PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Retsu Kaioh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Giovanni Niccoli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Kaioh
vs
Niccoli

192 cm
36
265 lbs
21 - 12 - 0

194 cm
25
245 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Retsu Kaioh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Giovanni Niccoli!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Ren Mimura and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kaioh slips under a jab.
Kaioh moves in looking to clinch but Niccoli pushes him off.
Kaioh tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kaioh throws a quick inside leg kick.
A slapping leg kick lands for Niccoli.
Kaioh throws a chopping leg kick but Niccoli manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Niccoli swings widly with a right hand
and Kaioh counters with a head kick. That will keep Niccoli thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Niccoli bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Kaioh closes the distance and clinches.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.
Still in the clinch, Niccoli scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kaioh holding his opponent close, against the ropes.
Kaioh lands a right hand that snaps the head of Niccoli backwards.

It looks like Giovanni Niccoli has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niccoli taking a breather.
A short uppercut from Kaioh.
Niccoli lands with a short shot to the head.
Niccoli misses with a hook from the clinch.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Kaioh throws an elbow but misses.
Niccoli tries to throw a body punch but Kaioh avoids it by throwing Niccoli back against the ropes.
Niccoli misses with a punch on the inside.
Niccoli has a couple of punches blocked by Kaioh.
Come on Kaioh - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Kaioh with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Kaioh misses with the head strike.
Niccoli blocks an elbow strike.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kaioh.
Kaioh looking to throw knees to the head but Niccoli is blocking nicely.
Kaioh dodges an elbow strike from Niccoli.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stalling in the clinch from Kaioh.
Niccoli pushes Kaioh back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kaioh misses with an elbow over the top.
Niccoli takes a shot to the head.
Kaioh is looking to control Niccoli's arms but Niccoli gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kaioh has his back to the ropes.
Niccoli is looking to control Kaioh's arms but Kaioh gets an underhook and turns him. Now Niccoli has his back to the ropes.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kaioh.
Still in the clinch, Kaioh scores with a nice short uppercut.
Niccoli doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kaioh looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Kaioh tries to land knees in the clinch but Niccoli avoids the damage to the body.
Niccoli avoids a wild elbow strike from Kaioh.
Kaioh lands an elbow just above Niccoli 's eye.
Niccoli connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kaioh's face.

It looks like Retsu Kaioh has been cut.
Kaioh with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Niccoli blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Niccoli scores with a shot to the side of Kaioh's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaioh blocking some punches.
Niccoli lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kaioh backwards.
Kaioh throws a head punch that misses.
Kaioh tries to land knees in the clinch but Niccoli avoids the damage to the body.
Niccoli working aggressively here.
Kaioh throws an elbow that misses.
Niccoli lands with a right to the head.
Kaioh looking to throw knees to the head but Niccoli is blocking nicely.
Niccoli scores with a shot to the side of Kaioh's head.
Niccoli is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Kaioh is keeping busy.
Niccoli lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Niccoli breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Niccoli lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kaioh slips a jab from Niccoli.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheers as Niccoli lands an impressive looking overhand right. Kaioh doesn't seem phased though.
Niccoli takes one to the side of the head.
Kaioh moves away from the strike by Niccoli.
Kaioh checks a leg kick.
Niccoli wants to slow Kaioh down by chopping away at his legs.
A jab from Niccoli misses.
Kaioh tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kaioh on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Niccoli tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Kaioh is able to avoid easily.
Kaioh throws a head kick that misses
and Niccoli counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Niccoli thumps Kaioh with a low kick.
Niccoli misses with an attempted mid kick.
Kaioh lands with a nice body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Giovanni Niccoli dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

A low kick from Niccoli is predictable there
and Kaioh counters with a body kick.
Niccoli wants to land a leg kick but Kaioh is out of range.
Kaioh has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Niccoli finds it's way round the side to connect with Kaioh's head.
Niccoli thows a leg kick but Kaioh checks it
and Kaioh counters with a head kick.
Niccoli misses with a body kick.
Kaioh throws a half hearted mid kick.
Niccoli takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Niccoli lands with a straight right. Kaioh didn't see that one coming.
Kaioh checks a leg kick.
Niccoli swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Niccoli misses with a hook.
Niccoli drops his hands momentarily and Kaioh takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaioh walks forward, straight into a front kick from Niccoli.
Niccoli tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Niccoli lands with a thumping leg kick.
A thudding body kick lands there by Niccoli!
Niccoli throws a poor cross that misses
and Kaioh counters with a low kick, right behind Niccoli 's knee.
Giovanni Niccoli seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Niccoli blocks the body kick.
Giovanni Niccoli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kaioh uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Niccoli.
Kaioh tries to land a front kick but Niccoli steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Kaioh avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kaioh throws a sloppy head kick
and Niccoli cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Niccoli throws a nice inside leg kick.
Niccoli throws a leg kick
and Kaioh counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Niccoli thinking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niccoli lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Kaioh at a distance.
Kaioh takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kaioh tries a head kick but it misses.
Kaioh takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Niccoli lands a really nice looking cross but Kaioh seems unphased.

Kaioh is rocked!
Niccoli misses with a straight right.
Kaioh throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Kaioh checks a leg kick.
Niccoli throws a quick inside leg kick.
Kaioh slips a jab from Niccoli.
Niccoli throws a leg kick that is checked
and Kaioh counters with a nice uppercut.
Niccoli fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Kaioh looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niccoli feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kaioh's calf.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Niccoli, right into the meat.
Good leg kick by Niccoli there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Niccoli.
Niccoli moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Niccoli tries to work over Kaioh's front leg with a kick but Kaioh checks it.
Niccoli tries to clinch up.
Niccoli dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Kaioh. That did some damage!
Good leg kick by Niccoli there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Kaioh avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kaioh throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Niccoli counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kaioh blocks a leg kick.
Niccoli lands a head kick!
Niccoli ducks down and throws a big overhand right - it lands flush on the jaw, knocking Kaioh out cold! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:17 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Giovanni Niccoli!
An out of breath Giovanni Niccoli thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.