PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Short Stack (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lionel Giroux (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Stack
vs
Giroux

150 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Excellent MT
Big right hand

Excellent MT
Determined

Helsinki Xtreme Fightwear

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Short Stack!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Lionel Giroux!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Alan Glass and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stack ducks under a wild hook from Giroux.
Stack sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Giroux scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Giroux uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Stack.
Stack stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Giroux.
Stack moves into range and connects with a jab.
Stack throws a left and a right that both miss
and Giroux counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Stack has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Giroux.
Stack connects with a good right hand that stumbles Giroux. Giroux circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Sloppy strikes from Stack. Those never looked like landing.
Giroux appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Sloppy strikes from Stack. Those never looked like landing.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The fighters circle momentarily. Stack darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Stack misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giroux connects with a leg kick. Stack looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Giroux takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Giroux dodges the punch combination from Stack.
Giroux avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Stack swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Stack throws a shot from downtown. Giroux moves away and avoids it.
Giroux gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Good shot there by Stack.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giroux walks into a left hand.
Stack throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Lionel Giroux is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Stack moves forwards but Giroux connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Stack fails to land with a series of punches.
Giroux swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Stack throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Stack tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Giroux was well out of range. Poor timing from Stack.
Stack misses with a right hand
and Giroux counters with a leg kick.
Stack scores with a one two! Giroux had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

Giroux is rocked!
Stack throws a hook but Giroux avoids it easily.
Giroux is still on wobbly legs! Can Stack finish him?
Giroux moves out of range of the strikes.
Giroux throws out a counter right but Stack avoids it with no problem.
Giroux seems to have recovered his senses.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stack tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Giroux misses with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Short Stack dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Stack swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Stack looks to land a combination but Giroux avoids it well.
Stack is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
A leg kick checked by Stack.
Giroux goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Giroux slips under a jab from Stack.
Giroux throws the left hand but Stack avoids the punch easily.
Stack misses with a jab, cross combination.
Giroux looks to land a body kick but Stack moved away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giroux throws a wild body kick that Stack sees coming a mile off.
Stack throws a right and a left that both miss.
Giroux follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Short Stack is winning the standup battle so far.
Stack throws a right hand that Giroux ducks under and follows up with a left that Giroux also avoids with ease.
Giroux tries to land a front kick but Stack steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stack lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Stack swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Giroux counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Giroux goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Giroux defending well as Stack loads up on a big left hand.
Giroux connects with a leg kick. Stack looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Giroux slips under a jab.
Short Stack is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Stack scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Giroux doesn't seem bothered though.
A punch combination from Stack misses.
Stack is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Giroux can do to turn this around?
Stack throws a lazy right hand but Giroux sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Stack could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Sloppy strikes from Stack. Those never looked like landing.
Giroux bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giroux walks into a stiff left hand from Stack.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Stack throws a series of punches but Giroux moves out of range.
Giroux on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Stack throws a left and a right that both miss
and Giroux counters with a slapping leg kick.
Stack lands a jab to the head.
Giroux throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Giroux bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Stack moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Stack scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Stack scores with a sloppy right hand. Giroux should have avoided that one.
Stack fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Stack is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Giroux looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Stack is looking to counter the offense by Giroux and move into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Short Stack dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Stack pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A jab from Stack finds it's way through Giroux's defenses.
Stack dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Stack throws a combination that misses
and Giroux counters with a solid body kick.
Stack falls off balance throwing a combination
and Giroux counters with a low kick, right behind Stack 's knee.
No joy there for Stack, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Stack misses with a few strikes there.
It seemed like Giroux was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giroux scores with a leg kick.
Giroux turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Giroux scores with a kick to the body.
Giroux with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stack looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Stack takes a jab right on the kisser.
Giroux tried to score with a low kick but Stack checks it.
Giroux misses with a looping left.
Stack is looking for a counter combo.
Stack moves out of range of the body kick from Giroux.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Stack!
Lionel Giroux has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stack sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Giroux pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Stack closes the distance and scores with a big combo that sends Giroux crashing to the mat! Giroux uses the ropes to get back to his feet and beat the count. The referee looks concerned but he's going to allow it to continue!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Stack tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Giroux was well out of range. Poor timing from Stack.
Giroux avoids a punch combination nicely.
Short Stack is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giroux staying out of range there.
Giroux is looking for the big counter here.
Stack throws a shot from downtown. Giroux moves away and avoids it.
Stack ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Giroux moves away.
Stack misses with a two punch combination.
Giroux swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Giroux connects with an inside leg kick.
Stack scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Stack keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Stack fails to land with a series of punches.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stack is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Stack throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Giroux sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Giroux steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Sloppy strikes from Stack. Those never looked like landing.
Giroux feints a counter leg kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Short Stack showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Stack has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:26
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:26
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Short Stack!
After the fight, Short Stack was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.