PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Taiga Kawabe (ranked 6200 p4p, 25083 weight class) and Hideki Suzuki (ranked 261 p4p, 286 weight class). Hideki Suzuki has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kawabe
vs
Suzuki

165 cm
20
135
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
21
135
3 - 3 - 0

Decent elbows
Prefers standup

Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Taiga Kawabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hideki Suzuki!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Kenichi Hosakawa and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kawabe digs a good hook to Suzuki's body.

Suzuki drives through and clinches with Kawabe against the ropes.
Suzuki throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Kawabe tries a body shot but Suzuki blocks it.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kawabe gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A shot in the inside from Suzuki.
Kawabe tries to circle away but Suzuki has him pinned against the ropes.

Suzuki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kawabe misses with a body shot.
Suzuki misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Suzuki misses with a looping right.
Kawabe moves in looking to clinch but Suzuki pushes him off.
Kawabe thuds a left hand into Suzuki's body.

Kawabe closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Suzuki breaks from the clinch.
Suzuki's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Suzuki duly obliges.

Kawabe forces Suzuki back against the ropes and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kawabe misses with the combination.
Kawabe throws a head kick that misses.
Suzuki lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Kawabe throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Suzuki.

Suzuki moves into the clinch successfully.
Suzuki lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Suzuki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kawabe tries to clinch up but Suzuki circles away and keeps his distance.
Kawabe closes the distance but Suzuki moves to the side
and Suzuki counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Suzuki clinches up with Kawabe and pushes him back against the ropes.
A shot in the inside from Suzuki.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kawabe trying to stall but Suzuki improves his position.
Kawabe misses with some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kawabe is trying to force a seperation but Suzuki has the dominant position.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Suzuki gets a clinch.

Kawabe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Suzuki lands a jab to the head.
Suzuki tries to bum rush Kawabe with a series of wild strikes but Kawabe uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Suzuki moves into the clinch.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kawabe clinches up with Suzuki and pushes him back against the ropes.
Suzuki lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
A short right from Suzuki on the inside.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Suzuki slowing the pace effectively.
Kawabe is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Suzuki lands a right hand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hideki Suzuki dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Suzuki clinches with his opponent.

Suzuki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Suzuki moves into the clinch.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Suzuki has managed to clinch.
Suzuki lands with a left to the head.
We've been informed that Suzuki has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Suzuki is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Suzuki moves into range and clinches up with Kawabe.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Suzuki moves into range and clinches up with Kawabe.
Suzuki dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.

Suzuki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Suzuki takes a head kick and keeps coming.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Suzuki darts in and clinches Kawabe up against the ropes.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kawabe tries to land a knee to the head but Suzuki blocks with his arms.
Kawabe is trying to break the clinch but Suzuki is controlling him.

Suzuki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Suzuki has managed to clinch.

Suzuki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kawabe tries to clinch there but Suzuki circles away.
Kawabe doesn't manage to clinch there - Suzuki circles away.

Suzuki moves into the clinch.
Suzuki lands a nice uppercut.
Kawabe working hard to break the clinch.

Suzuki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kawabe tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Suzuki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kawabe tries to clinch but Suzuki moves out of range.
Kawabe throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kawabe looking to slow down the pace here.

Suzuki breaks from the clinch.

Suzuki clinches up with Kawabe and pushes him back against the ropes.

Suzuki breaks the clinch.
Kawabe misses with the combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A nice leg kick lands there from Suzuki.
Kawabe turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Kawabe pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Suzuki throws a nice looking combination but Kawabe bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Kawabe gets tackled into the ropes by Suzuki. Suzuki maintains the clinch.

Suzuki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hideki Suzuki showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Kawabe connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Kawabe misses with a double jab.
Kawabe is looking to clinch.
Kawabe cracks a nice hook into Suzuki's ribs.
Suzuki has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Suzuki has closed the distance and engaged Kawabe in a clinch.
Suzuki blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kawabe looks to land a combination but Suzuki avoids it well.
Suzuki fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kawabe lands a body shot.
Suzuki tries to bum rush Kawabe with a series of wild strikes but Kawabe uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kawabe lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Suzuki has taken the fight to the clinch.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Suzuki rushes Kawabe and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Suzuki lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Suzuki breaks the clinch.
Kawabe is looking to wear down Suzuki with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

Suzuki has taken the fight to the clinch.

Suzuki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kawabe lands the left hand.
Kawabe throws a right and a left that Suzuki avoids nicely.
Kawabe throws a sloppy head kick and Suzuki moves out of range easily.
Kawabe will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kawabe takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Suzuki moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

Suzuki closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.

Suzuki breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kawabe tries to bum rush Suzuki with a series of wild strikes but Suzuki uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kawabe ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kawabe throws a head kick that misses.
Taiga Kawabe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kawabe tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Suzuki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Suzuki lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

Suzuki gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Suzuki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Kawabe crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Suzuki - the referee stops the clock and Kawabe gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Suzuki. Kawabe manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Suzuki avoids the head kick by Kawabe.
Hideki Suzuki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kawabe dodges the punch combination from Suzuki.
Kawabe seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Kawabe fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kawabe fails in his attempt to clinch.

Suzuki gets a clinch.
Taiga Kawabe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hideki Suzuki is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Kawabe tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Suzuki avoids it.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Suzuki blocks an elbow strike from Kawabe.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hideki Suzuki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Suzuki has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hideki Suzuki!
Hideki Suzuki was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.