Grid League 2025 – Venom vs Bandits

The Grid League arena buzzed with anticipation as the Houston Bandits faced off against the Las Vegas Venom in a match with pride on the line. Though neither team would advance to the playoffs, both squads entered the contest looking to build momentum and showcase their improvement after a challenging season.

The action began with Partner Forward, where both teams tackled decreasing reps of overhead squats and burpee box jumpovers. Despite Lauren Olson‘s extra rep error for Venom, the Las Vegas squad managed to cross the finish line first. A challenge flag from Bandits questioning squat depth was dismissed after review, giving Venom the early advantage.

Venom continued their momentum in Race 2’s Mirror event, where teams maintained barbells off the ground throughout 10 shoulder-to-overhead reps in each quadrant. Two-time Olympic weightlifter West Kits provided a crucial advantage for Venom, helping them secure another win despite a challenge flag from the Bandits.

The Ringer Point specialty race featured a clean and jerk showdown between Venom’s Olympic weightlifter West Kits and Bandits’ John Young. Kits demonstrated his international experience, powering through three reps at 300 pounds with impressive efficiency to give Venom a commanding 3-0 lead in races.

The Echo race, performed twice with a 45-second break between attempts, showcased the teams’ endurance and technical proficiency. Venom controlled the first round, maintaining a consistent lead through the barbell movements, muscle-ups, and burpees. However, the Bandits responded in Echo 2, with Ben Collins setting a faster pace and Taylor Kippner‘s gymnastics-style kipping helping Houston secure their first win of the match.

In the Ladder race, athletes tackled increasingly heavy snatches across four quadrants. Both teams displayed impressive strength, with Tori Hite and McKenna Neb clearing their ladders for Venom, while Matthew Rattay performed well for the Bandits. The scoring tightened, but Venom maintained their advantage.

The Bandits found success in the second Ringer Point race featuring handstand walks plus clean and jerks. Matthew Rattay completed his elements efficiently against Tori Hite, with Houston wisely deploying their bonus flag before the race to maximize points.

A critical turning point came during the Jack and Jill race when Venom suffered a devastating communication error. Dakota Shackleton performed reps on the wrong bar, causing confusion that ultimately led to Venom stopping competition entirely. This gifted the Bandits an unopposed win and vital points.

The Women’s Triad saw both teams trading advantages across dumbbell presses, handstand push-ups, D-ball squats, ring muscle-ups, and axle bar deadlifts. Though the Bandits jumped ahead early, an illegal tag during ring muscle-ups cost them dearly, allowing Venom to secure the victory despite a challenge flag questioning D-ball technique.

In the Men’s Triad, CrossFit Games athlete Alec Smith‘s efficient ring muscle-ups helped Venom build a substantial lead that Houston couldn’t overcome, setting up a dramatic final race.

The Sprint Relay became the deciding battle as both teams navigated a complex sequence of movements. Despite strong early efforts from the Bandits, Venom’s Seth Hebert made up crucial time during the farmer’s carry while Raphael Gao’s technical error on the same element delayed Houston. Alex Smith’s efficient backward rolls to support and Dakota Shackleton‘s strong deficit handstand push-ups secured the victory for Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Venom defeated the Houston Bandits in a performance that marked their first match win in two years and only their second win in franchise history. Though playoffs weren’t in the cards for either team this season, the match demonstrated significant improvement from both squads who had shown competitive performances against playoff-bound opponents throughout the year.