PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Matsuda Taro (ranked 908 p4p, 92 weight class) and Chan Sung Aoki (ranked 8744 p4p, 535 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Taro
vs
Sung Aoki

164 cm
27
145 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

181 cm
34
159 lbs
10 - 14 - 0

World class boxer
Cardio machine

World class MT
Good gas tank

Sully's Bar & Grill

Freebok (85% Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Matsuda Taro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Chan Sung Aoki!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yukihiro Shimada and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taro throws a lazy right hand but Aoki sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Taro keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Aoki.
Taro swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Aoki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Taro looks to score with a jab to the body but Aoki is just out of range.
Aoki throws a big counter head kick but Taro avoids it with no problem.
Taro scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Taro lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Aoki at a distance.
Taro gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Aoki closes the distance but Taro moves to the side
and Taro connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Aoki throws a body shot but no joy.
Aoki misses with an uppercut. Taro saw that one coming.
A solid leg kick lands there for Taro.
Taro misses with a wild body shot.
Aoki has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Aoki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Aoki appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Taro moves into range and connects with a jab.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Taro tries to work over Aoki's front leg with a kick but Aoki checks it.
Taro rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Aoki counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Taro is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Aoki.
Taro lands a right hook to the body.
Aoki throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taro slips under a jab from Aoki.
A little feinted left hand from Taro on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Aoki misses with a leg kick.
Taro ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Aoki moves away.
Taro misses with a straight left.
Taro steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Aoki.
Aoki displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Taro throws out the jab.
Taro scores with a kick to the body.
Aoki fails to land with a series of punches.
A swing and a miss from Aoki.
Aoki ducks under a wild hook from Taro.
Taro swings for the body but Aoki moves out of range.
Taro throws a looping overhand right but Aoki ducks down to avoid it.
Aoki moves forwards but Taro connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Aoki looks to score with a jab to the body but Taro is just out of range.
Aoki avoids the body shot from Taro.
Aoki takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Taro is looking to wear down Aoki with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Taro dodges the punch combination from Aoki.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taro pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Both fighters circling a little - Taro finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Aoki throws a front kick aimed at Taro's knee but Taro avoids it well.
A nice leg kick lands there from Aoki.
A telegraphed right hand from Taro misses the target.
Taro keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Taro scores with a jab.
A cross from Taro lands.
Taro uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Aoki.
Taro takes a swing at Aoki's ribcage but misses.
A countering left hand to the body from Aoki misses.
Taro ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Aoki moves away.
Aoki lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Taro circles away quickly and effectively.
Taro swings for the body but Aoki moves out of range.
Aoki checks a leg kick nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Aoki throws a sloppy head kick and Taro moves out of range easily.
Taro appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Taro feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Aoki's calf.
Taro scores with a spinning back kick!
Matsuda Taro seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Taro is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Taro swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matsuda Taro dominated that 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.

Aoki connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Taro's hands.
Taro lands a high kick!
Aoki misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Aoki moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Aoki throws a series of punches but Taro avoids them all with ease.
Taro tries to land a leg kick but Aoki saw it coming and moves away.
Aoki avoids the body shot from Taro.
Aoki only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Aoki connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Aoki throws a head kick that Taro semi-blocks.
Aoki lands an overhand right.
Aoki throws a jab but it's blocked by Taro.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Taro slips under a jab.
Taro throws a shot from downtown. Aoki moves away and avoids it.
Aoki looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
A swing and a miss from Aoki.
Aoki misses with a straight right.
Aoki scores with a jab to the jaw.
Matsuda Taro is winning the standup battle so far.
Taro listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Taro will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Taro scores with the left hand. Aoki knows he should have avoided that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taro moves into range and connects with a jab.
Taro misses with a looping right.
Taro throws a hook but Aoki blocks it.
Taro misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Taro misses the body punch
and Aoki counters with a stiff right hand.
Aoki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Aoki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Taro looks to score with a jab to the body but Aoki is just out of range.
Aoki is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Taro walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Aoki checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Some bone on bone action there as Taro checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Taro throws a jab when Aoki was well out of range.
Aoki throws a fast counter high kick but Taro manages to duck under it in time.
Aoki cracks Taro with a right hand to the side of the head.
Aoki waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Taro.
Taro seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Aoki takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Aoki gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Taro misses with a hook. Aoki ducked under it nicely.
The crowd cheers as Taro lands an impressive looking overhand right. Aoki doesn't seem phased though.
Taro connects with a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aoki avoids the body shot from Taro.
Aoki looks to score with a jab to the body but Taro is just out of range.
Aoki uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Taro.
Taro blocks a low kick nicely.
Aoki throws a big shot that misses.
Taro walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Aoki misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Taro throws out a loose jab but Aoki uses good head movement to avoid it.
Taro lands an overhand right.
Taro moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Taro staying out of range there.
Taro with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Taro throws a leg kick which misses Aoki's front leg but catches the back leg as Aoki tries to avoid it.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Aoki uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Taro.
Aoki has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Taro.
Taro ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Taro misses the jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matsuda Taro dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Aoki's jab looks to have found its range, popping Taro under the eye.
Chan Sung Aoki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Aoki takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Nice cross by Taro.
Aoki rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
letting Taro counter with a right hand.
Taro scores with a nice right hand.
Taro feints and then cracks Aoki's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Aoki down.
Taro is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Aoki can do to turn this around?
Taro works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Aoki gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Taro.
Aoki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Taro looks to land a combination but Aoki avoids it well.
Aoki now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Aoki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Aoki lands a jab to the head.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Aoki, as that shot connected.
Aoki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Aoki walks into a jab.
Taro throws a lazy right hand but Aoki sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Aoki walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Taro checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Taro misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aoki throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Taro on the side of the head.
Taro throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Taro connects with a single shot there.
Aoki rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Taro moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Aoki lands with a left to the head.
Aoki is looking to break free of the clinch but Taro has double underhooks.

Aoki breaks the clinch.
Aoki looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Matsuda Taro is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A big left from Taro misses.
Aoki now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Aoki tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Taro was well out of range. Poor timing from Aoki.
Aoki moves out of range as Taro strikes.
Taro misses with a straight right.
Aoki ducks under a wild hook from Taro.
Taro loads up on a big right hand but Aoki slips the punch.
Aoki swinging wildly here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Good leg kick by Taro there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Aoki lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Taro moves away from the strike by Aoki.
Aoki throws a jab when Taro was well out of range.
Taro fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Aoki.
Aoki pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Taro lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
A jab from Taro finds it's way through Aoki's defenses.
Aoki drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Taro stuns Aoki with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Taro with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Aoki lands with a nice body punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Taro defending well as Aoki loads up on a big left hand.
Taro slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Taro cracks Aoki with a good jab.
Taro lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Aoki backs up against the ropes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matsuda Taro showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Taro, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matsuda Taro!
Matsuda Taro bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.