous decision.

Thomas “Tex” Edwards (Knott) def. Glenn “Where’s the Gabagool?” Fiocca (Zahm)

Edwards came out fast in the first round, landing several combinations to the head and body of Fiocca, tossing him around in circles in the process. Fiocca found his feet, and in the middle of the ring, he launched an attack of his own. Edwards caught one to the head, but he managed to block most of Fiocca’s efforts, and he assumed the offensive once again with his fast hands. Edwards backed Fiocca into a corner, landing two vicious crosses to the head of Fiocca, who appeared in need of a rest as the bell rang.

In the second round, it was much of the same, as Edwards came out with a powerful hook to the head of Fiocca, who was forced to wrap up for a break. As the fighters came back to the middle of the ring, Edwards took a moment to pause before coming at Fiocca with a series of combinations which sent him to the edge of the ring. But after such an attack, Fiocca took advantage of Edwards’s fatigue and landed a series of his own. Nevertheless, Edwards held the advantage heading into the final round.

As the bell rang for the last round of the match, Edwards charged once again, and after pushing Fiocca around in the ring for a few seconds, the official gave Fiocca a standing 10. Edwards charged once more as the fight resumed, which prompted another stoppage in the fight after Edwards landed a mean cross to the face of Fiocca. In the end, Fiocca was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Johnny “The Missing” Link (O’Neill) def. Hayden “Heaters” Hoekstra (Morrissey)  

Link came out with a purpose in round one, landing a combination to right off the bat to the body of Hoekstra. Hoekstra responded with a cross, but Link quickly ducked under and caught his feet, following with a combination attack of his own. Link commanded the round from there on out, ducking and dodging as Hoekstra came with a number of ambitious crosses and picking his spots when appropriate to send Hoekstra backward towards the edge of the ring.

In round two, Link continued to display his impressive quickness, evading virtually all of Hoekstra’s efforts in the first half of the round. Then, as the two fighters found themselves back in the middle of the ring, Link paused, loaded and landed a ferocious straight that nearly sent Hoekstra to his feet, prompting a stoppage in the fight. As the bell rang, it was clear that Link held the advantage heading into the final round.

And the final round was much of the same. While Hoekstra did manage to land a few shots here and there, Link continued to connect with Hoekstra on some powerful shots, prompting another stoppage in the action. The round ended with Link in clear command. He was declared the victor by a unanimous decision.

Alex “Jack” Potts (Duncan Hall) def. Evan Molka (Keough)

Both fighters were a bit cautious as the round began, surveying the opponent from a distance. Soon after, both came with some attacks of their own, but no significant shots were landed. Then, Potts loaded up and hit Molka with a devastating hook that send him to the ground and prompted a stoppage in the fight. Potts remained on the offensive for the first round, and one of his combinations prompted yet another stoppage in the action. He held the clear advantage after the first round.

Molka managed to back Potts up to the corner of the ring at the start of the first round, but Potts ducked and evaded Molka’s hold. But Molka would come back with more, hitting Potts with a strong combination that prompted a stoppage in the action, leveling the momentum in this bout. The two fighters continued to attack each other with combinations, but they both appeared significantly fatigued. It was a key round for Molka, who was clearly on the disadvantage after the first.

In the final round, Molka came with a combination to the face of Potts, but Potts ducked, backed up and managed to land a cross to the face of Molka, which prompted a stoppage in the fight. As the action continued, Potts continued to duck under Molka's combinations, but Molka managed to land a few shots before the final bell rang, as Potts’s fatigue prevented him from assuming the offensive. In the end, Potts was declared the winner by split decision.

Terrance "Slinker" Cameron (Sorin) def. Mike "Duck" Everett (Morrissey)

Both fighters were cautious at the start of this 148-lb. bout, touching gloves several times before any real shots were landed. Everett came with a straight to Cameron's face, but Cameron responded strongly from there on out, hitting Everett with two solid hooks and a few other jabs. Everett caught his feet quickly, however, and he managed to land a combination to Cameron's body as the round came to a close.

Everett and Cameron both were quicker to attack in the second round, but Cameron landed a solid straight which sent Everett's head gear into a frenzy, prompting a short stoppage in the action. Everett bounced back well, hitting Cameron with a solid shot to the body, but Cameron responded with vigor. He went on to hit Everett with three solid shots to the face, prompting a stoppage in the action. The shot seemed to have given Cameron the edge heading into the final round.

Cameron came out composed in the third round, and he hit Everett with two solid hooks to the head, as had been his tendency in the bout. Everett caught his feet and responded with a combination. Cameron backed up, evading Everett’s efforts, but he gained a second wind and backed Everett up to the edge of the ring as the bout came to a close. In the end, Cameron was declared the winner by split decision.