PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Eduard Denile (ranked 5240 p4p, 25461 weight class) and Rich Shappens (ranked 492 p4p, 575 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Denile
vs
Shappens

195 cm
18
186
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
19
200
0 - 5 - 0

Excellent boxer
Cuts easily

Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Eduard Denile!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rich Shappens!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Eddie Farnsworth and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shappens wants to slow Denile down by chopping away at his legs.
A lazy left from Denile finds it's target.
Shappens tries to clinch there but Denile circles away.
Denile misses with an uppercut.
Shappens wants to clinch up but Denile keeps it at a distance.
Denile misses with a looping left.
Shappens tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shappens uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Denile.
Shappens throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
The fighters circling - Denile throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rich Shappens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shappens walks into a straight right hand from Denile.
Shappens moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shappens looks to throw a body kick
enabling Denile to counter with a crisp jab.
Shappens moves away from the strike by Denile.
Shappens unleashes a big counter combination but Denile bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Shappens throws a nice looking combination but Denile bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Denile was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Denile circles away from the clinch attempt
and Denile counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shappens drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Shappens walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Shappens ducks under a wild hook from Denile.
Shappens throws a jab but it's blocked by Denile.
Shappens wants to clinch
and Denile counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Shappens throws a combination that misses
and Shappens takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Denile is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Shappens.
Denile misses with a double jab.
Shappens swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Denile counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A combination from Shappens does no damage.
Shappens misses with a head kick.
Shappens rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Denile moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Denile throwing a counter right hand but Shappens manages to avoid it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Shappens is looking to clinch but Denile is avoiding it.
A slow jab from Denile misses its intended target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denile looks to land a combination but Shappens avoids it well.
Denile is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Denile misses the shot to the body.
A left lands for Denile.
Shappens motions for Denile to come forward. Shappens throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Shappens doesn't manage to clinch there - Denile circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shappens looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shappens on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Shappens's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Denile connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Shappens scrambles back to his feet.
Denile scores with a body shot.
Nice defenses there by Shappens.
Denile misses with a hook.
Shappens is looking to land body kicks.
Denile throws a hook but Shappens blocks it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Eduard Denile dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Denile looks to score with a jab to the body but Shappens is just out of range.
Shappens throws a counter combo.
Shappens throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Denile throwing a counter right hand but Shappens manages to avoid it.
Shappens looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Denile is looking to counter punch.
Denile misses with an uppercut.
Denile scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Denile lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Denile takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

It looks like Eduard Denile has been cut.
A head kick misses from Shappens.
Denile is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Denile lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Shappens falls off balance throwing a combination
and Denile counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Shappens thinking.
Rich Shappens is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Denile lands with a right hand.
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!
Shappens thows a leg kick but Denile checks it
and Denile cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Denile works Shappens's body with a nice hook.
Shappens is looking to clinch.
Denile is looking to counter punch.
Eduard Denile is winning the standup battle so far.
Denile throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shappens walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Shappens tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
We've been informed that Shappens has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
No joy there for Shappens, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Denile connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Eduard Denile is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Shappens walks into a straight right hand from Denile.
A big left from Denile misses.
Shappens takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Shappens throws a head kick that misses.
Shappens throws an off balance right hand
and Denile cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Shappens throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Shappens has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Shappens just misses with a punch to the body.
Shappens ducks under a wild hook from Denile.
Despite the aggression on Shappens's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Jab, jab by Denile - just one landing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Shappens clinches up with Denile and pushes him back against the cage.
Shappens is pushing Denile up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denile tries to break the clinch but Shappens is controlling the position.
Denile is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shappens can do to turn this around?

Denile manages to break the clinch.
Denile is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Shappens keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Denile.
Denile lands a glancing blow to the side of Shappens's head.
It looks like Denile has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Denile avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
It looked like Denile wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Denile circles away from the clinch attempt
and Denile counters with a stiff right hand.
Denile circles away from the clinch attempt
and Shappens takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Denile scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Denile slips a jab from Shappens.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Eduard Denile dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Eduard Denile's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Denile swats away the attempt to clinch by Shappens.
Eduard Denile is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Shappens blocks a jab.
Shappens tries to clinch up but Denile circles away and keeps his distance.
Denile scores with a three punch combo!
Shappens misses with a series of wild punches.
Shappens misses with a double jab
and Denile counters with a two punch combo.
Denile fails to land with a series of punches.
Denile cracks Shappens with a right hand to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Denile cracks Shappens with a right hand to the side of the head.
Denile checks a leg kick nicely.
A little feinted left hand from Denile on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Shappens ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Denile lands a head shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Denile cracks Shappens with an open hand slap.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Denile paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Denile uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Shappens.
Shappens fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shappens ducks under a wild hook from Denile.
Shappens throws a series of punches but Denile avoids them all with ease.
A low kick from Shappens is predictable there
letting Denile counter with a right hand.
Denile misses with a straight right.

Denile tries to keep at a distance but Shappens has taken the fight into the clinch.
Denile blocks an elbow strike.
Shappens will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Denile up against the cage.
Shappens tries to work over Denile's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denile lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Shappens backwards.
Shappens misses with a body punch.

Shappens's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rich Shappens has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Denile throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
A telegraphed right hand from Denile misses the target.
Shappens tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Denile circles away from the clinch attempt.
Denile was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Shappens misses with a series of wild punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Denile dips to his left and cracks Shappens with an uppercut!

And that's the end of the fight!
Eduard Denile showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Denile, 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eduard Denile!
Eduard Denile thanked the fans post fight for their support.