The front half of a Week 11 Team Combat League doubleheader at Miccosukee Casino & Resort in Miami, Florida, saw coach Marc Gargaro’s third-place Boston Butchers relying on some Money Round heroics and a 10-7 knockout by two-time USA Boxing National Champion Amelia Moore in round 22 to eke out a razor-thin 226-225 team victory over coach Raul Rivas’ Orlando Vipers. Emerging as one of TCL’s top fighters, welterweight Moore looked elite once again in defeating Orlando opponent Jenna Gaglioti.
Moore won a comfortable 10-9 round over Gaglioti in round 4 and then turned on the power to register a knockout in a rematch round against Gaglioti in round 22. Gaglioti was down once before the fight was waved off. The 10-7 KO earned Moore the designation as the night’s Number 1 star and allowed Boston to climb back from a two-point Vipers lead with just two fights to go and put her team up 207-206. “I knew I hurt her in the first fight, so it was just a matter of closing her out in the second fight,” explained Moore, post-event. “In team sports, you have to pull your weight. I love my team. They’re a group of amazing humans who push you to be better. This is what it’s about!”
Boston team leader and TCL middleweight favorite “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis suffered a surprise flash knockdown to Orlando opponent Jahyae Brown in round 5 but made the necessary corrections to defeat Brown 10-9 in the climactic round 24 rematch to break a 216-216 tie and seal Boston’s victory.
The Fight of the Night was named as round 19 where power-punching lightweight Alejandro Paulino of Boston defeated Orlando’s Angel Hernandez. Paulino had earlier knocked Hernandez down in round 2 to jump Boston out to an early one-point lead.
Boston welterweight Keno Luna was named the third star of the night for his round 12 knockdown of Orlando’s Christian Rivera, eventually scored 10-8 for Luna and his round 21 victory over Orlando’s Darrius Jackson, scored 10-9.
Orlando featherweight Jeremy Adorno was named second star of the night for his 10-9 victory over Irvin Gonzalez in the night’s opening round and his 10-8 with a knockdown victory over Gonzalez in round 18.
There were five knockdowns and one knockout in this exciting match. In addition to those previously mentioned, Orlando featherweight Jadalie Medeiros won her fight against Boston’s Shelly Vincent 10-8 in round 10 by knocking Vincent down with a right.
“I told you we were going to make it happen,” said a jubilant Coach Gargaro afterward. “I’m so proud of all of them. There was so much going on and we made it happen. There are so many ups and downs in this sport. It’s hard but we’re getting good at it. New York, we’re coming for you next.”
