



Bengal Bouts completes quarterfinal round

, , , , and | Wednesday, February 20, 2019

142 lbs.

Dan “The Emotional Punching Bag” Wilborn def. Robert “The Kidd” Hernandez

In the first fight of the night, sophomore Robert Hernandez of Siegfried faced off against Knott senior Dan Wilborn. Both fighters came in energetically in the first round, but Wilborn quickly landed a blow to Hernandez’s face, and the Siegfried sophomore took a hard fall in the corner of the ring. Hernandez came in stronger in the second round, but ultimately could not recover against the more dominant Wilborn. In the third round, Wilborn continued to land strong shots, and in the end he was ruled the winner by unanimous decision.

Aidan “Ace” Becklund def. Conor “Con Con” McConville

Aidan Becklund, a freshman representing Dunne, faced off against sophomore Conor McConville, a Keenan resident. The first round was a fairly even contest, with a flurry of quick hits from both. The fight was an exciting match-up from the start, with both Becklund and McConville keeping active feet and maintaining high energy. However, as the second round got underway, Becklund began to take command of the ring, landing several solid hits. In the third round, Becklund remained dominant and McConville struggled to recover, with Becklund ultimately announced winner by unanimous decision.

Evan “Almighty” Muller def. Glenn “Queens” Fiocca

The first 142-pound bout of the night pitted two Zahm House residents against one another. The fight started with both looking to be aggressive, but sophomore Evan Muller rapidly overpowered freshman Glenn Fiocca. Muller pursued Fiocca around the ring, and the freshman was unable to escape. During brief periods, Fiocca was able to push Muller off and gain space, but he could never go on the offensive as Muller continually went at his opponent’s head, drawing blood from Fiocca’s nose before the first round ended.

To start the second, Muller continued his assertive strategy, but Fiocca was relieved of some pressure as Muller started to wear out. Still, Fiocca was too worn down himself to mount an attack, throwing a couple of punches at most before Muller closed the space and forced Fiocca into the ropes. At the very end of the round, Fiocca finally managed a solid hit to Muller’s head that sent the sophomore reeling, but he quickly composed himself.

Fiocca came out desperate in the final round, catching a second wind and throwing more punches. However, Muller matched the intensity and hit Fiocca hard enough to cause the referee to stop the fight.  Fiocca managed to land a few more hits, but he was visibly drained, while Muller’s strength kept him in control and led him to a unanimous victory.

Diego “Fuego” Arias def. Greg “Pockets” Wall

Morrissey senior Diego Arias was the instigator of the action, quickly throwing combos and forcing Greg Wall, a junior in Fisher, to the ropes. Wall had no opportunity to attack as he had to keep his hands up for protection. Eventually, Wall managed to find a couple of openings, but his jab speed was too slow, and Arias managed to continually strike whenever an opportunity presented itself. Arias hit Wall so hard that the referee stopped the bout as Wall struggled to catch his breath, and the first round concluded before any more action occurred.

The second round began similarly to the first, but Wall felt more urgency and threw more punches. However, Arias again hit Wall with a ferocious combination which incapacitated the junior. The official stopped the fight after the hit, as Wall was unable to continue and Arias won the fight by referee-stopped contest.

Anna Mason | The Observer

Sophomore Ryan “Short Stack” Smith, left, sizes up sophomore GP Pernicone during the Bengal Bouts quarterfinals Tuesday at Dahnke Ballroom inside the Duncan Student Center.

148 lbs.

Ryan “Short Stack” Smith def. GP Pernicone

The first round of this fight began tentatively, as GP Pernicone of Keough Hall faced off against fellow sophomore Ryan Smith from Morrissey Manor. Initially, it was mostly Pernicone on the attack — he landed a flurry of hits right away, leaving Smith noticeably overwhelmed. However, Smith recovered with one hard hit right at the end of round 1, catching Pernicone by surprise. In round 2, Smith came back with plenty of energy, landing a solid blow to Pernicone’s head and causing the referee to check in with him. By round 3, both boxers were visibly fatigued, but Smith landed several hard hits to his opponent’s head again. While both delivered strong shots toward the end, the fight ended with a split decision in Smith’s favor.

Dominic “Woke Up Feeling Pretty Dangerous” Angelotti def. Joe “Black or” Pinto

In the 148-lb weight division, off-campus graduate student Dominic Angelotti faced off against Sorin College senior Joe Pinto. This was a noticeably aggressive fight, with Angelotti starting off as the clear aggressor. In the first round, one particularly hard hit from Angelotti caused the referee to check in with Pinto. After a pause, Angelotti continued to force Pinto to the ropes, repeatedly catching him off guard. Pinto responded energetically, but ended the first round with a bloody nose.

In the second round, Angelotti continued to dominate with a vengeance, landing a flurry of hard shots to the head and again causing the referee to pause the action, with Pinto exhausted and visibly bleeding from the face. In round 3, Pinto came out swinging and recovered enough to land some strong shots, but ultimately, Angelotti took the fight in a split decision.

Joe “Pa” Purcell def. Tom “The Tank Engine” Walsh

Dillon senior Joe Purcell was the aggressor at the beginning of the first round, throwing a flurry of punches and putting Keenan junior Tom Walsh on his heels. However, the tide turned in the middle of the round as Walsh responded with a quick series that forced Purcell back. Purcell seemed to regain control, pushing Walsh into the ropes, but Walsh used his strength to push Purcell off. This happened once more, but in both instances, Purcell slipped loose of Walsh, preventing the junior from building momentum.

Walsh finally managed to swing the momentum in his favor at the start of the second round. Purcell was able to get Walsh off balance, but Walsh would not relent, hounding Purcell whenever they got within striking distance. Just as in the first round, as soon as Purcell put a seemingly exhausted Walsh against the ropes, Walsh dug deep and forced his opponent back.

To conclude the bout, the fighters once more touched gloves and soon proceeded to exchange punches. Purcell landed a headshot that sent Walsh reeling off balance, but he gathered himself. Walsh seemed to be wearing down, though, as he was unable to force Purcell off of him as quickly as he had in the previous rounds. Purcell landed multiple shots — including an uppercut — and the referee briefly stopped the fight to check Walsh. Action resumed, and Purcell got one more quality attack on Walsh before the final bell sounded. In the end, despite Walsh’s effort, Purcell simply landed more shots and won the match by unanimous decision.

Leonard “Typhoon” Calvo def. Danny “Hit Man Lenny” Rogers

The fight started with Danny Rogers, a Zahm sophomore, going for big shots, and Keough sophomore Leonard Calvo throwing quick flurries to the body. Rogers tried to use more speed, attempting to hit Calvo with uppercuts, but Calvo dodged some of the big swings. Despite Calvo chasing Rogers around the ring, both fighters managed to land solid hits. The rest of the round unfolded similarly, but Calvo seemed to have a slight edge as the period ended.

In the second period, Calvo again displayed his superior agility, but Rogers managed to land his own strikes. The fight slowed as both fighters looked to read their opponent and find an opening. Rogers’ strength put Calvo on guard, and briefly made him lose his balance, but Calvo continually looked to close the space and land several body shots. Just as Rogers looked poised to land some shots, the bell rang to end the round.

In the final stanza, Rogers seemed more desperate, looking to land more shots even at a closer range. Each fighter landed his fair share of shots, but both were visibly worn down. Rogers looked to gain the advantage when he forced Calvo into a corner, but the latter flipped it and reestablished himself before too much damage was done. Rogers put up a fight with his strength, but Calvo’s speed proved the superior asset as the latter won by split decision.


157 lbs.

Michael “The K.O.” Feijoo def. Mike “Son of the Stallion” Perenich

In round 1, both boxers started very aggressive, with each one exchanging attacks for the entirety of the round with no clear leader emerging. In round 2, Morrissey senior Michael Feijoo began to take more control of the fight, forcing Mike Perenich into retreat a great deal. Feijoo landed substantially more punches this round, although Perenich, a Keough sophomore, was able to land a few hooks near the end of the round.

By round 3, Feijoo came out with a flurry of jabs, but both fighters appeared to sense the urgency. Once again later in the round, Perenich was able to land two substantial hooks, and by the end, both fighters were hardly able to throw meaningful punches. Ultimately, Feijoo would win in a unanimous decision.

Henry “The Dancing Queen” Davis def. Chris “A.P.” Lutz

In the first round, Chris Lutz fought behind a roaring fanbase to the tune of “A.P.! A.P.!” while his opponent Henry Davis was supported with a responsive “Henry! Henry!” chant. The atmosphere for this fight was electric from beginning to end. Lutz, a Keenan sophomore, was able to land a few significant punches toward the end of the opening round, but the fighters mostly felt each other out throughout the frame. Both fighters had fatigued heavily by the conclusion of the second round. Davis, a Duncan senior, appeared to make an effort to attack more in this round and began to build some momentum. In the final round, Lutz mostly played defense, throwing no real punches unless backed into a corner, while Davis maintained his role as the aggressor. In the end, Davis came out victorious by split decision.

Kyle “Nemo” Mettler def. Drew “The Iron” Curtin

Both fighters came out appearing quite energetic. The fight was quickly stopped for a nose bleed from Drew Curtin, a Keenan freshman, following a few strong hooks. The fight once again stopped no more than 20 seconds after resuming, as this time both fighters had chests covered in blood. Unfortunately, the damage inflicted by the strong left hooks from sophomore Kyle Mettler of Alumni proved to be too severe for Curtin. In the short duration of the fight, Mettler demonstrated incredibly quick footwork. Ultimately, after about 45 seconds of total sparring, the fight was called by referee’s stoppage, and the victory was awarded to Mettler. 

Aidan “Backbreaker” Dillon vs. Umair Karowadia

This fight was cancelled as Karowadia was unavailable.


160 lbs.

Luke “Flavor” Fraser def. John “Menace” Mullen

Alumni sophomore Luke Fraser battled Dunne senior John Mullen, with Fraser coming out swinging with wide hooks in the first round. Mullen tried to stay on balance as Fraser landed a few punches, but came off balance multiple times. Fraser turned up the aggression late in the second round, controlling the floor, but Mullen handled his advances well. Fraser came out wildly in the last round, losing his form and resorting to rogue tactics, as he grabbed Mullen’s neck multiple times and attempted to wrap up Mullen. As both grew tired, the end turned into a slugfest, each attempting to get in a last few punches. Fraser ended up winning by split decision.

Luke “Riff” Rafferty def. Alec “El Chupacabra” Vasquez

Alec Vasquez, a freshman from Knott Hall, faced Luke Rafferty, a Duncan senior. Rafferty began by throwing power punches, but Vasquez responded quickly. Rafferty landed several solid uppercuts, but the freshman stood his ground, jabbing away from Rafferty. Once again, Rafferty came quick out of the gate, but Vasquez handled him and slowed down the pace, getting in a few hooks of his own. Both fighters came out hot in the final round. Vasquez appeared to be slightly more conditioned, but Rafferty defended well and was able to land several solid blows, though he appeared exhausted. Rafferty ended up winning by split decision.

Marcelo “El Chelo” Castellanos def. Kieran “Wurlpool” Wurl

The opening to this match was fairly even, with both fighters exchanging frequent jabs in round 1. Toward the end of the round, Siegfried sophomore Kieran Wurl was able to knock Marcelo Castellanos into the ropes. In round 2, Castellanos, an Alumni freshman, would look to take control, coming out far more aggressive. Both fighters appeared immensely fatigued about a minute into this round, with each having difficulty at times even holding up their mitts.

During round 3, both fighters collided quickly and exchanged a fury of hooks and jabs. The crowd implored the fighters to keep going as once again the exhaustion began to show. Castellanos continued to look to force the issue, although Wurl showed some strong signs of life toward the conclusion of the round. There was no dominating or controlling fighter in this bout, and accordingly, a split decision was rewarded to Castellanos.


168 lbs.

Taylor “Bam Bam” Vucinich def. Alex “Slush” Athenson

Taylor Vucinich, a grad student, came out swinging hard with nasty combinations, but Alex Athenson responded with a strong right hand that stunned Vucinich. If Athenson, a junior representing Alumni Hall, was expecting Vucinich to lose energy, he was disappointed, as Vucinich had other ideas and did not let up. Vucinich continued to connect with strong one-two combinations after bouncing back off the ropes, and Athenson’s only solution was to wrap up his opponent. By the third round, Vucinich would simply wrap up Athenson whenever the junior tried to stage a comeback, earning Vucinich the victory by unanimous decision.

Tommy “T-Train” Perea def. Matt “Fifty Shades of” Green

Matt Green, a senior representing Dillon, found himself covering up for most of the early parts of the first round. He was able to find some holes in Tommy Perea’s strong offense, but Green appeared to have gotten the first round handed to him by Perea by the end. Perea continued with his vicious combinations into the second round, and whenever Green would go for a high swing, Perea would duck under and attack Green’s body. In the end this was too much for Green, and Perea was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Brian “Uncle Rico” Duffy vs Ryan “Jessie’s Girl” Green

Ryan Green, an off-campus senior representing Keough Hall, had a significant height advantage in this fight, but Brian Duffy was able to sneak into Green’s range and connect with quick jabs. Floating in and out, Duffy, an off-campus sophomore, managed to connect with a majority of punches that he threw in the first and second rounds. Duffy fell in the second round, but he got up and responded in fashion with a massive combination, trapping Green in the corner. The referee paused the fight, and by the conclusion of the second round the fighters were still in their corners. Duffy came out strong in the third round and connected with a huge combination that again sent Green up against the ropes, at which point the referee called a stop to the fight. Duffy was declared the winner by referee stoppage.


173 lbs.

Bo “Stonewall” Heatherman def. Jack “Down with the Big Pharma” Rogers

Bo Heatherman, a sophomore in Knott, came out letting Jack Rogers connect with big 1-2 combinations and right hooks, but the Morrissey junior soon found himself retreating after Heatherman responded with a big combination of his own. The second round remained fairly even, with both men finding exploits in the other’s defense to connect on some shots. However, Heatherman controlled the third round and was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Thomas “Clipz” Hintz def. Parker “The Participant” Imlay

Thomas Hintz, an O’Neill sophomore, was able to connect early by finding holes and landing punches to the body of Parker Imlay, a junior representing St. Edwards. Hintz continued to land big shots to the Imlay’s head and body in the second round. The junior was able to respond early in the third round, but it appeared to be too little, too late as Hintz’s intensity and ferocity earned him a victory on the judges scorecards, as the sophomore was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Jay “Nighthawk” Eversole def. Charlie “Tigger” Puntillo

Keough sophomore Jay Eversole came out early with an aggressive mindset, and took control of the fight right away. In the first round, Eversole was able to land a few sizable hooks, forcing O’Neill senior Charlie Puntillo into the corner often. Once again in round 2, Eversole would come out swinging, beginning to take real control of the fight. Puntillo was again forced to rely often on backing to the ropes. In round 3, Puntillo started out attacking, perhaps sensing his position in the fight. Ultimately, Eversole would regain control, forcing Puntillo into a frequent clinch. In the end, Eversole won by split decision.

Daniel “Pilgrim” O’Brien def. Jacob “JP” Petersen

In the final bout of the night, both fighters started on the offensive, and Daniel O’Brien took an early advantage after forcing Jacob Petersen onto the ropes and causing an early stoppage. A huge hook from O’Brien, a St. Edward’s sophomore, forced another stoppage, and another big jab before the bell gave the first round to O’Brien. Petersen came out swinging in the second, but O’Brien was ready and forced another stoppage with a massive hook on the off-campus graduate student, resulting in a referee-stopped contest.


185 lbs.

Cam “Crash Cadillac” Nolan def. Jordan “Farm Fresh” Edwards

Both fighters seemed at a stalemate early. Cam Nolan, a senior representing Duncan, threw a few jabs, which Jordan Edwards, an off-campus grad student, blocked, but then the former managed to attack his opponent quickly and land several shots. Edwards got away in a couple of instances and eventually launched his own attack, but Nolan quickly flipped the script. Edwards did not surrender, though, and the round ended with both fighters seemingly at a draw.

Nolan approached Edwards to start the second round, but Edwards threw the first punch. Nolan then proceeded to force Edwards back and chase him around the ring. Edwards pushed Nolan into the ropes briefly, and mounted an attack, but it was broken up by the referee. Nolan then pushed Edwards into the ropes, and the latter quickly ducked and ran away. Nolan controlled the end of the round as Edwards was again forced back.

In the final period, Nolan seemed the superior fighter. He landed several shots on Edwards, but Edwards did not back down, landing some big shots as Nolan got close. As Nolan tired, Edwards landed some more hits, but Nolan pushed him to the ropes yet again. Both competitors were exhausted as the round came to an end, but it was Nolan’s aggressiveness which won him the fight unanimously.

Eric “Cheese Sandwich” Requet def. Tait “Wet Jet” McGlinn

The fight opened with a hard right hook from Tait McGlinn, but Eric Requet responded by pushing the Alumni junior into the ropes and chasing him around the ring. Requet, a Sorin junior, was on the offensive for much of the first round, delivering some key hits. In the second, Requet kept up the same aggression, and McGlinn struggled to take any control. By the third, both fighters were clearly tiring and swung wildly, hoping to land some final hits, but Requet maintained his composure and was awarded the victory via unanimous decision.

Michael “The Mayor of Flavortown” Krecek def. Ross “Mean Man” Mcllvaine

Michael Krecek, a senior in Morrissey, squared off against Sorin freshman Ross Mcllvaine. Krecek ducked many of Mcllvaine’s jabs and hit him with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts throughout the round, controlling the ring. Mcllvaine was able to keep Krecek at bay in the second with heavy use of jabs, but the freshman was able to sneak in and land some body shots, backing his opponent into the corner before the bell. The pace quickened in the third as both men took several headshots, but Krecek was able to outmaneuver Mcllvaine, landing a powerful headshot and forcing a standing eight. Krecek was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Dennis “The Blue Robot From Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots” Krivda def. Chris “Cross” Lembo

In the final 185 lb. contest in Ring B, the fight began with both fighters coming out swinging, but Chris Lembo came out slightly more aggressive and seized an early advantage. The second round opened with Dennis Krivda looking to take control, and the O’Neill sophomore backed Lembo into his corner with some early hits, but the Stanford junior managed to bloody Krivda’s nose and force the referee to pause the round.

After a brief restart, the round was paused once again as Krivda received treatment, but ended with a flurry of action as Krivda backed Lembo against the ropes and the two traded blows until the bell. In the decisive third round, Krivda chased Lembo around the ring, although the junior did not go quietly and landed several of his own hits. The onslaught forced a count on Lembo just before the final bell. In a split decision, Krivda was awarded the victory.


202 lbs.

Andrew “Razor” Sharpe def. Chaz “Swervo” Milligan

The first round opened with both fighters looking for an opening, as Andrew Sharpe waited for an opportunity to slip inside and land some blows. The junior from Knott backed Chaz Milligan into the corner on two different occasions, where he was able to land some key hits. In the second, Milligan came out aggressive, looking to land some hits, but Sharpe stayed close, largely minimizing the reach of the Sorin senior.

In the third round, Sharpe was able to push Milligan on the ropes, and as both fighters tired, Sharpe seized the advantage and managed to land some vicious hooks. In the end, Sharpe was declared winner by unanimous decision.

Montana “Louisianimal” Giordano def. Conner “Next Round is On Me” Futa

In the first round, Montana Giordano attempted to use his reach to take an early advantage, while Conner Futa attempted to dodge and counter. The round was even until late on, when Duncan senior Futa dropped to the ring to give Giordano the early advantage. The senior from Alumni kept on the attack in round 2, forcing another stoppage with a flurry of blows as he pushed Futa onto the ropes. In the final round, Futa attempted to make a comeback, but the reach of Giordano kept him on his back foot, and when the final bell sounded, the decision was unanimous for Giordano.

Patrick “Tricky P” O’Shea def. Adam Baginski

An off-campus senior representing Keough Hall, Patrick O’Shea battled off-campus grad student Adam Baginski. O’Shea backed Baginski into the corner early with a combination of powerful punches. Baginski was able to create space, but O’Shea was still able to land a couple quick headshots. O’Shea continued to land a majority of the shots in the second, forcing Baginski back into the corner. However, Baginski caught O’Shea off balance with a counter punch, forcing him to the ground briefly. Both men came out aggressively in the third. Baginski forced O’Shea into the ropes and took advantage of O’Shea’s fatigue throughout the final round. O’Shea, however, managed to maintain his lead and was awarded the victory by unanimous decision.


253 lbs.

Fr. Nathan “Priest Mode” O’Halloran def. Adam Braegelman

In the largest weight class of the night, both fighters came out swinging, as graduate student Adam Braegelman attempted to minimize Fr. Nathan O’Halloran’s reach by keeping it close-quarters. But the Jesuit graduate student managed to force a stoppage as the first round came to an end. In the second, O’Halloran kept up the onslaught, forcing another stoppage. In the final round, Braegelman managed to push O’Halloran onto the ropes, but O’Halloran fought back, and in the end moved on in a unanimous decision.


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