PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight kickboxing rules bout between Hennig Muller (ranked 2218 p4p, 275 weight class) and Shun Watanabe (ranked 16033 p4p, 568 weight class). Hennig Muller had a look across the ring there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Muller
vs
Watanabe

178 cm
25
184 lbs
8 - 14 - 0

174 cm
35
172 lbs
14 - 11 - 0

Solid boxing
Granite chin

Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hennig Muller !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Shun Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Yves DeLean and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Watanabe misses with a straight right.
Muller throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Watanabe keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Muller jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Watanabe does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Watanabe is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Watanabe slips a jab from Muller .
Muller takes a swing at Watanabe's ribcage but misses.
Watanabe moves out of range of the strikes.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Watanabe just misses with a punch to the body.
Muller misses the shot to the body.
Muller moves away from the strike by Watanabe.
Muller displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Watanabe throws out the jab.

Muller has closed the distance and engaged Watanabe in a clinch.
Muller lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Watanabe backwards.
Muller misses with some punches.
Muller lands a body shot.
Watanabe blocking some punches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Muller tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Watanabe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Watanabe throws a jab when Muller was well out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muller ducks right into an uppercut from Watanabe.
A looping hook to the body misses from Muller . Watanabe does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watanabe pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Muller misses with a hook.
Muller moves in looking to clinch but Watanabe pushes him off.
Muller throws a big shot that misses.
Watanabe takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Muller connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Watanabe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Watanabe ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Muller moves away.
Muller defending well as Watanabe loads up on a big left hand.
Muller takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Watanabe throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Watanabe throws an overhand right that lands on Muller 's shoulder, as Muller tries to avoid the shot.
Muller slips under a jab from Watanabe.
Muller wants to clinch.
Muller throws a hook but Watanabe blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muller fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nice defenses there by Muller .
Watanabe uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Muller takes a swing at Watanabe's ribcage but misses.
A big left from Watanabe misses.
As Watanabe tries to get set, Muller tries to push him back and clinch up but Watanabe manages to avoid the attempt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Watanabe. Muller does a little dance to reset his feet.
Muller throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Watanabe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Muller scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Watanabe doesn't seem bothered though.
Muller tries to clinch up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Muller looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Muller throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Muller moves into the clinch.
Muller avoids the elbow strike from Watanabe, against the ropes.

Watanabe breaks from the clinch.
Watanabe swings for the body but Muller moves out of range.
Muller works the jab nicely.
Muller scores with a nice head shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Muller is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Watanabe.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Hennig Muller will probably get the nod.
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.

Muller misses with a shot to the body
and Watanabe cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Muller clinches.
Nice body punch from Muller - that landed with a thud.
Muller tries to work over Watanabe's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Watanabe escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Watanabe fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Muller manages to avoid it.
Watanabe shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Muller swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A slow jab from Muller misses its intended target.
Muller darts in trying to clinch
and Watanabe counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Watanabe has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Watanabe there as he acknowledges the shot.
Muller keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Muller tries to clinch but Watanabe is having none of it.
Watanabe misses with a hook.
Watanabe throws a right and a left that Muller avoids nicely.
Watanabe misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Muller .
Watanabe dips to his left and cracks Muller with an uppercut!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Muller looks to score with a jab to the body but Watanabe is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe lands with a thumping leg kick.
Watanabe keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A little jabbing left from Watanabe on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Watanabe digs a good body shot into Muller 's ribs.
Muller connects with a body shot.
Muller doesn't manage to clinch there - Watanabe circles away.

Watanabe tries to keep at a distance but Muller has taken the fight into the clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Muller .

Watanabe pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Muller tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Watanabe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Watanabe avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Watanabe fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Muller closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Watanabe blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Watanabe manages to break the clinch.

Muller closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
I was talking to Muller 's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Muller tries to work over Watanabe's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Watanabe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Watanabe blocks a punch to the side of the head.

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!
Watanabe is trying to break free.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Muller .

Watanabe escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Muller ducks under a wild hook from Watanabe.
Muller blocks a jab.
Muller just misses with a punch to the body.

Muller moves into the clinch.
Watanabe wants to get back to striking at distance but Muller won't allow it.
Muller lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Muller lands with a light punch inside.
Muller fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Muller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Muller throws a head punch that misses.
Muller has a couple of punches blocked by Watanabe.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Watanabe.

It looks like Hennig Muller has been cut.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Muller has him pressed against the ropes.
Muller swings wildly with an uppercut but Watanabe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Muller struggles to land a body shot inside as Watanabe controls his hands.

Watanabe escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
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 Hennig Muller will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Hennig Muller 's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Muller misses with a body shot.
Watanabe pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Sloppy strikes from Watanabe. Those never looked like landing.
Watanabe connects with a good right hand that stumbles Muller . Muller circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Watanabe misses with a wild body shot.
Shun Watanabe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Muller moves out of range of the strikes.
Muller tries to counter by clinching up but Watanabe breaks away and moves out of range.
A slow jab from Muller misses its intended target.
Muller staying out of range there.

Watanabe tries to keep at a distance but Muller has taken the fight into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Muller fails to land.

Watanabe breaks the clinch.
A left lands for Muller .
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Muller avoids a punch combination nicely.
Watanabe avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Watanabe looks to land a combination. Muller sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Muller is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Watanabe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muller takes a swing at Watanabe's ribcage but misses.
Muller is looking to clinch.
Watanabe swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Watanabe circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watanabe connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Muller momentarily.
Muller fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Muller fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Watanabe looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Muller lands an overhand right.
Muller connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Hennig Muller is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Watanabe tries to keep at a distance but Muller has taken the fight into the clinch.
Watanabe has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Watanabe wants to get back to striking at distance but Muller won't allow it.
Watanabe is looking to break free of the clinch but Muller has double underhooks.
Watanabe wants to break free but Muller has control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Watanabe manages to break the clinch.
A jab from Muller does it's job there.
Watanabe avoids the body shot from Muller .
Watanabe looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Watanabe throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Muller holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Watanabe wants to break free but Muller has control.

Watanabe breaks the clinch.
Muller scores with the left hand. Watanabe knows he should have avoided that one.
Muller misses the shot to the body.
Watanabe on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Muller throws out a loose jab but Watanabe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Muller looks to score with a jab to the body but Watanabe is just out of range.
Shun Watanabe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Muller looks to score with a jab to the body but Watanabe is just out of range.
Muller scores with a jab to the body.
Watanabe swats away the attempt to clinch by Muller .

And that's the end of the fight!
Hennig Muller showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Muller , 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 William Peck scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hennig Muller !