PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Harry Entei (ranked 2168 p4p, 235 weight class) and Makunouchi Ippo (ranked 12826 p4p, 501 weight class). Ippo comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Indestructible kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! 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?

Entei
vs
Ippo

177 cm
28
155 lbs
24 - 18 - 3

173 cm
43
153 lbs
38 - 16 - 0

World class boxer
Granite chin

World class MT
Heavy handed

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 24 - 18 - 3, fighting out of Los Angeles, Harry Entei!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 38 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Makunouchi Ippo!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Emerson Jorge and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Entei swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ippo is looking to clinch.
Ippo connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Entei looks to land a body kick but Ippo moved away.
Entei thuds a left hand into Ippo's body.
Ippo tries to clinch up.

Ippo moves into the clinch successfully.
Entei misses with some punches.
Entei tries a body shot but Ippo blocks it.
A short right from Ippo.
Ippo looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
A hook to the body from Entei.
Ippo swings wildly with an uppercut but Entei uses good head movement to avoid it.
Entei blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Entei presses Ippo against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Ippo tries a knee to the head but Entei blocks it.

Entei manages to break the clinch.
A nice inside leg kick there by Entei. That's going to slow Ippo down.

Entei tries to keep at a distance but Ippo has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ippo with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Entei creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Entei throws a head punch that misses.

Entei breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ippo lands a jab to the head.
Ippo lands a really nice looking cross but Entei seems unphased.
Ippo throws a series of punches but Entei avoids them all with ease.
Entei lands a nice shot that snaps Ippo's head back.
Ippo pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Entei throws a half hearted mid kick.
Ippo looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Entei is looking to slow Ippo down with leg kicks.
Entei takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ippo walks into a jab.
Ippo takes one to the side of the head.
Entei scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Ippo takes a head kick and keeps coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ippo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Entei.
Ippo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Entei paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Entei loads up on a big right hand but Ippo slips the punch.
Ippo ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Ippo lands a nice shot to the body.
Ippo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Entei.
Ippo misses with a few strikes there.
Entei was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Entei dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Entei moves out of range of the strikes.
Nice jab there from Ippo.
Ippo misses the body punch
and Entei counters with a nice uppercut.
Ippo lands a jab.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ippo tries to land a front kick but Entei steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
It looked like Entei wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Ippo doesn't manage to clinch there - Entei circles away.
Entei turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Entei scores with a jab to the body.
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 Harry Entei will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Ippo throws a looping overhand right but Entei ducks down to avoid it.
Ippo throws a looping overhand right but Entei ducks down to avoid it.
Entei appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Ippo throws a hook but Entei blocks it.
Entei throwing a counter right hand but Ippo manages to avoid it.
Entei tries to close the distance and clinch but Ippo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Entei walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Ippo crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Entei - the referee stops the clock and Ippo gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Entei. Ippo manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Entei pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Ippo! But no joy.
Entei looks to land a combination but Ippo avoids it well.
It seemed like Ippo was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ippo throws the left hand but Entei avoids the punch easily.
Entei appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Ippo with a hook.
Entei slips a straight right by Ippo.
Ippo connects with a looping right hand.
Entei stuns Ippo with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Ippo takes one to the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ippo wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Entei connects with a single shot there.
Entei connects with a body shot.
Ippo might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

Ippo moves into the clinch successfully.
Entei misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ippo misses with some punches.
Entei goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Entei throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ippos head.
Entei scores with a nice hook to the head.
Entei blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Entei breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ippo throws a half hearted mid kick.
Entei misses with a straight left.
Ippo shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Entei eats them both and turns towards Ippo to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

It looks like Harry Entei has been cut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Entei throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Ippo jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Entei tries a head kick but it misses.
Ippo throws a body kick that misses.
Entei swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Ippo lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Entei lands a head kick!
Entei keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ippo.
Entei lands with an uppercut that bounces Ippo off the ropes and back into range.
Ippo throws a looping overhand right but Entei ducks down to avoid it.
Ippo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ippo on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Ippo misses with a two punch combination.
Ippo looks to clinch
and Entei counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Entei throws a sloppy head kick and Ippo moves out of range easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ippo takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Ippo doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Ippo swings for the body but Entei moves out of range.
Entei fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ippo manages to avoid it.
Ippo throws a poor cross that misses
and Entei counters with a good, hard body kick but Ippo shrugs it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harry Entei dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Harry Entei's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Entei scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Makunouchi Ippo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Entei misses the shot to the body.
A swing and a miss from Ippo.
Ippo walks into a jab.
Ippo throws a low kick but it's checked well by Entei.
Ippo fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Entei checks it well.
Entei ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Harry Entei is winning the standup battle so far.
Ippo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ippo throws a looping overhand right but Entei ducks down to avoid it.
A big right from Ippo misses.
Entei swinging wildly here.
Ippo tries to counter with a clinch but Entei shakes him off and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ippo moves out of range as Entei strikes.
Entei moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Entei scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Entei takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Ippo misses with a straight right.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Entei misses with a wild body shot.
Ippo tries to land a leg kick but Entei saw it coming and moves away.
Entei scores with a spinning back kick!
Ippo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ippo connects with the punch.
A head kick misses from Entei.
A head kick misses from Entei.
Entei tries a head kick but it misses.
Ippo with a body punch. A glancing blow.
A big left from Entei misses.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Ippo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Entei swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Entei just misses with a punch to the body.
Entei throws a nice outside leg kick.
Ippo scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Ippo, right into the meat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ippo throws a hook but Entei blocks it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A nice combination there by Entei.
Ippo misses with a straight left.
Entei appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Entei lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Entei swings for the body but Ippo moves out of range.
Ippo throws out a loose jab but Entei uses good head movement to avoid it.
Entei avoids the body shot from Ippo.
A decent looking cross lands there for Ippo.
Harry Entei is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Entei goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Entei steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ippo.
Entei lands a head kick!
Ippo throws a looping overhand right but Entei ducks down to avoid it.
Entei lands a right hook to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A solid leg kick lands there for Ippo.
A nice inside leg kick there by Entei. That's going to slow Ippo down.
Entei connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Harry Entei showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Entei, 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Harry Entei!
Harry Entei tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.
Makunouchi Ippo spoke after the fight, saying 'you Win or you Learn and its time for me to retire '.