First Punch: Once Upon a Tie, Youthful Boxers and Ahavat Gordon

Jeremiah Artacho | TBL Writer

A tie? 

I didn’t see that coming, and probably not a single Team Boxing League fan who tuned into the contest between the Houston Hitmen and the San Antonio Snipers. Now, whenever you check out the TBL Stats website — the official home of all TBL stats — you’ll see both Houston and San Antonio with an extra number to their record. 

Other than the fight ending in an unexpected and unusual way, Houston and San Antonio slugged it out and at times it seemed like the Hitmen were on their way to come out with an upset. Though, when the money rounds came along, the Snipers clutched up and found a way to come back. Head coach AC Bryant’s group huddle had to play some sort of role, given Houston’s opportunity to leave Bayou Music Center with its second straight win and make a big leap in the standings.

Given how long TBL has existed, this moment will surely be remembered down the road.

How many more ties are we going to see?

If week nine taught me anything, it’s the youthful talent that lives in this league. Take a look at Houston Hitmen’s Zae Farr and Boston Butchers’ Sage Rosario for example. 

Farr, who holds a 6-0 record in the super welterweight class and +8 in the net category. Watching the 18-year-old fight in person, it’s easy to see why he’s the best fighter that head coach Brian Caldwell has. Farr’s poise and decisiveness — mixed in with quick-reflexes — makes it hard for anyone to place a mark in the lost column.  Farr’s debut happened this past March 22 — beating Jarvis Shepard — and has since won against Destyne Butler and Emmanuel Calhoune on the Dallas Enforcers and Ryan Martin of the Snipers. Against San Antonio this past Friday, Farr’s dodging made it hard for Martin to land any square punches, and then countered with speed and strength. 

Be on the lookout for Farr as this season continues to progress. 

Rosario’s pro debut against the Nashville Smash ended in the referee stepping in for Suzana Rodriguez Griffin. The 19-year-old haymakers completely dominated Griffin in the corner, making it hard for the referee to sit there and not call the fight off. There was no other choice. Yes, this was Rosario’s only round, but despite the small size you can tell that the potential to become one of the better female fighters in TBL is there. And with that being said, Rosario ended up calling out Philadelphia Smoke’s Stacia Suttles, who has a record of 7-2 (both losses to Ariele Davis, a top ten ranked fighter in the league) during the post-fight interview. Rosario and Suttles will be an exciting matchup to watch in the super lightweight division. 

It happens on Saturday, May 30 at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack. The same place that the Smoke defeated the Miami Assassins in week eight’s contest. 

Make sure to grab your popcorn and snacks! 

Last, but certainly not least, Ahavat Gordon. 

Well, as someone who was in the space for a sold out crowd inside Thunder Studios — the atmosphere felt like a miniature World Cup. It was loud, energetic, the fandom was there all throughout the room. Gordon brought the attention and hype to the fight. But despite the LA Elite losing to the Phoenix Fury, Gordon’s presence never made it feel that way unless you looked at the scoreboard. Gordon’s TBL debut ended in wins after two bouts with Judah Yisrael. 

Those two rounds were epic and loud. 

All things considered, in this edition of  “First Punch,” this week was one of the more memorable ones for me. From the tie, to the youth that continues to be displayed and a big name fighter making a statement on the TBL stage — it’s hard to find things not to like.