The Mexico Guerreros needed a win at home against the unbeaten British Lionhearts and they got one 4-1 to move back in front of the United States and grab the second and final playoff spot from Group B. The 4-1 loss in Mexico by the US just over a week ago and the season opening 3-2 loss to the Lionhearts in mid-January ended up being the missed opportunities the US will wish they had back. That loss to the Lionhearts included a heavyweight bout between Cam Awesome and Lawrence Okolie that ended in a split decision loss for Awesome that did not featuring a single round where the three judges were in agreement. Just a single round score being flipped from Okolie to Awesome in that bout would have made the difference between the USA advancing to face Cuba and seeing their season end.

For those boxers from the USA Knockouts who won the US Olympic Trials and have a chance to compete in Rio but have not yet secured a place through international qualifying they will turn their focus back to trying to reach Rio. The major qualifying event looming is the AOB World Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan June 14-26.  The USA Knockouts will hopefully be in action again during a 7th season of the World Series of Boxing beginning in late 2016 or early 2017.

A dominant night for the USA Knockouts in Miami has set them up in good position to make the playoffs. The USA got knockouts from lightweight Carlos Balderas over Rabii Hamza in the second round, light heavyweight Jonathan Esquivel over Hassan Saada in the third round, and super heavyweight Marlo Moore over Ahmed Bourous in the first round. Antonio Vargas swept every round from Achraf Kharroubi in the flyweight division. The most surprising result of the night was Paul Kroll defeating defending welterweight champion Mohammed Rabii 48-46 on all three scorecards.

Because the USA swept the night they went back ahead of the Mexico Guerreros with ten points to Mexico’s nine and most importantly with 16 bouts won in the pool they will have the tiebreaker over Mexico if the Guerreros were to get a single point from a 3-2 loss at the British Lionhearts on Saturday. That means the only way Mexico can take the last playoff spot from Group B is by becoming the first team to defeat the Lionhearts this year.

If the Knockouts do make the playoffs they would take on the Cuba Domadores in a tantalizing ten-bout quarterfinal matchup in Cuba on April 22nd and 23rd.