A Nevada boxer lunges at his opponent during a fight on Oct. 18, 2019. He is wearing a blue top with Nevada in white cursive writing on it. Also on his person, is blue boxing gloves and a blue boxing helmet. Behind him is a flag with the Nevada razor-wolf logo on it.
Ryan Freeberg/Nevada Sagebrush. A Nevada boxer lunges at his opponent during a fight at the Circus Circus Convention Center on Oct. 18, 2019. The Nevada boxing club took on Air Force Academy in a series of seven fights, with Nevada winning five of the fights.

In a bout of red versus blue, the Nevada boxing club took on the Air Force Academy on Friday, Oct. 18 at the Circus Circus Convention Center. In total, 14 boxers competed in the contest, for a total of seven matches.

Fighters from Nevada each wore classic boxing attire, fitted head to toe in blue and white, from their helmets to their gloves. Air Force wore simple black and white with bright red gloves providing the only pop of color to their person.

Each match saw intense matchups, with Nevada walking away the victors in all but two of the fights. 

Three short rounds—lasting two minutes each—set a consistent pace for each fight. As each round came to a close, a clock signaled the last 10 seconds of the fight. 

Weight Class: 118 lbs, Ryan Dinndorf vs. Michael Douville

Wolf Pack fighter Michael Douville had a powerful first round, weakening his opponent with multiple body shots and jabs. 

Ryan Dinndorf went to his corner at the end of round one visibly worn out from the fast pace of Douville’s attacks.

Round two and three went Douville’s way. The Nevada boxer left his opponent visibly injured by the end of the match. 

Douville’s effort pushed Nevada to their first win of the night. 

Weight Class: 125 lbs, Don Piasecki vs. Johnny Mancilla

In the second fight of the night, Johnny Mancilla took the win over Piasecki, giving Nevada their second victory.

Mancilla used his agility to his advantage, quickly dodging and ducking away from his opponent’s attacks.

When backed against the ropes, Mancilla maneuvered to flip positions on his opponent. A consistent flurry of jabs in the second and third rounds put Mancilla on top.

Weight Class: 140 lbs, Justin Couty vs. Dillon Maguin

In the Pack’s first loss of the night, Dillon Maguin fell to Couty in a well-fought contest.

The match began quickly, with both boxers attempting to get the upper hand. 

The Air Force fighter backed Maguin into a corner in the last ten seconds of the second round, forcing Maguin to go on the defensive. When the bell rang at the end of the second round, Justin County had the edge over Maguin.

However, Maguin came back for round three ready to fight. The Wolf Pack boxer fought valiantly in the final round but came up just short of his opponent. 

Weight Class: 145 lbs, Sean Chieves vs. Davis Ault

For the first two rounds of the fight, both fighters kept a steady pace with each other, landing solid hits in an almost methodical fashion.

This all changed in the final and third round. Davis Ault continued to take his time, striking with precision, but a worn-out Sean Chieves couldn’t keep pace. This patience helped elevate Ault to victory.  

Ault displayed a level of boxing prestige in the fight, showcasing why he won the national championship in his weight class last season. 

Weight Class: 170 lbs, Ymani Nesmith vs. McKain Murdoch

In the lone female-centered fight, McKain Murdoch fought through pain and adversity to give the Pack another victory.

Murdoch started the fight on the defensive, studying her opponent from a distance, before opening with a quick jab.

Both sides fought fiercely throughout the match, each landing powerful body and headshots. 

At the end of three, the two fighters came to center ring awaiting the decision from the judges after a brutal contest. In the end, Murdoch walked away victorious as the crowd erupted into cheers. 

Weight Class: 172 lbs, Levi Rate vs. Nate Strother

For the second time of the night, Air Force walked away from a fight victorious. Air Force’s Levi Rate got the better of Nate Strother in a back-and-forth contest that took a full effort from both fighters. 

The first two rounds happened swiftly, with each fighter landing devastating body shots on each other. Unfortunately for Strother, these body shots took their toll, weakening his defense. 

In the final round, Rate made his move. A tired Strother couldn’t slow down the Air Force fighter, leading to the victory of the Falcons. 

Weight Class: 185 lbs, Austin Dreyer vs. Danny Rich

The last fight of the night was also the loudest, as Danny Rich gave the Pack their final victory.

Throughout the fight, chants of ‘Danny’ echoed around the convention center. A large turnout for the local boxer arguably fueled his momentum at various points in the fight.

At one point in the match, Air Force’s Austin Dreyer had to be medically checked by the official ringside. Rich paced around the ring, eagerly stalking his opponent. 

Rich dominated all three rounds, using his strength to take down his competitor with an assault of heavy hits. 

Nevada boxing returns to action for another bout of competition on the weekend of Super Bowl Sunday at the El Dorado Hotel and Casino. 

Madeleine Chinery can be reached at rfreeberg@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.