First Punch: The Tale of Stacia Suttles and Sage Rosario, Plus Philadelphia Smoke's Dominance

Jeremiah Artacho | TBL Writer

What a tale of two fighters we have here. 

The Stacia Suttles and Sage Rosario throwdown was every bit of high intensity, non-stop Team Boxing League action. The fans loved it. Both teams loved it. And as someone covering the fight, it was a duel that built much anticipation following the Boston Butchers’ victory over the Nashville Smash during week nine. Rosario scored a knockout after her only round of the night, and proceeded to call out Suttles during the post-fight interview with Amelia Moore. 

A statement, followed with a laugh — one that you’d see in those movies where the villain would be planning something mischievous. 

Fast forward to fight day, on Saturday, May 30 at Harrah’s Casino and Racetrack in Chester, Philadelphia, Suttles and Rosario met for the first time in round four. Despite Suttles winning both bouts (the second in round 11), Rosario was able to withstand the hard hitting punches coming in her line of vision from the experienced opponent. Still, Philadelphia’s top female fighter stood on top and proved to be the better boxer during the first go-around — no calling out needed. 

The two’s outing made for the “Round of the Night” leading to a one-on-one conversation — which ended in Rosario saying, “Alright, Stacia, I’ll see you in two weeks,” — incorrectly saying Suttles’ name. 

Then again, Suttles’ seems to have no animosity towards Rosario — only a huge response inside of the boxing ring. 

Saturday, June 13 in Boston, Massachusetts at Road Runner — the show resumes. 

Who’s ready? 

Alright, alright, enough of that. 

When taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, watching the Philly Smoke fight, I continue to see that there are levels in TBL  — and just how well this roster that head coach Bob Kane has constructed. Up and down the scorecard, every fighter is capable of being competitive against their opponent. It’s hard to find opposing teams that have much of an advantage on a round-to-round basis — from the heavyweights, all the way down to the featherweight — the males and females are elite. 

Hence, the undefeated record that Smoke continues to hold. Philadelphia has two more fights — the next against the Butchers and the final contest of the regular season against the San Antonio Snipers in Chester, Philadelphia yet again. 

Smoke’s odds of going undefeated are quite high, although the Snipers could do some last minute damage. The likes of Suttles, Jesse Hart, Rasheen Brown, Shakilya Ellis, Conja Nathan, Steve Cunningham Sr. along with the rest of the roster has built Philadelphia atop the TBL standings. 

The playoffs are around the corner, and behind Philly, the Miami Assassins, the Las Vegas Hustle, the Snipers and the Phoenix Fury are right behind them to round out the top five. Miami’s latest addition of heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz brings incredible knockout power — as seen on Sunday, May 31 against the Smash in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Ortiz’s first TBL bout featured Stephon Moss who has yet to win in the league, but holds a 8-4 pro record — ended with Moss almost stumbling out of the ring. Moss was able to do damage through the first two minutes, but King Kong found a groove in this new style of boxing and began to throw major blows to the body within the last minute. 

Then, here comes the KO. Boom. Ortiz landed a left hook on Moss, and then another — right to the temple area — making the Nashville Smash heavyweight crumble to the floor. It was ugly, but Ortiz is known for his knockout power — boasting a 35-3 pro record (with 30 knockouts). 

In the long run, Ortiz could be a difference maker and a huge piece in a run to the MegaBrawl championship. 

Still, will it be enough to stop the Smoke? Only time will tell. 

Thanks for reading this week’s First Punch column. I’ll see you again soon, TBL fans.