PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Takashi Yoshida (ranked 1132 p4p, 2269 weight class) and Lester Neich (ranked 120 p4p, 230 weight class). Yoshida kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Boogeyman by Mot�rhead. Neich is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: YKWIM? - Yot club. Takashi Yoshida has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Yoshida
vs
Neich

165 cm
41
130
42 - 16 - 2

168 cm
28
153
22 - 12 - 0

Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Threads
Brooklyn Apothecary

Fantasy Threads

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 42 - 16 - 2, fighting out of New York, Takashi Yoshida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Lester Neich!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Hirohito Nitta and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Neich scores with a crisp jab that stopped Yoshida in his tracks.
Yoshida is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yoshida throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Neich.
Neich connects with a crisp jab.
Neich scores with a nice strike.
Neich lands with a good body shot.
Yoshida bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Yoshida is looking for a counter combo.
The fighters circling - Neich throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Neich throws a looping overhand right but Yoshida ducks down to avoid it.
Yoshida takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Neich pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Yoshida back to the ropes. Neich follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A nice combination there by Neich.
Yoshida takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Yoshida ducks under a wild hook from Neich.
Yoshida seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Nice straight punches there by Neich. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Neich.
Neich lands a really nice looking cross but Yoshida seems unphased.
Neich 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.
Neich lands a jab to the nose.
Neich will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshida displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Neich throws out the jab.
Neich misses with a wild body shot.
Yoshida has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Yoshida there as he acknowledges the shot.
Neich takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Yoshida will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Yoshida misses with a series of wild punches.
Yoshida uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Neich.
Yoshida displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Neich throws out the jab.
Yoshida appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Lester Neich seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Yoshida closes the distance and pushes Neich back into the ropes.

Yoshida breaks the clinch.
Neich ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Yoshida cracks Neich with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Neich lands an overhand right.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Neich tries to bum rush Yoshida with a series of wild strikes but Yoshida uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Yoshida tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Neich manages to circle out of the way.
Yoshida ducks right into an uppercut from Neich.
Neich avoids the head kick by Yoshida.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neich keeps the fight on the outside.
Yoshida throws a push kick but Neich slaps the foot to one side.
Neich tests Yoshida's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Yoshida throws a push kick but Neich slaps the foot to one side.
Neich is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Yoshida had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Neich, as that shot connected.
Yoshida closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Neich throws a series of punches but Yoshida avoids them all with ease.
A quick step to the side and Yoshida tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Neich throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Yoshida slips under a jab.
Neich throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Neich throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yoshida sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A jab lands there for Neich.
Neich jabbing away but nothing is landing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yoshida looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Neich stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Lester Neich dominated that round.
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.

Neich connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Neich throws a hook but Yoshida avoids it easily.

Yoshida closes the distance and clinches.
Yoshida lands an uppercut.
Neich is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A short left from Neich.

Yoshida breaks the clinch.
Neich scores with a shot to the body.
Yoshida scores with a sloppy right hand. Neich should have avoided that one.
Neich scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Yoshida doesn't seem bothered though.
Yoshida throws a series of punches but Neich avoids them all with ease.
Yoshida fails in his attempt to clinch.

Yoshida drives through and clinches with Neich against the ropes.
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!
A frustrated look appears on Neich's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Neich tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Neich blocks the elbow strike.
Neich managing to block the knees to the body from Yoshida.
Yoshida content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yoshida.
Neich can't break the clinch.
Yoshida scores a nice knee to the body.
Yoshida blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Yoshida breaks from the clinch.
Neich circles away from the clinch attempt.
A slow jab from Neich misses its intended target.
Yoshida ducks under a wild hook from Neich.
Yoshida is looking to counter the offense by Neich and move into the clinch.
Lester Neich is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yoshida uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Neich.
Neich swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Yoshida.
Neich connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Yoshida's hands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yoshida looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Neich connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Yoshida momentarily.
Neich fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Yoshida looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Lester Neich seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Neich throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Yoshida counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Neich tries to keep at a distance but Yoshida has taken the fight into the clinch.
Yoshida is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Neich is keeping busy.
Nice body punch from Yoshida - that landed with a thud.
Neich has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Yoshida wants to stall.
Yoshida looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.

Yoshida manages to break the clinch.
Yoshida walks into a left hand.

Yoshida drives through and clinches with Neich against the ropes.
Yoshida blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Yoshida trying to stall but Neich improves his position.

Neich's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Yoshida breaks the clinch.
Neich tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yoshida was well out of range. Poor timing from Neich.
Neich looks to land a left hand but Yoshida moved out of range nicely.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Takashi Yoshida 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Neich looks to land a combination. Yoshida sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Neich 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.
Yoshida wants to clinch up but Neich keeps it at a distance.
A slow jab from Neich misses its intended target.
Yoshida tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Yoshida clinches.
We've been informed that Neich has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Takashi Yoshida has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Neich gets through Yoshida's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Neich trying to stall but Yoshida improves his position.
Yoshida is looking to control Neich's arms but Neich gets an underhook and turns him. Now Yoshida has his back to the ropes.
Yoshida wants to stall.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Neich is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Yoshida breaks from the clinch.

Yoshida has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neich scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Yoshida blocking some punches.
Neich tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Neich working aggressively here.
Neich dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.
Neich lands a hook to the side of the head.
Yoshida controlling the action here for a moment.

Yoshida breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Neich throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yoshida sees it coming and avoids it easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Yoshida breaks the clinch.
Yoshida takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A cross from Neich lands.
Yoshida tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neich jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Yoshida darts in and clinches Neich up against the ropes.
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!
A head punch on the inside from Neich fails to land.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Neich is trying to break free.
Yoshida's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Neich throws a head punch that misses.
Neich is trying to break the clinch but Yoshida is controlling him.
Yoshida is trying to maintain a safe position but Neich gets an underhook and turns Yoshida into the ropes.

Neich manages to break the clinch.
Neich scores with a body shot.
Yoshida defending well as Neich loads up on a big left hand.
Yoshida defending well as Neich loads up on a big left hand.
Neich lands the left hand.
Neich loads up on a big right hand but Yoshida slips the punch.
Yoshida staying out of range there.
Yoshida fails with an attempt to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lester Neich comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Neich has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:30
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lester Neich!
A very excited looking Lester Neich made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.