On Tuesday night, Dahnke Ballroom hosted the finals of the 23rd annual Baraka Bouts. Nine champions were crowned. Here’s how each of the contests played out.
Anna “No-Delay” Saadeh def. Victoria “Southern-Belle” Baltz
Anna “No-Delay” Saadeh opened the night with immediate fire, jumping into Round 1 with sharp footwork, quick pressure, and strong crowd energy. Victoria “Southern-Belle” Baltz tried to find openings, but Saadeh's speed kept her pinned to the ropes. In Round 2, Saadeh continued to dominate with rapid body shots and persistent offense, while Baltz tried to rally with a few solid responses before losing momentum again. Round 3 saw Baltz enter with renewed intensity, but Saadeh refused to let her find a rhythm and stayed firmly in control from bell to bell. Saadeh won by unanimous decision.
Kylie “Countdown” Carney def. Kylie “Sneaky Pizza” Fuerbacher
From the opening bell, both Kylies delivered a ferocious Round 1, trading heavy shots and matching each other’s intensity. Kylie “Sneaky Pizza” Fuerbacher impressed the crowd with slick weaving, slipping through Kylie “Countdown” Carney’s punches, but Carney kept firing back with power. Round 2 brought more nonstop action, each forcing the other around the mat without backing down. In Round 3, a brief timeout for Fuerbacher’s nosebleed didn’t slow the pace — Carney capitalized on the break, landing sharp, clean hits and maintaining pressure through the final seconds. Carney won by split decision.
Emily “Punches” Poruczynski def. Lily “Lil’ Knockout” Mesler
Emily “Punches” Poruczynski took early control in Round 1, using fast pacing and steady jabs to keep Lily “Lil’ Knockout” Mesler from reacting. Mesler landed counters and moved well, but Poruczynski dictated most of the round. In Round 2, Mesler stormed back with renewed aggression, turning the round into a fast-paced back-and-forth exchange with no clear dominant fighter. Poruczynski opened Round 3 by landing first and pressing forward, forcing Mesler to match her energy. In the final moments, Poruczynski reasserted control with a strong offensive push. Poruczynski won by unanimous decision.
Rosie “The Riveter” Binette def. Eugenia “Guerrera” Ríos
Rosie “The Riveter” Binette started strong with quick jabs and active footwork, but Eugenia “Guerrera” Ríos met her intensity with equally sharp, aggressive exchanges in Round 1. In Round 2, Binette picked up speed, forcing Ríos into more defensive slipping and weaving as she tried to adjust. The final round saw both fighters unleash everything they had — Ríos even dropped Binette to the mat at one point, only for Binette to fire back with a flurry of punches in the closing seconds. It was a tightly contested bout from start to finish. In the end, Binette emerged victorious by split decision.
Maribella “The Bomb” Fues def. Mallory “Bing Bang” Turner
Maribella “The Bomb” Fues came out explosive in Round 1, throwing sharp jabs and moving with fast, clean footwork, as both fighters fed off the loud crowd. Round 2 repeated that pace, with Fues driving Mallory “Bing Bang” Turner around the ring and keeping her mostly on defense. By Round 3, Maribella’s pressure and speed continued to dominate, forcing Mallory to constantly reset her position. Even as fatigue set in for both, they traded strong shots in the final seconds, ending the match with high intensity. Fues won by split decision.
Hope “The Wonder” Wanken def. Mia “The Sugar Cookie” Simon
Hope “The Wonder” Wanken and Mia “The Sugar Cookie” Simon opened Round 1 with matched aggression, trading fast jabs and keeping the pace high. Simon returned for Round 2 with increased force, capitalizing on Wanken’s bloody nose, though she fought back to land clean shots despite the setback. Round 3 was a display of grit — Simon fought through heavy bleeding while Wanken, despite losing a shoe mid-round, kept pressing forward. The two exchanged nonstop offense until the final bell, both refusing to slow down. Wanken won by unanimous decision.
Faustina “Bear” Barcena def. Olivia “The Gentle Giant” Nijim
Faustina “Bear” Barcena exploded into Round 1, overwhelming Olivia “The Gentle Giant” Nijim with relentless pressure and rapid-fire punches that forced Nijim to choose between slipping or scrambling to counter. Round 2 brought even more dominance from Barcena, who continued landing clean, heavy hits while keeping Nijim on the defensive nearly the entire round. In Round 3, Barcena stayed aggressive and fast on her feet, pushing Nijim around the ring and never letting her settle. Barcena won by unanimous decision.
Kiska “The Hitwoman” Porter def. Tess “TK-O” Kesler
Kiska “The Hitwoman” Porter opened Round 1 with fierce speed, knocking Tess “TK-O” Kesler off balance early. Porter kept Kesler on defense through much of the round, though the Baraka Bouts vice president did rally with powerful counters late. Round 2 flipped the script — Kesler pushed forward with intensity while Porter landed sharp jabs, electrifying the already loud crowd. Round 3 was pure chaos, with both fighters charging into exchanges so intense the ref had to step in multiple times. Neither backed down for a second in this explosive matchup. Porter won by split decision.
Lucy “Alpha” Graceffo def. Meghan “The Megalodon” Sharkey
In the final match of the night, Meghan “The Megalodon” Sharkey opened with instant pressure, pinning Lucy “Alpha” Graceffo to the ropes and launching powerful shots. Graceffo struck back with heavy jabs, keeping herself in the fight despite Sharkey's quick footwork. Round 2 saw Graceffo come out fast with clean blows to the head, while Sharkey stayed agile even as the ref repeatedly adjusted her headgear. The last round was fueled by crowd energy, with both landing strong hits until Graceffo forced Sharkey into the corner in the final seconds. Graceffo won by split decision.
Binette was named the Ocean Leto Best Boxer of the 2025 Baraka Bouts, an honor recognizing grit, technical excellence, sportsmanship, and unwavering heart in the ring. Beginning this year, the award now bears senior captain Ocean Leto’s name permanently.
