Coach Bob Kane’s Philly Smoke showcased their dominance throughout the second season with a thrilling victory at Thursday night’s Team Combat League MegaBrawl II Finals. They defeated Coach Herman Caicedo’s Miami Stealth by a score of 235-219 at the Commerce Casino & Hotel in Los Angeles.
The evening was marked by exciting announcements from Team Combat League President Dewey Cooper. Season 3 will feature expansion teams in Phoenix and Nashville, with four more teams from Europe joining in Season 4. Additionally, a special Team Combat League Alumnae event will take place on Friday, August 23, in Philadelphia, featuring the best TCL fighters.
The Philly vs. Miami bout began with a bang as featherweights Opeyemi Adeyemi and Jovanny Tellez exchanged powerful blows in a wild Round 1, with Adeyemi winning 10-9. Female featherweights Paige Gilbert (Miami) and Shera Mae Patricio (Philly) followed with an intense match, ending in a 10-9 win for Patricio, leveling the team scores at 18-18.
Philly asserted their dominance starting in Round 4, winning five consecutive bouts. This streak included heavyweight Conja Nathan’s powerful overhand right that floored Miami’s Nestor Santana in Round 8, giving Philly a 78-73 lead. Nathan’s impressive performance continued as he defeated Miami’s Gustavo Trujillo in Round 18, earning him the title of “Most Valuable Fighter” of the MegaBrawl 2 Finals.
Philly’s female welterweight Briana Carrera triumphed over Miami’s undefeated Samantha Ginithan in Round 5. Carrera consistently landed her straight left hand, securing a 10-9 victory. Philly maintained their momentum, winning seven of the eight Middle Rounds.
Celebrating her birthday, Philly’s Brittany “Eagle Flex” Sims won the “Battle of the Featherweight Unbeatens” in Round 10 against U.S. Olympian Ginny Fuchs, leading to a 98-91 overall score in Philly’s favor.
In the Money Rounds, Philly won five of eight bouts. Notably, middleweight Euri Cedeno, who represented the Dominican Republic in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, secured victories in Round 6 and Round 19.
Despite standout performances from Miami’s Nikolay Shvab, who won Round 11 and Round 22, Philly’s fighters dominated, with six of them, including Euri and Hendri Cedeno, Rasheen Brown, Isaiah Johnson, Conja Nathan, and Shera Mae Patricio, going 2-0 for the night.
“It feels great. I knew we were going to win,” said an ecstatic Coach Bob Kane, as he celebrated with his team. “All my fighters were great, and they get along. It was a fun season and we’re going to do it again next year!”
Earlier in the night, the TCL All-Stars competed in a U.S.A. vs. The World event, with over 40 countries represented. Team USA emerged victorious, thanks to Raul Solomon’s final round triumph, securing a 172-170 win.
The first star of the night was awarded to Team USA’s lightweight AJ “AJ” Graham of the Dallas Enforcers. He defeated Team World’s Jose Rodriguez in Round 8 and narrowly missed a knockout against Sean Bates in Round 16. The All-Star Fight of the Night award went to the Round 15 bout between Lizette Lopez and Melissa Parker, with Lopez winning 10-9.
“That’s how I drew it up. Our fighters stuck to the game plan. I’m excited!” said Team USA Coach Tony Mack. “It was a pleasure to coach this team and be part of this event. They made my job easy.”
