PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Joe Steward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takai Kurosawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Steward
vs
Kurosawa

170 cm
18
135 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

178 cm
18
143 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Excellent MT
Very strong

Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 Montreal, Joe Steward!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Takai Kurosawa!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Dillan Fox and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sloppy strikes from Steward. Those never looked like landing.
Kurosawa throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Steward falls off balance throwing a combination
and Kurosawa counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kurosawa throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Steward misses the shot to the body.
Steward lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Steward misses with a double jab.
Steward fails to land with a series of punches.
Kurosawa misses with a few strikes there.
Steward moves in looking to clinch but Kurosawa pushes him off.
Steward misses with a hook to the body
enabling Kurosawa to counter with a crisp jab.
Kurosawa keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kurosawa slips a jab and a cross from Steward.
Steward closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kurosawa counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steward throws out a loose jab but Kurosawa uses good head movement to avoid it.
Steward misses with a hook to the body
and Kurosawa counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kurosawa throws a leg kick but Steward sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Steward throws an overhand right that lands on Kurosawa's shoulder, as Kurosawa tries to avoid the shot.
Kurosawa keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Steward moves in looking to clinch but Kurosawa pushes him off.
Steward throws a combination that misses
and Kurosawa connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Kurosawa tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Steward was well out of range. Poor timing from Kurosawa.
Steward misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Kurosawa counters with a left to the body.
A shot to the liver by Steward. Beautiful body shot.
Kurosawa thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Steward.
Kurosawa has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Steward misses with the combination.
Kurosawa bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Steward's head.
Joe Steward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kurosawa keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
An inside leg kick from Kurosawa misses.
Steward goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steward tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Kurosawa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Steward misses with a jab, cross combination.
Steward tries to bum rush Kurosawa with a series of wild strikes but Kurosawa uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Steward tries to close the distance and clinch but Kurosawa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Steward misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa wants to slow Steward down by chopping away at his legs.
Steward throws a one two combo.
A looping hook to the body misses from Steward. Kurosawa does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kurosawa lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Steward circles away quickly and effectively.

Steward has Kurosawa up against the ropes in a clinch.
A short left from Steward.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Steward.
Kurosawa is trying to push Steward away but Steward has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
A nice right hand lands inside from Steward.
Steward lands with a left to the head.
Steward doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steward tries to throw a body punch but Kurosawa avoids it by throwing Steward back against the ropes.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Steward.
Kurosawa's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Nice body punch from Steward - that landed with a thud.
Steward lands a right hand.
Steward avoiding damage.
Steward pushes Kurosawa back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Steward doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Steward working aggressively here.
Steward misses with a body punch.
Kurosawa blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Steward throws a punch but it's blocked by Kurosawa.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sloppy strikes from Steward. Those never looked like landing.
Kurosawa throws a right and a left that both miss.
Steward looks to clinch
enabling Kurosawa to counter with a crisp jab.
Steward is looking to wear down Kurosawa with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Kurosawa slips a jab and a cross from Steward.
Steward feints a jab promting Kurosawa to slip. Steward then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Kurosawa slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Steward throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kurosawa.
Kurosawa throws an overhand right that lands on Steward's shoulder, as Steward tries to avoid the shot.
Steward wants to clinch.
Steward on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Steward wants to clinch up but Kurosawa keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steward is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Steward throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Steward checks the leg kick.
Kurosawa looks to land a right hand but Steward moved out of range.
Kurosawa misses the shot to the body.
A decent looking cross lands there for Steward.
Sloppy strikes from Steward. Those never looked like landing.
Steward connects with a body shot.
Steward moves away from the strike by Kurosawa.
Steward throws a combination that misses
and Kurosawa counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Kurosawa lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Steward has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Steward and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Steward fails in his attempt to clinch.
Steward is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Kurosawa there as he acknowledges the shot.
Steward misses with a body shot.
Steward avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Steward works the jab nicely.
Steward moves in looking to clinch but Kurosawa pushes him off.
Steward takes a swing at Kurosawa's ribcage but misses.
Kurosawa lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Steward circles away quickly and effectively.
Kurosawa misses with a hook. Steward ducked under it nicely.
Kurosawa lets loose with a powerful body kick. Steward will feel that in the morning.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steward looks to score with a jab to the body but Kurosawa is just out of range.
Steward tries to close the distance and clinch but Kurosawa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steward looks to score with a jab to the body but Kurosawa is just out of range.
Steward throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kurosawa keeps the fight on the outside.
Steward throws a nice looking combination but Kurosawa bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Joe Steward is winning the standup battle so far.
Steward misses with a combination
and Kurosawa counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kurosawa takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Steward fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kurosawa manages to avoid it.
Steward throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kurosawa throws a body punch but Steward moves out of range.
Some wild striking there from Steward.
Kurosawa throws a hook to the side of Steward's head but Steward sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Danga de danga de dang - Kurosawa scores with a four punch combination!
Steward misses with a wild combination.
Steward throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Kurosawa scores with a nice strike.
Steward is looking to clinch.
Joe Steward is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Steward misses with a double jab.
Kurosawa fails to land with a series of punches.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Steward misses with a double jab.
Steward swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Kurosawa counters with a head kick.

Steward is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kurosawa throws a right and a left that both miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Joe Steward will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Kurosawa on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Steward scores with a nice strike.
Steward thows a left - swing and a miss!
Steward misses with a double jab.
Kurosawa lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Kurosawa showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Steward.
Kurosawa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Steward.
Steward misses with a two punch combination.
Kurosawa dodges the punch combination from Steward.
Kurosawa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kurosawa misses with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurosawa throws a leg kick but Steward moved away.
Kurosawa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Steward fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Steward digs a good hook to Kurosawa's body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Steward looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kurosawa shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Kurosawa has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Steward blocks a head kick by Kurosawa.
Kurosawa throws a low kick, looking for Steward's leg but Steward calmly moves out of range.
Kurosawa pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa avoids a punch combination nicely.
Steward's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Steward duly obliges.
Steward ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kurosawa moves away.
Kurosawa scores with a jab to the body.
Steward looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Steward connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Kurosawa misses with a jab, cross combination.
Steward misses with a wild body shot.
Steward swings for the body but Kurosawa moves out of range.
Steward falls off balance throwing a combination
and Kurosawa counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa looks to land a left hand but Steward moved out of range nicely.
Kurosawa throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Kurosawa misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kurosawa takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Steward tries to close the distance and clinch but Kurosawa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kurosawa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kurosawa throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Steward counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Steward works over Kurosawa's head and body with a nice combination.
Good shot there by Steward.
Steward misses with the combination.
Steward throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Takai Kurosawa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Steward, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kurosawa swinging wildly here.
Kurosawa dodges the punch combination from Steward.
Steward jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kurosawa connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Steward tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kurosawa was well out of range. Poor timing from Steward.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Steward throws a series of punches but Kurosawa avoids them all with ease.
Steward throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Kurosawa counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Oh Steward is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Steward tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kurosawa was well out of range. Poor timing from Steward.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Steward showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Steward 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Peck scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Steward!
Joe Steward seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.