PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight kickboxing rules bout between Darren Sparks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rubin Carter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carter has chosen Hurricane as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Sparks
vs
Carter

185 cm
31
200 lbs
21 - 13 - 0

194 cm
27
197 lbs
9 - 9 - 0

World class boxer
Cardio machine

World class boxer
Good gas tank

Sydney BEAST Clothing
Speedy Supps + Laundry

Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Darren Sparks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rubin Carter!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Bruno Hogan and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Carter jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sparks keeps the fight on the outside.
Sparks tries to clinch up but Carter circles away and keeps his distance.
Carter throws a hook but Sparks avoids it easily.
Carter uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Sparks has time to react.
Carter avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Carter lands a nice shot that snaps Sparks's head back.
Carter throws a sloppy body shot
letting Sparks counter with a right hand.
The fight stays on the outside here - Carter looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Carter connects with a nice looking jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Carter swinging wildly here.
Carter throws a looping overhand right but Sparks ducks down to avoid it.
Sparks keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Carter walks into a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carter tries to clinch but Sparks moves out of range.
Sparks looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Sparks ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Carter moves away.
Carter lands a nice shot that snaps Sparks's head back.
Sparks defending well as Carter loads up on a big left hand.
Carter throws the left hand but Sparks avoids the punch easily.
Carter tries to clinch but Sparks is having none of it.
Sparks tries to score with a low kick but Carter moves his leg out of the way.
Carter throws a looping overhand right but Sparks ducks down to avoid it.
Carter misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sparks blocks a low kick nicely.
Carter connects with a crisp jab.
Carter pivots, looking for a leg kick but Sparks is out of range and Carter settles back down.
Carter moves out of range of the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carter moves into range and connects with a jab.
Carter moves into range and connects with a jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sparks throws out a loose jab but Carter uses good head movement to avoid it.
Carter misses with a wild body shot.
A head kick misses from Sparks.
Carter lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
The fight stays on the outside here - Carter looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Carter pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Carter tries to clinch but Sparks is having none of it.
Carter fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Sparks is out of range.
Carter's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Sparks connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Carter scrambles back to his feet.
Carter looks to land a right hand but Sparks moved out of range.
Carter tries to move into range but Sparks moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sparks throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sparks looks to land a right hand but Carter moved out of range.
Sparks misses with a body shot.
Sparks slips under a jab.
Carter scores with a spinning back kick!
Carter misses with a head kick.
Sparks connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Rubin Carter seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sparks uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Carter.
Sparks pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Carter connects with a nice looking jab.
A head kick misses from Carter.
Carter moves in looking to clinch but Sparks pushes him off.
Sparks keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Carter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Carter gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Carter blocking some punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Carter throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Sparkss head.
Sparks lands an elbow that stopped Carter in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Rubin Carter has been cut.
Sparks misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Sparks struggles to land a body shot inside as Carter controls his hands.
Carter dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

Carter breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Carter swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Sparks counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Carter pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sparks pulls out of a head kick attempt.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sparks moves out of range of the strikes.
Carter chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Sparks takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rubin Carter dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rubin Carter's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Sparks lands a nice shot that snaps Carter's head back.
Carter throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sparks throws a jab but it's blocked by Carter.
Carter connects with the punch.
Sparks has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Sparks there as he acknowledges the shot.
Carter waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Sparks.

Carter closes the distance and clinches.
Sparks lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Carter backwards.
Sparks tries to circle away but Carter has him pinned against the cage.
Sparks misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Carter looking to stall.
Carter avoiding damage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sparks misses with a body punch.
Carter avoiding damage as Sparks throws knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks tries a knee to the head but Carter blocks it.
Sparks lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Sparks scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Carter lands a right hand that snaps the head of Sparks backwards.
A short left from Carter.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Carter takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Sparks creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Carter blocks an uppercut.
Sparks avoiding damage as Carter throws knees to the body.
Sparks tries to work over Carter's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sparks throws a knee to the head but misses.
Carter swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Carter throws an elbow that misses.
Carter is looking to control Sparks's arms but Sparks gets an underhook and turns him. Now Carter has his back to the cage.
Carter blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sparks.
Sparks makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sparks prevents a body shot from Carter.
A nice left hand lands by Carter.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Sparks dodges an elbow strike from Carter.
Carter misses with a punch to the body.
Carter lands with a light punch inside.
Carter is working Sparks over against the cage.
Sparks misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Nice elbow from Sparks.
Sparks struggles to land a body shot inside as Carter controls his hands.
Sparks lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Carter or not.
Carter prevents a body shot from Sparks.
Sparks misses with a short punch on the inside.
Carter blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Sparks lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Sparks throws an elbow but misses.
Carter is trying to stall.
The referee calls for Carter to work.
Sparks looking to throw knees to the head but Carter is blocking nicely.
Sparks misses with a knee strike.
Carter has Sparks pushed against the cage.
Sparks misses with a punch to the body.
Sparks tries to land a knee to the head but Carter blocks with his arms.
Sparks lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Carter backwards.
Carter stalls.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
A short left from Carter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A hook to the body from Carter.
Carter stalling in the clinch but Sparks improves position.
Carter pushes Sparks back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Carter will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Sparks up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Rubin Carter.
Sparks throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Carter uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Carter swings for the body but Sparks moves out of range.
Carter has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Carter moves away from the strike by Sparks.
Sparks misses with an uppercut. Carter saw that one coming.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A jab from Carter finds it's way through Sparks's defenses.
Sparks chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Carter can pounce on him.
Carter pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rubin Carter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rubin Carter'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.

Carter lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Sparks at a distance.
Sparks throws a leg kick but Carter sees it coming and moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Sparks.
Sparks throws a big shot that misses.
Sparks misses with a few strikes there.
Carter throws a hook to the side of Sparks's head but Sparks sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Sparks takes a swing at Carter's ribcage but misses.
Sparks lands with a straight right. Carter didn't see that one coming.
Sparks throws a hook to the side of Carter's head but Carter sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Carter misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Carter looks to throw the jab but Sparks is out of range.
Carter swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A telegraphed right hand from Carter misses the target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks throws a head kick but Carter moves out of range.
Carter throws a hook but Sparks blocks it.
Carter tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Sparks is able to avoid easily.
Sparks lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Carter at a distance.
Carter misses with a straight left.
Rubin Carter seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Carter smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Carter lands with a cross.
Nice body kick from Carter.
Carter tries to close the distance and clinch but Sparks swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sparks circles away from the clinch attempt.
Carter throws a hook to the side of Sparks's head but Sparks sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Sparks misses with a looping left.
Carter dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carter is looking to chop away at Sparks's legs.
Sparks throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sparks lands with a thumping leg kick.
Carter lands with a thumping leg kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sparks throws a body punch but Carter moves out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Carter there.
Carter uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sparks.
The crowd cheers as Carter lands an impressive looking overhand right. Sparks doesn't seem phased though.
Carter throws a shot from downtown. Sparks moves away and avoids it.
Carter throws a leg kick but Sparks sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Good exchange - Carter coming out on top.
Sparks blocks a head kick by Carter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carter misses with a straight left.
Sparks swings for the body but Carter moves out of range.
Carter lands with an overhand left.
Sparks's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Carter connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Sparks scrambles back to his feet.
Carter bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Decent striking displayed by Carter there.

Sparks is rocked!
Sparks blocks a jab.
Oh Sparks is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Carter looks to land a left hand but Sparks moved out of range nicely.
Sparks misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Carter.
Sparks walks straight into a perfectly timed right hook, crumpling him to the floor! Sparks is in all kinds of trouble here - can he beat the count? 3,4,5,6,7,8,9....10 - he's out and it's by a long way too - he didn't ever look like beating that count!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:42 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punch). Rubin Carter!
An out of breath Rubin Carter thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.