The 94th Annual Bengal Bouts Tournament commenced Thursday at Notre Dame's Dahnke Ballroom. Here's an overview of the quarterfinal results from Ring A.
Jack “Topgun” Lannon def. Richie “The Mechanic” Mistichelli
Jack “Topgun” Lannon started the round by stalking his opponent and controlling the center of the ring, but Richie “The Mechanic” Mistichelli quickly proved it would be no easy victory. Mistichelli, a sophomore living in Keenan Hall, began round two with some strong body shots, but Lannon, a senior representing Knott Hall, continued to fire back punches to his headgear. “The Mechanic” even pushed “Topgun” into the ropes, but he didn’t stay there long. Shortly after, Lannon went on the offensive and forced an eight count. The starting bell for round three was met with a burst of energy from both boxers. Near the end of the bout, Mistichelli started to show signs of fatigue, dropping his guard just enough to let “Topgun” fire away and force another eight count. Lannon’s well-aimed punches and composure in the ring earned him the victory. Lannon would win by split decision.
CJ “Chug Jug” Kelly def. Will “Vlad” Covington
The senior-versus-senior bout began with effective defense from both boxers. CJ “Chug Jug” Kelly of Baumer Hall and Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, showed off well-timed catches and blocks while Will “Vlad” Covington of Fisher Hall and Buffalo, New York, maintained a tight guard. Kelly eventually broke through Covington’s high-security gloves to land a few clean punches and push him into the ropes a few times. Covington landed a few hooks of his own in round two while Kelly continued with a simple but effective 1-2, searching for the gaps. “Chug Jug” continued to neutralize his opponent’s jabs with a reactionary catch. In round three, Kelly worked high and low with simple, technical punches. Both boxers gritted through a tiring final round, but Kelly powered through to land more punches. Kelly would win by split decision.
Mike “The REAL Big” Guyette def. Jake “Dodo” Dording
Mike “The REAL Big” Guyette started round one with high speed and high frequency. Guyette’s barrage of punches didn’t stop in the following two rounds. The senior of Keough Hall and Albany, New York, seemed to be trying to tally as many points and punches as possible without dropping his guard. Guyette’s mobile long jab served as his defense and offense. Jake “Dodo” Dording of Pangborn Hall and Simsbury, Connecticut, managed to get a few punches in, but Guyette’s suffocating pace made it difficult to play anything but defense. The referee paused the second round for a bloody nose. “Dodo” refused to give up in round three, but Guyette made it difficult for him to land any points. Closing out the round with a near-robotic deluge of jabs, Guyette would win by unanimous decision.
Greg “All Love” Vogt def. Matthew “World Peace” Egan
“World Peace” and “All Love” — both from Morrissey Manor — met in the ring with energy that didn’t quite match their nicknames. Vogt, a senior from Fairfield, Connecticut, set the tone with lots of movement and technical 1-2 combinations. Heeding calls from his corner to keep throwing, Vogt continued to set the pace in round two and forced a pause from the referee to check on Egan, a junior from South Bend, Indiana. In round three, Egan and Vogt closed the distance and landed a number of punches on each other. Egan slid in a few body shots and a few dead-center chin shots. Vogt notched several hard hits with the right hand. Both boxers fought hard through the last few seconds, trying to land more punches in the tight race for victory. Vogt would win by split decision.
“Average” Joe Rozgonyi def. Edward “Sweatsuit” Couri
Edward “Sweatsuit” Couri, a freshman of Dillon Hall, tried to manage the distance and stay out of striking range in round one. “Average” Joe Rozgonyi of Baumer Hall – and formerly Zahm Hall – overcame Couri’s defensive movement with several powerful punches. “Average” eventually broke through with a few hooks that led to an eight count for Couri. In round two, Couri threw and landed a couple of punches, but power and speed from Rozgonyi seemed to stop Couri in his tracks. Both boxers kept composure into round three, during which “Sweatsuit” tried to rip a few hooks to the body. With each attempt from Couri, Rozgonyi came back with more punches and power, forcing another eight count. The third round took its toll on both boxers and saw a few wrap-ups and slipping guards. Couri, of Peoria, Illinois, refused to give up against the senior boxer from Mount Cisco, New York, but Rozgonyi made the score clear to the judges. Rozgonyi would win by unanimous decision.
David “Gimme the” Liu def. Dominick “Dingo” Munoz
David “Gimme the” Liu, a senior of Sorin College hailing from South Bend, Indiana, made quick work in round one. The gap in experience between him and Dominick “Dingo” Munoz, a freshman from Carroll Hall and Brackettville, Texas, was evident early on. Both sides threw sporadic punches to the head and body in a blistering start. After easily outlasting a flurry of hooks from Munoz, Liu unloaded on his weakened adversary, eventually finishing him with a massive right hook. The senior was victorious after the referee stopped the contest.
Owyn “Rum Punch” Ferguson def. Anthony “Little Italy” Garatoni
Anthony “Little Italy” Garatoni, a Siegfried Hall senior hailing from Mishawaka, Indiana, came out fast, attacking aggressively to the body. On the other end, Owyn “Rum Punch” Freguson, a graduate student from Morrissey Manor and Nassau, Bahamas, responded with a more methodical approach. Utilizing several jab-hook combos, Ferguson grew into the fight and paced himself well. Both showed patience in round two, as well as some signs of fatigue later in the round as the body blows added up. Ferguson took over in round three, as both drained fighters crawled to the finish line. In the end, Ferguson outlasted Garatoni. Ferguson would win by split decision.
Connor “Hound” Hinkes def. Evan Liu
Connor Hinkes, a senior of Dunne Hall and formerly Zahm Hall, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, faced Evan Liu, a freshman of Dunne Hall from Taipei, Taiwan. Both kept a healthy distance in round one, with Liu using his height and reach to attack the head with jabs. In a relatively even round, both sides dodged well without connecting on any big shots. Hinkes upped the intensity in round two, forcing an eight count in the corner after a barrage of shots to the head. He finished the round strong, connecting on a few more shots as Liu was forced out of his shell. Hinkes went on the offensive in round three and wore Liu down, finishing the fight strong. This fight was a true contest, and despite a valiant effort from the freshman Liu, Hinkes prevailed. Hinkes would win by unanimous decision.
Marcello “Tomato Can” Nanni def. Charlie “Tubs” Gussen
Charlie “Tubs” Gussen, a sophomore from Fisher Hall and Fairfield, Connecticut, faced off against Marcello “Tomato Can” Nanni, a senior of Morrissey Manor from Birmingham, Alabama. After an even start, Nanni took over with several crushing left-hand jabs, each taking a greater toll on Gussen’s defense as the round went on. Gussen came out firing in round two, but Nanni retook control after facing an initial avalanche of blows. On his last limbs entering round three, Gussen resorted to massive swings, making contact on only a few. Nanni stayed patient and continued accumulating blows to close out the fight. Nanni would win by unanimous decision.
Dante “The Inferno” Gardini def. Jamey “The Milwaukee Mountain” Schilling
Jamey “The Milwaukee Mountain” Schilling, a graduate student formerly of Fisher Hall and from, where else, but Milwaukee, took a drastically different approach to his opponent, Dante “The Inferno” Gardini, a senior of Alumni Hall from Austin, Texas. Schilling’s combination of lateral movement paired with thunderous jabs was effective in round one. On the other end, Gardini used an extremely methodical approach, sometimes walking or standing still before unleashing attacks. He was forced to play defense for most of the round and appeared to wear down as the round progressed. He responded with some massive connections to start round two but again slowed as the blows added up. Round three, however, belonged to Gardini, who capped off the fight with an impressive number of jabs, unloading what little he had left in the tank. Gardini would win by unanimous decision.
Jack “Grock-ness Monster” Zagrocki def. Varun “Singapore Slinger” Taneja
The junior-senior matchup was level inside the ring through round one, although there was, by far, a larger and more vocal crowd supporting Zagrocki, the senior and former resident of Knott Hall wearing gold shorts. Taneja sustained some heavy blows during the middle round, but he wasn’t afraid to retaliate in the form of right uppercuts. The junior’s mighty right arm found many different parts of Zagrocki’s body during the final round. Taneja was able to hold his ground in the end despite the complicated footwork of Zagrocki and the roars of his fans. But the senior’s early work would carry the day. Zagrocki would win by unanimous decision.
Michael “Crispy Chicken” Rauch def. William “Blanco” White
White, the shorter contestant, bent toward the lean and lengthy body of Rauch, delivering many quick jabs as the opening round got underway. In the second frame, Rauch focused on setting up right hooks for himself. A junior from Baumer Hall, White was able to deflect some, but not all, of these attacks. During round three, White kept trying to punch Rauch directly up the middle, while Rauch strove to land his loopier hooks on the edges of the Buccaneer’s stocky frame. Rauch would win by unanimous decision.
Kyle “Outlaw” Mackey def. Colby “Goldilocks” Whitehouse
Both boxers had power in their punches and weren’t afraid to use it. The sounds of white glove hitting blue mask and black glove hitting red mask defined round one. As red marks appeared on each boxer’s body during the second round, the freshman Mackey and the sophomore Whitehouse maintained composure. But then, all of a sudden, the action overwhelmed Whitehouse, and the referee had to pause round two. Mackey was relentless in the final round, and the sophomore took it like a champ until he stumbled once more and the referee stopped the bout once again. This time it was for good. By referee stoppage, Mackey won the 169-pound match.
Christian “K” Miller def. Caleb “Motown” Eisenbacher
Miller put the full potency of his legs and arms into the effort of brushing back Eisenbacher during the opening round. Then Miller came out furiously in round two. About 15 seconds passed before Eisenbacher, a senior from Keough Hall, found stable footing during the bout’s middle frame. Eisenbacher needed to make something spectacular happen during the final round, but the senior from Knott Hall wasn’t having it. To the great pleasure of his fans, Miller was named champion of the 167-pound match. Miller would win by unanimous decision.
Jack “Cinderella Man” Taylor def. Patrick “Buford” Galligan
The cleanness of Tayor’s fighting technique was evident within the match’s opening seconds. Less than a minute in, the referee paused the match to make sure Galligan, a senior from Dunne Hall, was alright. Both boxers settled into a steady rhythm during round two. Perhaps Taylor, a senior from Dillon Hall, was a bit more comfortable and landed more punches. The referee had to pause the match for Galligan’s safety again in round two and for a final time during round three. Taylor, a native of Phoenix, would win by unanimous decision.
Jack “Da Cake” Kelly def. Joseph “El Chino Chulo” Kim
Before the match got underway, Kim, a graduate student, ran around the ring and then said a little prayer. Both boxers bent very deep in athletic stances and shuffled in every direction during the first round, in which not a whole lot of punches found their targets. Kelly, a senior from O’Neill Family Hall, initiated contact during the bout’s middle round. In round three, the senior again bursted out as if he actually wanted to make it to the semifinals. The referee very briefly paused the match before the final bell rang to allow Kim to catch his breath. When it was announced that Kelly defeated Kim, the victor clenched his fist in joy. Kelly would win by unanimous decision.
Nolan “Toothless” Lyon def. Mitchell “VP” Trossen
Lyon, a senior from Carroll Hall, directed Trossen where he pleased during round one, landing dozens of hits along the way. Lyon’s rhythmic attack against Trossen, a senior of Siegfried Hall, persisted during the bout’s middle moments. Trossen was unable to leverage his height and longer arms. Fewer than 20 seconds into the final round, Lyon’s punches became too much for Trossen, so the senior, who was wearing blue shorts, fell backward into the west ropes for some relief. This caused the referee to take a look at Trossen for the first time during round three. By the time the referee finished checking out Trossen a second time, the bout was essentially over. Lyon would win by unanimous decision.
Aldo “The RAM” Plascencia def. PJ “Northside” Summers
Plascencia, a senior from Sorin College, found himself backpedaling through most of the opening round. The sophomore competitor, Summers, kept forcing his elder backward during the middle round while sustaining more than a few Plascencia punches on his red mask. Fighting slowed down marginally in the final round, and the boxers breathed heavily. Plascencia kept moving in the wrong direction, and Summer’s white gloves started to connect more and more with the blue face guard of the Sorin Hall resident. Plascencia would win by split decision.
Andrew “The Red Scare” Cassidy def. Robbie “The Lobster” Donahue
The fan base for the freshman from Baumer Hall, Donahue, made the floor of the Dahnke Ballroom shake before the boxers started at it. After a jittery dozen seconds, the boxers relaxed and threw sharp punches throughout most of the first round. Cassidy, a senior from Keenan Hall, had a really solid second round, and his stellar performance stretched over into round three. Donahue, the taller boxer, tip-toed away from the senior to no avail during the remaining minutes of this 179-pound match. Cassidy would win by unanimous decision.
Drew “Flinch” Braaten def. Patrick “War Eagle” Doyle
Braaten, a senior of Keough Hall, took dozens of hits from the freshman, Doyle, throughout the first round. But he returned a greater number. Doyle did not think about relenting in round two, and the two kept trading blows. Just before the bell marked the close of the middle frame, Doyle threw Braaten into the ropes. In a final burst of effort, Braaten made several quick and clear connections with the freshman’s red face guard before it was time to call it a day. In a close call, the senior won after judges decided he landed more punches. Braaten would win by split decision.
Ijeh “The Golden Child” Nwaezeapu def. Jackson “The Stallion” Graham
This 192-pound matchup was composed of two chiseled fighters who landed many tough blows through round one. Graham, a junior of Stanford Hall, and Nwaezeapu, a sophomore of Keough Hall, both drew formidable fan bases. Graham seemed to go on the offense a bit more as round two got underway, but at one point during the middle frame Nwaezeapu was able to pin his foe against the ropes. The laurels were up for grabs during round three, and the crowds on each side of the ring knew it. Most spectators were probably unsure about who would be the bout’s winner when the closing bell rang out. Nwaezeapu would win by split decision.
Phil “Il Capo” Pollice def. Connor “Hometown Hero” McKenna
Pollice sprinted across the ring to meet his opponent as soon as the bell rang to signal the match’s start. At one point during the first round, McKenna fell flat on his backside. Pollice, a sophomore of Baumer Hall, took a few hard hits during the middle round from McKenna, another sophomore, who resides in Dillon Hall. All in all, both boxers were evenly matched during the middle part of the bout. The sophomore from Baumer Hall wanted to pick up some insurance points in the final round, which he did. Pollice would win the 153-pound bout by split decision.
Kevin “Duncan Donuts” Prata def. Zachari “The Kid” Taylor
In the final match in Ring A Thursday night, the senior and the freshman got wrapped up in each other’s arms again and again during the first round. Prata, the senior, buried Taylor in the ring’s southwest corner toward the end of round one, causing the referee to pause the match briefly. Taylor, a resident of Fisher Hall, tried his hardest to keep up with Prata in the middle round, but the senior’s onslaught was unyielding. In round three, Prata struck Taylor’s mask religiously and then pinned the freshman up against the ring’s northwest corner. Prata would win by unanimous decision.
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