Gauge defeats Big T

Recap: Dope, competitive 1-rounder from Smoke Room Battle League between Big T and Gauge sees T drop the sound effects and put on for the crowd with a boatload of hardbody, braggadocios zingers, fierce set-ups and hitting punchlines/wordplay that altogether made for one of the better Big T performances we've seen in awhile. But it's the slightly more consistent, conversational, slick-talking Gauge, cold as ever with the punches while mixing in some witty barbs and stoic street shit to mold his Chicago roots, who earns the win here.

Verdict: Gauge (W) 1-0

Favorite line:

O'fficial defeats S Dot

Recap: From Takeva Battle League, taking a break from the big stage where she's had a few missteps lately, O'fficial gets back on her grind and uses a gang of fiery gun bars, hitting name flips and fierce/witty punchlines/personals to handily beat back a gritty, but mostly pedestrian and sometimes reaching S Dot in what was a pretty one-sided 1-rounder.

Verdict: O'fficial (W) 1-0

Favorite line: O'fficial -

Tay Roc defeats Wise

Recap: Spouting a bunch of spicy name flips, grabbing your attention with some gritty wordplay and dishing a fierce/aggressive mix of gritty mayhem, punchlines and personals, in this 1-rounder from GOTG that featured Tay Roc making his 1st appearance in the Gates, an altogether pretty solid Wise certainly makes a name for himself. Yet, wasting little time (unlike his opponent, who did spit some filler here and there) with straight-ahead potent punches, wily name flips, fire set-ups, a conversational screed or two to go along with a gang of hardbody gun missives and righteous personals, even within the confines of a smaller league, Roc more than makes his presence felt.

Verdict: Tay Roc (W) 1-0

Favorite line: Tay Roc - 

Madness defeats Don Marino

Recap: Grind Time/KOTD vet Madness takes it right to Don Marino with 3 rounds of witty personals, hard-hitting Mexican barbs and other consistently piercing punchlines to handily beat back a spicy at times, but overall unsteady effort from the Miami legend.

Verdict: Madness (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Madness -

Hollow Da Don and Rum Nitty [DEBATABLE]

Recap: A crazy, punch-heavy, mayhem spicy and lyrically brazen 3rd by Rum Nitty not only turns out to be the best round of this URL/Super Fight battle against Hollow Da Don. But saves the day for the Arizona vet, who thanks in part to some reaching and overused themes (snitching) in round 2, was behind a round heading into the final turn, On the other hand Hollow, playing with different flows throughout the match while scoring with some dope ("I'm in here giving y'all room shakers, but I gotta shake rumors!") wordplay, righteous storytelling, unorthodox but fierce schemes and witty/stinging punches throughout the match, would hurt himself a bit with a few subpar lines as well as an overkill when it came to personals. That said, some fly breakdowns and head-ringing shiners by Da Don in round 1 while entertaining, didn't always match the effort in terms of potency. And add to the mix an aggressive, determined, set-up rich, a little more condensed and punch-lit opener by Rum, while dripped with some filler here and there, was enough to force a draw and make this battle debatable.

Verdict: TIE

Favorite line: Rum Nitty - "Hit the scene like Prince Akeem, Semi with me looking for this bitch in Queens!"